Pascal Bastian Chef Michelin stared
Le Cheval Blanc - Gourmet restaurant in Alsace
Pascal Bastian, creative, generous, experienced
Having acquired Le Cheval Blanc in 2008, this Alsatian chef, born in the small town of Pfaffenhoffen to the north of Strasbourg, has modernised this culinary institution with his creative and bold cuisine which focuses on showcasing products from the local region, without ever forgetting those from further afield.
Pascal Bastian has a wealth of experience and has perfected his technique and professionalism alongside Michelin-starred chefs in some of the most demanding kitchens: Gérard Boyer at Le Crayères (3 stars) in Reims, Gérard Rabaey at Le Pont de Brent (3 stars) in Switzerland, Philippe Etchebest at Le Château des Reynats (1 star) and then at L’Hostellerie de Plaisance (2 stars) in Saint-Emilion and Jean-Georges Klein in L’Arnsbourg (3 stars).
Today, at the head of his gourmet restaurant in Lembach, he creates subtle dishes with plenty of personality. He has real respect for tradition, but successfully combines a touch of modernity to surprise, amaze, delight and create genuine emotion.
Member:
• Etoiles D’Alsace
• Maître Cuisinier de France
• Collège Culinaire de France
• Maître Restaurateur
The Chef's career
1996-1998: first time at Le Cheval Blanc
Working with Fernand Mischler, Pascal Bastian worked as a commis chef at this legendary restaurant.
2003 – 2007: sous-chef at L’Hostellerie de Plaisance
For 4 years, he worked as sous-chef to Chef Philippe Etchebest at L’Hostellerie de Plaisance in Saint-Emilion.
2007-2008: back to Alsace
The Chef returned to Alsace, where he grew up, to work as sous-chef at L’Arnsbourg, close to the Vosges.
2008: return to Le Cheval Blanc
Pascal Bastian returns to Le Cheval Blanc. Fernand Mischler was looking for a successor: Pascal was thrilled to return to the restaurant where he started out, an iconic gourmet restaurant in Alsace.
2009: the first Michelin star
One year after his arrival, the Michelin guide awarded Le Cheval Blanc its first star.
Carole Bastian, attentive and dedicated
It was on meeting her husband Pascal, who was working as a young chef on the Côte d’Azur, that Carole discovered the world of hospitality. Originally from Haguenau in Alsace, Carole Bastian started out at the Hôtel Le Martinez, the world-renowned palace in Cannes, then worked at a local brasserie before joining the kitchen staff at Le Château des Reynats. In 2003, Carole was appointed as assistant maître d’ at L’Hostellerie de Plaisance.
In 2008, she took over at Le Cheval Blanc with her husband. This self-taught hard-worker with a passion for hospitality embraced this new adventure wholeheartedly.
Guests who visit this historic building in a traditional Alsatian village enjoy a warm welcome at Le Cheval Blanc, with all of its Alsatian heritage and historic charm: Carole is the driving force behind it all, a passionate and natural leader who keeps a close eye on everything. With real attention to detail, she welcomes guests to Le Cheval Blanc as if welcoming them to her own home, an approach which was recognised with the Gault & Millau Trophée de l’Accueil in 2017.
The team at Le Cheval Blanc, exacting, committed and close-knit
The team at Le Cheval Blanc works tirelessly every day to ensure that you enjoy a unique experience. Led by Pascal and Carole, the incredible enthusiasm and warmth of the staff in the kitchen, in the dining room and in the hotel is clear to see; it forms the basis of the close relationships which are developed with guests.
Driven by a commitment to excellence, the team puts all its personal and professional skills to use to create a naturally welcoming environment for guests.
Find out more about Le Cheval Blanc’s staff, their values and their passions.
Although Delphine was born in a village just a few kilometres from Lembach, she travelled far and wide before joining Carole and Pascal Bastian’s team in 2012 as reception manager.
