Jean-Luc Rabanel

The son of farmers, Jean-Luc Rabanel spent his entire childhood immersed in the family kitchen, where he developed his palate. By the time he entered culinary school, his family was facing professional setbacks, which he offset on his own through excellent grades and part-time jobs in the dining room or kitchen.

A Promising Young Chef

This led him to his first position at La Source Bleue in Touzac, in the Lot region. He became head waiter there at just 16 years old. CAP, BEP, BTH, Master’s degree… He earned one degree after another, became head chef at 18, and then left to complete his military service. After a stint in Burkina Faso, he landed the position of head chef at the Métropole in Montpellier at age 24.

In 1992, he opened the Château de Lalande as head chef. He stayed there for three years before moving on. His path led him to Tonneins (Lot-et-Garonne), where he founded Côté Garonne, a restaurant-hotel-bistro that he sold in 2000. After being named “Best Young Chef in the Southwest ” that year, he was also awarded the title of “Best Restaurant in the World” by the American press for his work at Le Mas de La Chassagnette, near Arles. “It was the first restaurant without silverware, featuring vegetables and a certified organic garden.”

The Founding of L’Atelier Jean-Luc Rabanel

Unable to devote more time to La Chassagnette, Jean-Luc Rabanel decided to launch his own restaurant. L’Atelier opened its doors on Rue des Carmes in Arles in 2006. It was there that the chef developed his concept of “emotional cuisine ” based on plant-based ingredients, which he explains in the book *La Cuisine du Vivant *.

He was recognized as early as 2008 by Gault&Millau, which named him “Chef of the Year.” “It was moving
to reach the level of all those chefs who had inspired me,” he recalls. With a full house
every day, L’Atelier was soon followed by Bistro À Côté. The goal: “to do the same thing, with the
same ingredients, but in a simpler way to welcome anyone who wants to enjoy a delicious meal.” The
Awards poured in (19/20 in 2012) and ideas flowed freely. That’s why the chef decided in
2020 to split L’Atelier into two spaces: the Greenstronome and the Greeniotage.