The Joys of Plant-Based Cooking
Diets are changing, and Luxembourg is at the heart of this. We talked with René Mathieu, celebrated chef at the restaurant Fields, about how he brings creativity and innovation to plant-based food. Interview.
How did you get started as a chef?
I’m Belgian born and raised and opened my first restaurant there at age twenty. My second restaurant we restored ourselves, and that’s where I earned my first Michelin star. Then I moved to Luxembourg as head chef for the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, for state and private functions at the palace. That period was unique, but I was doing what was asked of me and I needed a chance to express myself, so I moved on to La Distillerie. Our goal there was to become a culinary reference in Luxembourg, so we reinvented the menu and earned a Michelin star. Then ten years ago, we started exploring a plant-based path. After Covid, I wanted to break the mould and create my own culinary identity. Declaring ourselves fully plant-based was risky, but I’ve always believed plant-based is the future.
How did that transformation go?
80% of our guests already came for the plant-based menu, but when we went 100% things really took off. We were named best plant-based restaurant in the world and a media storm began. Last year, we won it again, and that same guide now places us in a new category: “Untouchables”. There are only three in the world — a Dutch chef, a Spanish chef, and me. Luxembourg is perfect for making this sort of change. It’s small but resonates. It’s not like shifting mindsets in a country of seventy million. Not all Luxembourgers are on board, with plant-based food, guests must leave their comfort zones, they must let go. But it can be almost healing. “Let food be thy medicine,” as someone said centuries ago.
“I aim to create emotion with what’s on the plate.”
What is changed now that you are at Fields, near the airport?
We felt cramped at Bourglinster, some people had to wait a year for a table, and the space limited our creativity. Now, we have a dream location. Functional, sustainable, beautifully designed. It used to be the Grand Duke’s hunting lodge and there’s a great energy. And working again with Selim Schiltz — who is also my daughter’s godfather — it’s a dream continued. Guests are immediately welcomed with a drink and nibbles to avoid craving bread, then service begins. I present each dish myself, showing the raw ingredients and explaining their stories. Many people, especially younger generations, have never seen some of these roots or plants. The goal is to create emotion — not with cutlery or glassware, but through what’s on the plate: flavour, colour, origin, meaning. Without explanation, guests miss out.