After her secondary education at the Lycée Hôtelier Alexandre Dumas in Illkirch, Delphine Randolet studied for a BTS in hospitality management, during which she worked in Aix-les-Bains, in Germany and in Corsica, at Le Grand Hôtel Miramar. In winter, she worked at Le Blizzard, a 5-star family-run hotel in Val d’Isère. She worked as the night manager at Le Château de l’Ile in Ostwald, then moved to Canada with her husband before joining Le Cheval Blanc.
As reception manager, she manages bookings for Le Cheval Blanc’s gourmet restaurant and hotel and private events; friendly and efficient, she knows just how to make you feel at home.
Although it was Valérie Frank’s passion for patisserie which first attracted her to the world of hospitality, this meticulous, generous and welcoming woman decided to share her professional talents and specialist knowledge in the front of house.
Born in Burgundy, she grew up in the Jura, studied at the Lycée d’Arbois and worked in Great Britain, Ireland and Luxembourg. In Bourges, she met François Adamski, holder of the prestigious title Meilleur Ouvrier de France and winner of the Bocuse d’Or, who asked her to move to Bordeaux for the opening of his new restaurant Le Gabriel. She spent 5 fantastic years there before moving to Alsace, working at a 4-star hotel and spa in Morsbronn-les-Bains before joining Le Cheval Blanc, initially occupying various roles before joining the team as a chef de rang and being promoted to maître d’.
Cooking has always been a passion for Christophe: he’s worked as a sous-chef to Chef Bastian at Le Cheval Blanc for the last 8 years and grew up in the kitchen as a child in Alsace. Having qualified as a chef, Christophe Orth moved to Paris to work at Le Royal Monceau before returning to L’Arnsbourg where he spent 9 years working with Chef Jean-Georges Klein, honing his creative skills as he created bold cuisine.
He left to work with Pascal Bastian, having met him at L’Arnsbourg. At Le Cheval Blanc, this quiet creative works tirelessly to share his passion for Alsace, the region where he was born and which inspires his daring dishes. He works closely with the Chef; their mutual respect was key to the restaurant being awarded a second Michelin star in 2015.
He joined the restaurant in August 2018. Back in the region where he grew up, just 50 km from where he was born, Phillippe Clauss applied to work alongside Chef Bastian, an inspiring man whom he had known for many years. It was clear that Philippe would excel in this unique restaurant, with his incredible experience and boundless creativity.
In welcoming Philippe, Le Cheval Blanc gained a chef with years of experience: he grew up working in his family’s restaurant, studied for a BTS in catering at the Lycée Hôtelier Alexandre Dumas in Illkirch and began working in Michelin-starred restaurants – Le Patin d’Or in Luxembourg (2 stars) where he discovered southern cuisine for the first time, L’Arnsbourg (3 stars), Le Crocodile (3 stars). He then joined the Michelin-starred chef Christian Willer at the Hôtel Martinez in Cannes, before moving to Brittany to work with Gaël Ruscat: together, they opened L’Insolite at the Hôtel de France in Douarnenez and Le Quai 29 in the port. 11 years later, having been awarded a Bib Gourmand for good quality and good value, he now works with Chef Bastian.
Some passions can be all-consuming: for Lilian Frey, that was certainly the case when it came to patisserie. This winegrower’s son studied for a BEP in patisserie and a 1-year vocational diploma in restaurant desserts. At Le Château de l’Île in Ostwald, he worked his way up from commis to sous-chef pâtissier and left to join Didier de Courten, a chef with two Michelin stars, at the Terminus de Sierre hotel in Switzerland, where he continued to hone his skills.
In 2010, he joined Le Cheval Blanc, alongside Pascal Bastian, who then held one Michelin star. For 4 years, he was responsible for creating the finishing touch to the gourmet restaurant’s meals, developing an identity combining sweet and savoury elements to tell Le Cheval Blanc’s story.
From 2014 to 2017, he studied for an advanced diploma in in-store patisserie, before returning to Le Cheval Blanc, where he continues writing the restaurant’s story, creating a wide range of delicious desserts with subtly sweet flavours and incredible textures.