Levantine named Luxembourg’s ‘coolest’ restaurant as it recovers from fire

When Alaa-Eddine Benchiba was called onto the stage at the Alvisse Parc Hotel in Domeldange on Monday afternoon, he was holding back tears.

His restaurant, Levantine, which specialises in Lebanese cuisine, had just been awarded the “H!P of the Year” prize, an accolade presented by the Gault&Millau guide to recognise the restaurant with the liveliest atmosphere in Luxembourg.

“It really is like rising from the ashes,” Benchiba told Contacto after the ceremony. On 6 October, roughly three weeks before the award ceremony, flames ravaged number 24 Rue Notre-Dame.

“It happened on our weekly closing day and, fortunately, no one was there. A few tablecloths caught fire and completely destroyed the premises,” explained the owner.

“We opened in October 2025 and the restaurant was a great success, then this incident happened and we had to close our doors. It seems that this award is a sign that we must move forward, whatever the cost,” he said.

According to his own estimates, Levantine is expected to reopen between December and January. “We’re not dead; we’re still here.”

The calm after the storm

This spirit of survival was the unofficial motto of the 2027 Gault&Millau gala.

To mark the 10th anniversary of the publication of a Gault&Millau guide dedicated exclusively to the Grand Duchy, the venue was packed to capacity for the celebration.

The list features the 116 best places to eat and drink. Gault&Millau was created in 1969 by two French journalists in response to what they perceived as the Guide Michelin’s rigid criteria and emphasis on haute cuisine and fine dining.

Restaurants in the Gault&Millau guide are given a score out of 20 and aren’t awarded stars but up to five chef’s hats.

In Luxembourg, Ryôdô Kajiwara from Japan was once again been crowned Chef of the Year. Five years after his first award, the owner of Ryôdô restaurants said: “At first, it was a surprise; now it’s a confirmation. I learnt to cook in Tokyo, but it’s Luxembourg that allows me to keep dreaming.”

Kajiwara learnt the basics of Japanese cuisine in his home country, but it was in the Grand Duchy that he became a chef in his own right. He trained under the very best: Léa Linster, Arnaud Magnier (Clairefontaine) and Ilario Mosconi (Mosconi). Then he set out on his own adventure.

“Ten days after opening, I had to close because of Covid-19. And here I am today, celebrating my second ‘Chef of the Year’ title,” he said.

At the age of 36, Kim de Dood also scooped one of the coveted awards for “Young Chef of the Year”.

“I’m not that young, but I’m very happy to see this new wave sweeping through Luxembourg’s haute cuisine. It’s my country and it makes me proud,” he said.

His rise has been meteoric. De Dood was awarded a Michelin star and a promising rating in the Gault&Millau guide the year Le Lys opened at the Villa Pétrusse Boutique Hotel. “Perhaps next year, I’ll be Chef of the Year,” he said jokingly. “I wouldn’t mind.”

‘No reason to feel small’

The evening was marked by an appearance of Laurent Fery, the man who first included Luxembourg in the Gault&Millau guide.

Six months ago, Laurent Fery suffered a stroke that left him in a coma. “I thought I was going to die, but fortunately I didn’t. And now I think that, if it had happened, my gravestone would have had to bear an inscription saying that the finest quality of my life was to surround myself with people far more intelligent than myself.”

This is how he wished to thank all those who rallied together to bring the 10th edition of Gault&Millau Luxembourg to life, in the Grand Duchy, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Looking at this year’s results, he is filled with pride: “Luxembourg has opened up to the world. It has nothing to be ashamed of and no reason to feel small. We have the best Japanese restaurant and the best vegetarian restaurant in the whole of the Benelux,” he said.

Just like the owner of the Levantine, he has no doubt about what the future holds. “We’re very much alive. We’re here.”

And he went out to fetch a glass of crémant, as this Monday evening was a cause for celebration.

(This article was originally published on Contacto. AI translated, with editing by Lucrezia Reale.)