La Table du Gourmet š«±
Memorable in equal measure for its food and beverage programāa seemingly effortless harmony that feels nothing short of heaven-sent.
šļø Venue Information
Website: https://jlbrendel.com/fr/restaurants/la-table-du-gourmet.html
Location: Riquewihr, Alsace, France
Head Chef: Jean-Luc Brendel
Head Sommelier and / or Beverage Director: Anne Humbrecht
Estimated USD Cost Per Person (incl. drinks): $325
Culinary Recognition(s): 1 Michelin Star
š„ Core Scoring Criteria (1ā10 each)
š«± The Cooperative Pour ā Outstanding value in drinks and dining
Program Identity | 10
This wine programās identity is unmistakably singular. Rooted firmly in both the history and character of Alsace, Jean-Luc Brendelās vision extends from the kitchen straight into the glass. Each of the eight courses is paired with rare, often seldom-seen regional wines, including a memorable 2015 Pinot Noir from Jean-Paul Schmitt, a legendary local winemaker whose vineyards have since passed to a new generation. Offering this bottle as the final pour feels like a deliberate, resonant coda to the experience. The message is clear: this is an Alsatian table, and proud of it. Every pairing underscores that pride, with each course matched exclusively to wines from Alsaceāan unwavering commitment that turns the tasting into both a culinary journey and a quiet, confident declaration of regional identity.
Depth & Quality | 7
It might seem that depth would be difficult to achieve in a wine pairing drawn from a single French appellation, but that assumption quickly falls apart here. This program not only showcases top-tier Alsatian wines, it also ranges confidently across stylesāfrom deliberately oxidative expressions to gently off-dry bottlings and Grand Cru wines that embody the regionās long winemaking history. Quality naturally varies with such ambition and experimentation, yet the intent is unmistakable. Rather than playing it safe, the restaurant leans into the complexity and nuance of Alsace, offering a pairing that highlights the depth of a historic, much-loved region while inviting guests to see it with fresh eyes.
Service & Knowledge | 4
A working knowledge of French certainly helps here, as English only carries you so farābut for those who have it, the experience opens up considerably. If you are looking for real engagement around the pairing, though, you will need to take the initiative.ā The team offers only the briefest sketch of each wine unless prompted, keeping explanations closer to spark notes than deep dives. Yet curiosity is rewarded: guests who ask questions quickly find a staff eager to discuss the details of a program they have clearly crafted with care
Pairing & Integration | 6
The food here all but steals the spotlight from the glass. The cooking is intensely punched-up, with high-impact flavors that can, at times, threaten to overpower even thoughtfully chosen wines. Yet the integration between plate and pairing remains strikingly close to seamless With Jean-Luc Brendel cultivating most of the ingredients on his family farm, he is free to build globally inflected flavors on an Alsatian foundationāsome of the most distinctive combinations we have encountered. His creativity almost eclipses the pairing, but the team works hard to match that force with equally assertive choices in the glass, ensuring the wines rise to meet the cuisine rather than recede behind it.
Accessibility & Experience | 4
There is a single set pairing hereāand if you do not explicitly request it, it simply will not appear. For those who skip it, the Ć la carte list is broad enough, but without the confidence to ask follow-up questions or seek guidance, it may fall short of a truly tailored experience.ā The key is not to be shy. Engage the team, inquire about options, and you will find they are more than willing to shape the wines to your preferencesāproof that in this dining room, asking is the surest path to receiving.
Innovation & Influence | 6
This programās innovation is unmistakable, and its potential influence extends far beyond the village limits. On a December Saturday at 8 p.m.āwith Alsaceās Christmas markets drawing heavy tourist crowdsāthe dining room here still sat more than half empty, a striking contrast to the regionās broader popularity in that season.ā Given the caliber of both the menu and the all-Alsatian wine pairing, greater visibility could have real impact. Offering this team a stronger platform to communicate what they are doingāin wine as much as in foodāwould not only benefit the restaurant, but could also meaningfully bolster the profile of Alsaceās contemporary culinary and wine scene.
Total Score: 38.4/60
š«±Memorable in equal measure for its food and beverage programāa seemingly effortless harmony that feels nothing short of heaven-sent.
š§© Table Harmony
š Exceptional Harmony ā Deep integration between kitchen and beverage team
This programās strength is not simply in showcasing Alsatian wines, but in revealing the full spectrum of what winemaking in Alsace can be. The breadth is remarkable: Grand Cru Rieslings form a firm backbone for the pairing, yet the true excitement lies in the idiosyncratic, forward-thinking bottles that surround them.ā There is Sylvaner from a Japanese expat newly rooted in the region, an oxidative Sylvaner that walks a fine line between tertiary complexity and the regionās hallmark acidity, and powerful Pinot Noirs from the late Jean-Paul Schmitt that rival New World structure and intensity. For a program built around a single regional identity, it twists and turns with real verveāeach deviation revealing a fresh surprise and a new facet of Alsace.
š·ļø Specialty Tags
āš· Wine-Led
ā šŗ Beer-Focused
āšø Cocktail-Driven
āš¶ Sake Specialist
āš§ Spirits-Led
āš Terroir-First
āā»ļø Sustainable Cellar
āš¬ Technique-Driven
āš§ Education-Centric
āš Rare & Iconic Bottles
āš Global Range
āš Locally Rooted
Come here for what matters most: exceptional, locally grown Alsatian cooking paired with some of the regionās most emblematic bottlesāan experience that captures Alsace at its finest.
š£ļø Inspector Summary
Riquewihr feels as though it has been lifted straight from a storybook, its half-timbered houses and cobblestone streets equal parts Germanic and Frenchāmore āBeauty and the Beastā village than real life. Tucked away off a side street, La Table du Gourmet reveals itself almost like a secret, marked modestly by a lone Michelin plaque on its stone faƧade.ā
Inside, the restaurantās character is as distinctive as its setting. Housed in a traditional Alsatian home, it features low, wood-beamed ceilings that practically demand a duck of the head, with bright red walls and modern art adding a striking, contemporary counterpoint. The first glimpse is not of the dining room but of the open kitchen, where a brigade of red-hatted cooks prepares the eight-course menu in full viewāan immediate, sensory overture to the meal ahead.ā
The beverage program mirrors this sense of place with uncommon conviction. There is a palpable pride in Alsaceāits produce, its vineyards, its winemakersāthat threads through each course and every pour, from benchmark Grand Cru Rieslings to more experimental, boundary-pushing bottles. If there is a flaw, it is that the foodās intensity can sometimes overshadow whatās in the glass. Yet for anyone seeking an immersive bootcamp in contemporary Alsatian wine, Jean-Luc Brendelās hidden gem is simply not to be missed.