Pierre Résimont (L'Eau Vive **) : The Insatiable

"We simply did our job and were rewarded". Thirteen years after obtaining his second star, authenticity still sounds like the key to success according to Pierre Résimont.

Head in the stars
Pierre's obsession with "good food" comes from his grandmother. At the age of 18, on the advice of his father, he enrolled at the hotel school in Namur, although he had always been attracted to architecture. In 1990, in a small mill dating from 1630, Chef Résimont and his wife Anne embarked on the adventure of a lifetime: the opening of their restaurant. With few resources, they succeeded in creating a simple and authentic place in their image. They started by taking over a cooker? from her former chef and made improvements every year. Three years later, the Namur chef obtained his first star and became the youngest starred chef in Belgium. Pierre has never chased the stars and intends to keep his two macaroons by remaining true to himself. And he proudly announces that his restaurant will be renovated in early 2023.

"Cooking is like architecture, there are no limits"

Feet on the ground

Now the proud owner of four establishments, in addition to his iconic restaurant L'Eau Vive, the chef intends to share his franchise by offering a real experience to his customers. He has opened L'espace Medissey, a peaceful 6-room hotel near the restaurant, named after his two children. The chef was keen to co-design this project to give himself - at last! - to his passion for architecture. Despite his successes, Pierre intends to "remain the same". L'Eau Vive is one of the cheapest starred restaurants in Belgium. "I don't want those who supported the restaurant in the beginning to be unable to come anymore because the prices become unaffordable. "

A ‘no nonsense’ kitchen

In Pierre Résimont's kitchen, calm is the order of the day. The chef sifts through the plates ready to be served: "I analyse everything. For example, when I arrive, I immediately notice if the grass seems a little higher than usual. "He appreciates French cuisine because it is so simple; for him, there is no need to put too many tricks on a plate. The culinary experience he offers is based on great classics that he revisits. According to Pierre, cooking is like architecture, "there are no limits! You can do a lot of things with a tomato". His uniqueness is mainly expressed by a well thought-out balance between the texture, the fat, and more particularly the acidity of the products: "It brings freshness and the desire to finish the dish or to come back to it!