There are places like this that seem to grant their occupants limitless inspiration. The walls of the former castle guardhouse are certainly one of them. Chris Ewen, the young Luxembourg chef, has created an inventive, subtly gourmet cuisine that is very much of its time.
As a bridge between the lower town of Clervaux and the castle, the restaurant serves as a majestic gateway to the castle. With its history as a guard house, the establishment opens onto the city through small windows. Thick walls that create a cocoon, old wooden frames that bring warmth and this bright white that creates light, the interior of the restaurant is simply beautiful, in an apparent simplicity. The tables and the guests are numbered to allow everyone to enjoy the moment with ease. On the walls, contrasting with the white, are prints from Edward Steichen's photographic collection, which is on display in The Family of Man exhibition a few metres away.
Chris Ewen's art is at work upstairs in the kitchen. Behind the stoves, just as elegant as the rest, the young chef prepares a true gastronomic experience for his guests. Introduced to the culinary arts at the Luxembourg Hotel School, Chef Ewen trained throughout Europe and in his own country before taking over the management of Château Clervaux six years ago. His credo is established everywhere: Homemade - Quality - Style. Indeed, all the dishes are prepared on the spot with a touch of seasonality, but above all with his personal representation of the cuisine, which is reflected in the plate with delicacy.
This freedom to interpret the cuisine is important to the chef.Freedom in fact. Without breaking the codes of gastronomy, on the contrary, Chris Ewen allows himself to visualise and express it according to his own desires, according to his daily inspirations and his moods. But what do we find on the menu? Mainly French technical cuisine inspired by the world. When we met, it had been 10 years to the day since Chris embarked on a one-year cycling trip from Alaska to Peru.This crazy life experience continues to influence him today. He has this perpetual desire to discover and share with his clients, this mix of gastronomic cultures and this taste for the new.
Chef Ewen offers a 3 or 2 course seasonal lunch menu as well as an elaborate 3 to 5 course theme menu. The menu titles, with their emphasis on raw ingredients, are very appealing. Veal - square, green and white asparagus, morels, potato mousseline, Verjus sauce. This also reflects the chef's desire never to distort the taste of a product. A carrot should look like a carrot and taste like one.
To eat at the Château Clervaux restaurant is therefore to discover the culinary passion of an ingenious and talented chef, all in an exceptional and historic setting.
Enjoy your meal!
Practical information :
The kitchen is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 12:00 to 13:30 and from 18:30 to 20:00
+352 26 90 48 57 -