Hugo DE LA BARRIÈRE

Chef : 1 restaurant Hugo de la Barrière has been head chef at Brindos, Lac & Château since it reopened in Anglet in 2022. His cuisine is precise and meticulous, highlighting local produce.

Presentation

" I discovered cooking out of spite," laughs Hugo de la Barrière. Twenty-five years later, he says: " It's a fascinating profession, thanks to the endless apprenticeship you get as a chef, which keeps you motivated.

A journey to the four corners of France

He began his training at Médéric in Paris, before taking a CAP in Cuisine and a complementary diploma in Catering. He obtained his first position as a commis with Nicolas Salé at the Hyatt Paris Madeleine, then at the Tour d'Argent. The chef joined Nicolas Salé again, when the latter took over the Cap Estel. He then opened the Radisson Blu in Marseille. When his daughter was born, he returned to Paris and joined Châteauform', a structure focused on high-end seminars.

He and his wife then bought a restaurant in Brittany, which they ran for four years, before joining the brigade at Castel Clara in Belle-Île-en-Mer. Finally, he discovered the Basque country, where he worked at the table des Frères Ibarboure, before becoming chef at Brindos in 2022.

A cuisine centered on the product

" I like simple cooking that highlights products without distorting them. We manage to get a lot of products from the region, which take up a lot of space on the menu ". Thanks to his many experiences, his cuisine is marked by different terroirs, notably Breton products, which he skilfully blends with Basque flavours.

" A chef's job is to create emotion. This is why the chef strives to simplify his dishes: " I don't want to get lost in over-sophisticated dishes or recipes. The main thing is to create something good, which is not as simple as it sounds! " Joining a hotel was a revelation in her career: " Hotels are what I prefer, thanks to the richness of the offer, from breakfast to dinner and Sunday brunch ".

His cuisine evolves with the team he has built up at Brindos. At lunchtime, the restaurant's menu features "dishes that bring people together" at 1930. In the evening, it becomes La Table du Lac, offering a gastronomic menu. In both these experiments, taste is essential: " We've always had carte blanche to design our menus. We offer short menus, which ensures quality, rigor and control over each dish ".