Loire Valley Lodges, the contemporary boutique hotel located in the heart of a private 300-hectare forest in France’s Esvres, South Tours, has unveiled Milan Gataric and Thomas Coupeau as the latest culinary stars to join its upcoming roster of resident chefs. The talented young chefs will each host a month-long pop-up at the property’s new Asperatus restaurant, which opened in May and offers an unforgettable, innovative al-fresco dining experience.
Milan Gataric: 26th July – 30th August 2023
Chef-owner of Rotterdam’s Lux restaurant, Milan Gataric has made a name for himself with a number of exclusive pop-ups across several European cities including Berlin, Brussels, Zurich and more. A self-confessed wine lover, he is passionate about his pairings and is unafraid to push the boundaries, seen with his recent pairing of Champagne with a BBQ kebab dish! His cuisine is punctuated with fresh, simple ingredients that are prepared in traditional and classical ways for a remarkable end result, and it is this ethos of ‘back to basics’ cooking done right that he will bring to the plate.
Thomas Besnault, 30th August – 27th September 2023
A young rising star who combines his love for street food with Parisian bistro classics, Thomas Coupeau embodies the new generation of chef. Having risen to prominence with his position as Chef at Paris’s Carbón, the self-taught chef has developed an expertise in cooking over an open fire and loves to cook on ‘instinct and desire’. His cuisine is spontaneous, modern and seasonal, blending a surprising twist on Regressive and Proustian dishes with local produce of the highest quality.
Set in an aromatic courtyard, Asperatus offers an immersive gastronomic experience, hosting a residency of world-class chefs cooking in the open air, the perfect stage for their culinary skills. Throughout the summer, these distinguished chefs will captivate the senses of guests, delivering flavours drawn from the Lodge’s very own permaculture vegetable garden spread over one hectare of the estate. The menus take influence from the Loire region, coupled with the chefs’ worldly experiences and a connection with nature.
Loire Valley Lodges is a unique luxury boutique hotel, located in Esvres, South of Tours, in the heart of a private 300-hectare forest, less than two hours from Paris. Consisting of 18 lodges, every lodge has been designed by a contemporary artist and hosts original works chosen or created especially by the artist according to the inspiration they drew from the space. The hotel intertwines nature and art to create an exceptional sensory experience.
For more information on Loire Valley Lodges or to make a reservation, visit loirevalleylodges.com or call +33247388588.
