La Cristallerie, the renowned restaurant of the hotel Le Place d’Armes, affiliated with Relais & Châteaux, has just welcomed a new head chef, Milan Brée. We met with him to discuss his career and his vision for gastronomy in Luxembourg.
When you arrive at La Cristallerie, you’ll still be greeted by gilded walls, stained-glass windows, white tablecloths, and the prestigious aura of the place. While the décor has remained unchanged, a new chef has taken over in the kitchen, succeeding Chef Salvador.
What has been your professional journey up to now?
I’m originally from Nantes, but I built my career between Luxembourg and France. I started as a commis and then chef de partie at Le Jardin d’Anaïs, where I stayed for two years – during which we earned a Michelin star. I then spent two years at Domaine Les Crayères** in Reims alongside Chef Philippe Mille, and later returned to Luxembourg to work at La Villa de Camille et Julien*, where I held the position of sous-chef.
Was that sous-chef position a springboard to your current role?
Yes, absolutely. It was really at La Villa that I was able to participate in creating the menu. In my previous positions, I was just executing; that changed at La Villa. I really enjoyed that new creative aspect of being a chef.
Why did you say yes to this new opportunity?
It’s a fantastic opportunity for me to lead my own team (in collaboration with Executive Chef Dominik Ambros) and to work in a Relais & Châteaux environment. It’s a world I’m already familiar with since Les Crayères is also part of Relais & Châteaux. La Cristallerie, to me, stands for prestige, with a stunning dining room, and I thoroughly enjoyed working on a brand-new menu for the restaurant.
Tell us about your menus.
We decided to offer three different menus – Reflet, Éclat, and Cristal – and I particularly like that the first one is more accessible. It was important to me to allow a wider audience to experience dining at La Cristallerie, in such a beautiful setting.
Let’s talk about the dishes – do you offer plant-based options?
I became more aware of plant-based cuisine at Domaine Les Crayères, where I also learned how much thought goes into crafting these often-challenging dishes when aiming for real flavor discovery. At La Cristallerie, we decided to make all our canapés and amuse-bouches plant-based. The rest of the menu isn’t fully vegetarian, but of course, we adapt for vegetarian guests.
How would you define your overall culinary style?
I offer traditional French cuisine, relatively classic, especially with my focus on sauce-making, which I love. I also enjoy finishing dishes tableside. While the dishes are classic at their core, I like to add more exotic notes.
Tell us a bit about your choice of tableware.
I go with what inspires me! It’s often the plate itself that guides my culinary creations. We’re lucky to work with three different suppliers, which gives us a wide range of options.
Can guests expect to see you in the dining room during service?
Yes, I usually come out at the end of the meal. It’s a new experience for me, and I’m not entirely comfortable with it yet, but I’m working on it!
With several Luxembourg establishments receiving new Michelin stars last week, is earning a star one of your goals?
Honestly, no – it’s not one of my main objectives. Right now, my focus is on establishing my cuisine at La Cristallerie. What comes next, we’ll see.
Pictures: La Cristallerie
