The chef
Passionate fisherman
French cook
Founder & owner
The chef
Passionate fisherman
French cook
Founder & owner
≈ Cook-Fisherman ≈ commited and entrepreneur chef
Christopher Coutanceau owns three establishments in La Rochelle: the Relais & Châteaux restaurant Christopher Coutanceau (2 Michelin stars), the bistrot marin – for which he created the entire concept – La Yole de Chris, and the Relais & Châteaux hotel La Villa Grand Voile. Passionate about the sea and a sailor since childhood, the chef from La Rochelle is a fervent advocate of sustainable fishing and anti-waste cuisine. At the La Rochelle fish auction, the “fisherman-cook” lovingly and meticulously selects the finest products from local fisheries: shellfish, crustaceans and line fish, with one priority: to strictly respect the seasons of the sea, excluding from his menu endangered species or those in their reproductive period.
Cuisine from the sea to the plate
Through a cuisine that is pure, sensitive and iodized, the chef works on a menu that is increasingly eco-responsible, pushing zero waste recipes to the limit. In addition to environmental concerns, it’s also a real gustatory discovery, showcasing little-known fish such as whiting and vieille, fabulous species.
≈ The sea needs time to recover, so leave the fish alone during the reproductive period and respect catch sizes. ≈
On his semi-rigid boat whenever he has the chance, the chef has applied the rules of respectful fishing since childhood. Today, the chef is keen to raise awareness of the cause through his profession and his passion. Christopher Coutanceau works with numerous associations to preserve marine resources. As he is an advocate of artisanal fishing, he has fought alongside Bloom (NGO) to obtain a ban on deep-sea trawling and electric fishing in Europe.
On the occasion of the release of the 2019 Michelin Guide, Christopher Coutanceau was awarded the “Prix de la Gastronomie Durable”, a first in the history of the red guide.
Christopher was born on October 12, 1978 in La Rochelle. After studying at the Lycée Hôtelier de la Rochelle, he began his professional career in 1993 in Biarritz, at the Hôtel-Restaurant le Miramar with André Gaüzère, then at the Café de Paris with Didier Oudill and Edgar Duhr in 1994. A year later, at the age of 17, he went to work for three-starred chef Michel Guérard in Eugénie-les-Bains. Then, in 1998, he joined Chef Ferran Adrià’s brigade at the famous El Bulli restaurant (3 Michelin stars) in Catalonia. In 1999, he worked alongside Joël Robuchon at Le Laurent in Paris.
Christopher Coutanceau then decided to return to La Rochelle in 2000 to open his own restaurant, Le Vieux Port, a bistrot then located on Place de la Chaîne, opposite the towers of La Rochelle. In October 2002, his father, chef Richard Coutanceau, asked Christopher to come and work alongside him in his eponymous restaurant, opened in 1984 on the Plage de la Concurrence in La Rochelle. He joined the Restaurant Richard Coutanceau team as head chef, working alongside his father for 5 years. In July 2007, Christopher bought the restaurant from his parents with Nicolas Brossard, head sommelier. 2018 saw the opening of La Yole de Chris, the adjoining bistrot marin. La Villa Grand Voile followed three years later.
A Chef trained
by the greatest
A Chef trained
by the greatest
Christopher was born on October 12, 1978 in La Rochelle. After studying at the Lycée Hôtelier de la Rochelle, he began his professional career in 1993 in Biarritz, at the Hôtel-Restaurant le Miramar with André Gaüzère, then at the Café de Paris with Didier Oudill and Edgar Duhr in 1994. A year later, at the age of 17, he went to work for three-starred chef Michel Guérard in Eugénie-les-Bains. Then, in 1998, he joined Chef Ferran Adrià’s brigade at the famous El Bulli restaurant (3 Michelin stars) in Catalonia. In 1999, he worked alongside Joël Robuchon at Le Laurent in Paris.
Christopher Coutanceau then decided to return to La Rochelle in 2000 to open his own restaurant, Le Vieux Port, a bistrot then located on Place de la Chaîne, opposite the towers of La Rochelle. In October 2002, his father, chef Richard Coutanceau, asked Christopher to come and work alongside him in his eponymous restaurant, opened in 1984 on the Plage de la Concurrence in La Rochelle. He joined the Restaurant Richard Coutanceau team as head chef, working alongside his father for 5 years. In July 2007, Christopher bought the restaurant from his parents with Nicolas Brossard, head sommelier. 2018 saw the opening of La Yole de Chris, the adjoining bistrot marin. La Villa Grand Voile followed three years later.
