Louise-Anne RUHLMANN
Chef de service : 1 restaurant From sommelier to manager of Le Crocodile in Strasbourg, Louise-Anne Ruhlmann has charted a course in her own image: ambitious, elegant and profoundly Alsatian.
With Ruhlmann as a name, it's hard to escape wine. Born in Sélestat, Louise-Anne grew up in the heart of the family vineyard in Dambach-la-Ville, where she learned early on "thelove of wine and the rigors of the trade". But while the world of wine runs through her veins, the young woman wants to look beyond the hills of Alsace. "Even at secondary school, I knew I wanted to work in the restaurant business. I wanted to combine human values, conviviality and taste." After taking a hotel baccalaureate in Illkirch in 2014, she went on tocomplete a BTS in hotel and restaurant management, followed by a sommelier diploma in La Rochelle .
Diplomas in hand, she completed an internship at Michel Guérard's Pré d'Eugénie before flying to New York at the age of 21. There, she joined the Ruhlmann brasserie - a twist of fate - and became "captain", the equivalent of maître d'hôtel:"I was the youngest, the only woman, the only Frenchwoman... A very demanding experience, but an incredibly rich one. "
From Languedoc to Strasbourg, the wine route continues
Back in France, in 2019 she joins Gilles Goujon's Auberge du Vieux Puits (5 toques): "A fabulous playground for a sommelier, where I rubbed shoulders with excellence and a unique terroir."
In2020, Louise-Anne returns to Alsace and joins Au Crocodile (3 toques) in Strasbourg as assistant head sommelier, working alongside Romain Brillat.
Three years later, she flies to Corsica, where she becomes head sommelier at the Hôtel Marinca: "It was a first team to build, and the discovery of an exciting vineyard."Between two seasons, she multiplied her experiences: creation of a permaculture garden and a school canteen in Madagascar via theHum'Amisassociation , followed by a spell in Austria, in the Tyrol, to perfect her German.
Back to the roots at Le Crocodile
In October 2024, Amaury Barbado entrusted her with the reins of Le Crocodile, where she became restaurant manager: a symbolic return to this Alsatian institution with thirty employees. "It's a house that makes the eyes shine. I have the chance to write a new page while respecting this incredible history", Louise-Anne explains .
Under her leadership, the dining room is becoming more feminine, "there are now five women, it just happened naturally". The sommellerie is also expanding: pedestal table service, wine and cheese pairings in three glasses, gentle methods for coffee... "I want the service to be smooth and smiling, and I want my staff to enjoy themselves. Hospitality is first and foremost a matter of shared joy", continues the young woman.
Attached to her roots, Louise-Anne remains associated with the Ruhlmann-Schutz estate, which she co-manages with her brother and cousins: "Coming back to Alsace is an undeniable opportunity. As children, we don't necessarily realize it, but our values and our land are exceptional. "
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