Achieving a Three-Star Michelin Rating is something very few restaurants ever do. There are just over 160 restaurants worldwide that currently hold that distinction.
Needless to say, there is a lot that goes into making a restaurant run at that level. Alessandro Egidi - Restaurant Director at the Restaurant de l'Hôtel de Ville was kind enough to provide an interview.
He shared some of the things that he feels are important in creating that three-star experience. The interview with Alessandro was truly magical - showing the passion that goes into running the Restaurant de l'Hôtel de Ville and making it the one-of-a-kind experience it is for every guest. However, we’ve put together a few of the key concepts.
Yes, food needs to taste good, but the environment in which it is enjoyed does affect its taste. In reality, every tool in a restaurant goes together to make the meal what it is. A steak may taste differently if it is cut with a different knife, for example. Therefore, every detail makes a difference.
You can train and train for good service, but good service is about anticipating needs and meeting them when at all possible. This can be learned, but it is mostly a skill someone is born with and is honed through use and experience.
Yes, creating menus are important. However, if you can personalize a meal for a guest who needs something gluten free, or designed for their dietary restrictions, you’ll have a customer for life. This is how you make a customer feel special, and like a guest.
The staff as actors comparison is not the best one. Let staff be themselves. Only then can they truly connect with the customers. As Oscar Wilde said, “ Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”
Yes, training is long and hard. In fact, the technical aspect of training staff may take months but it will pay off in the end. When staff are well-trained technically, they can relax and make guests feel at home. It is a partnership - The front of the house and the back of the house must learn to work as a seamless partnership. Only then will it feel like a smooth experience for the guests and will you achieve that “three-star” experience.