Yannick GUTH

Chef : Auberge Chez Guth After working at the Auberge de l’Ill and Flocons de Sel, Yannick Guth took over a former farmhouse inn in Steige, his village in the Val de Villé. He received the [award] from the Gault&Millau Tour Grand Est.

Presentation

Yannick Guth describes himself as a “ child of the valley ”—the Giessen Valley, which flows through Villé before reaching the Rhine Plain. “My family has lived in this area for several generations. Even though I traveled a bit during my apprenticeship, I always knew I’d come back to settle where I grew up.”

A hands-on trade

As a student with little enthusiasm for academics, he initially saw himself as a carpenter or cabinetmaker. “I also liked cooking. And above all, I wanted to learn a hands-on trade,” he recalls. He completed his apprenticeship at Chez Julien in Fouday— “a large establishment with plenty of tables ”—and stayed there for five years, eventually rising to the position of commis.

From the Auberge de l’Ill to Megève

“ I was then lucky enough to be hired at the Auberge de l’Ill, working alongside Marc Haeberlin. A truly great man.” He then left Alsace for La Villa in Calvi, before joining Emmanuel Renaut at Flocons de Sel in Megève. “An incredible chef who inspired me greatly—equally at home with savory dishes as he is with pastry and bread.” In 2017, he was named a “Young Talent” by Gault&Millau.

The Return to Steige

At La Villa, he met Emmanuelle, then a massage therapist and esthetician, who would become his wife. Together, they bought an old farmhouse-inn in Steige, the village where he grew up. The early days were difficult; they had to build a clientele. “ But after a few seasons, we found our stride.”

In the kitchen, Yannick Guth offers a meticulously prepared and generous menu centered on local ingredients. In the dining room, Emmanuelle Guth oversees service and now also manages the wine cellar. The restaurant received a score of 14/20 and two toques.