For nearly 40 years, people have been standing patiently on a nondescript street in Cologne, waiting to be let into a magical place. Le Moissonnier is, in many ways, an unusual Michelin-starred restaurant and the setting for countless incredible stories.
The story begins in the early 1980s, when Vincent and Liliane, both from France and new to the restaurant trade, cross paths in Berlin. In short order, their love story unfolds, leading, after a few more years of apprenticeship and a move to Cologne, to the opening of their own bistro.
Like a modern fairy tale, this book tells the story of a modest idea, the challenges of starting a business in a foreign country, the hardships of the climb, and the magic of success. We read about both notable and everyday guests, the most adventurous aspects of working in fine dining, and the fundamentals of haute cuisine. This book doesn’t stop at the swinging door to the restaurant’s inner sanctum; with astonishing frankness, it delves beyond, into the refined and deeply sensual work of a Michelin-starred kitchen.
A book that makes pleasure and taste tangible, brings the most remarkable figures to life, and lets a truly special place shine.
