Paul Stradner, Chef at Villa René Lalique

Since 2002, Paul Stradner, a native of Austria, has worked at some of the finest restaurants in Germany and eastern France. After seven years at the Schwarzwaldstube (three MICHELIN stars) at Hotel Traube Tonbach in the Black Forest, he decided to join chef Jean-Georges Klein at the Arnsbourg in Baerenthal (Moselle). Three years later, he was ready to carve out his own culinary identity, taking charge of the kitchens at Brenners Park Hotel & Spa, the famous five-star establishment in Baden-Baden (Germany) that is a member of the prestigious Oetker Collection. His talent was rewarded with two stars by Guide Michelin within a few months of his arrival in Baden-Baden, making him one of the youngest chefs in Germany to achieve this distinction. In 2016, Gault & Millau awarded him 18 points and lauded him as a “rising star” in Germany. But he felt that his apprenticeship had still not run its course, and the following year he rejoined his mentor Jean-Georges Klein, by now presiding in the restaurant at Villa René Lalique, which opened its doors in September 2015.
The values and DNA of the Villa struck a chord with him, and he realized that he was most at home in a family enterprise with a personal touch. Since 2020, he has taken over the chef’s apron as proud successor to the man who has been such an inspiration to him.