Ismail GUERRE-GENTON

Chef : 1 restaurant

Presentation

Although Ismail Guerre-Genton had been immersed in the hotel business all his youth, thanks to his grandfather, he initially opted to study medicine. To pay for his studies, he worked as a dishwasher and clerk, experiences that eventually sparked a real interest in the restaurant business. As the saying goes,"Dogs don't make cats". So, without further ado, he gave up medicine and went to the Institut Paul Bocuse, before joining Michel Bras' team in Laguiole.

In 2012, he joined Les Flocons de Sel, in Megève, to work with Emmanuel Renaut. It was here that he met his partner, Inès. "After that, I was supposed to go abroad, but I ended up at the Chalet du Mont d'Arbois, where Julien Gatillon worked," explains Ismail Guerre-Genton. Two years later, he headed for Lyon. "Louis Fargeton, Christian Têtedoie's executive chef, brought me on as second chef."

In 2016, Inès and Ismail opened Empreinte, in Lambersart. "We arrived in Lille with a cuisine that was atypical at the time, and we created quite a buzz, which launched us for the rest," the chef details. Two years later, he won the Gault&Millau Jeune Talent award. His sommelier, Clément Delécluse, was named France's Best Young Sommelier 2021. In 2022, Ismail Guerre-Genton was awarded the Techniques d'Excellence trophy at the Gault&Millau Tour Hauts-de-France (vintage 2023). His current goal: 3 toques. "It would be a fine reflection of the high standards and commitment we put in every day to delight our guests", he assures us.

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