Auberge de l’Ill, the taste of the landscapeora memory, craftsmanship and interior design. The project signed by Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku, of Jouin Manku Studio, transforms the Alsatian landscape into emotional architecture, where light, matter and nature dialogue in perfect balance.
In the rarefied landscape of international fine dining, L’Auberge de l’Ill, represents an almost unrepeatable case of continuity, memory and vision. Overlooking the banks of the Ill River in the heart of Alsace, the restaurant founded in 1882 by Frédéric Haeberlin as a modest country inn is today one of the great icons of French cuisine.
Part of Relais & Châteaux and the adjacent Hôtel des Berges, the Auberge de l’Ill built its legend through an extraordinary family continuity. After Frédéric, it was his wife, daughter, and daughter-in-law who led the kitchen until the arrival of Paul Haeberlin, who won the first Michelin star in 1952, the second in 1957, and the third in 1967. Today, the restaurant maintains two stars in the Michelin Guide, having held the French guide’s highest accolade for more than fifty consecutive years.
The project
To celebrate the historic legacy of the maison, Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku signed off on a major redesign of the restaurant. More than a simple renovation, the project appears as a sensory translation of the Alsatian landscape.
The intervention unifies the restaurant’s four historic rooms-the Dining Room, the Véranda, the Pièce Alsacienne and the Pigeonnier-through a coherent design language that dissolves the boundary between architecture, nature and gastronomy. Patrick Jouin described the project as “an enchanted moment for diners to commune with nature.” The interior design transforms the Ill River into the real invisible protagonist of the space.
Four environments, one landscape six senses
The Dining Room
Light and floating, origami butterflies and hummingbirds animate a magnificent contemporary tapestry. Velvet, canvas, flannel and Hermès fabrics compose a dreamlike landscape constructed as a sophisticated patchwork, further enhanced by copper blades that evoke the eternal power of nature.
La Véranda
Completely open to the garden and the Ill River, the space unfolds in a bright atmosphere of delicate softness.
Everything here is an interplay of transparencies and reflections. The Murano crystal screen dialogues with the surrounding landscape, while on the ceiling large hammered stainless steel “water mirrors” reflect the trees in the garden and the course of the river.
In contrast, the hand tufted carpet, made by Manufacture de Tapis de Bourgogne, interprets the undulating movement of water through shades of cerulean, aquamarine, and river ochre.
Every element appears alive. Every detail seeks a deep symbiosis with nature.
La Pièce Alsacienne
The landscape of the Alsatian Ried becomes a true work of art.
Rushes and reeds, storks and herons, lakes and deep forests become the delicate motifs of the extraordinary marqueterie that lines the room-a monumental marquetry panel inspired by the Alsatian landscape and designed by artist Philippe David.
A unique technical feat, capable of evoking a poetic beauty at once intense and exciting.
Le Pigeonnier
From the imposing wooden structure to the claustrades and wood paneling, the environment appears as a warm and protective wooden casket.
Everything here invites elegant conviviality. The large fireplace recalls the hearth of yesteryear, while bronze geese celebrate the maison’s culinary tradition.
The traditional atmosphere is reinterpreted through a refined balance of vertical and horizontal lines and by a blown-glass suspension that recalls a bundle of wood with an almost unreal lightness.
The dream here never seems too far away.
Between craftsmanship and fairy-tale imagery
Inside the rooms, some tables are enclosed by thin bronze “canes” that introduce a more intimate and collected dimension. Elsewhere, oxidized copper walls dialogue with origami birds by Colombian artist Diana Beltran Herrera and embroidered butterfly appliqués by the renowned Maison Lesage, creating an atmosphere suspended between nature, craftsmanship and fairy-tale imagery.
The lighting also includes custom elements by Leucos, in perfect continuity with the material and rarefied language of the entire project.
The result goes beyond the decorative dimension to become an immersive narrative. Jouin and Manku have not only reinterpreted a historic restaurant: they have constructed an inner landscape in which gastronomy, memory and nature coexist in perfect balance.
Even the maison’s regulars – who have always been attached to their favorite room – are now faced with a new, more fluid, poetic and contemporary spatial experience.
A demonstration of how true luxury lies not in the immobility of tradition, but in the ability to evolve it through design.
MLE Hospitality Executive Memo
Address: Auberge de l’Ill, 2 Rue de Collonges au Mont d’Or, Illhaeusern, Alsace, France.
Architecture and design: historic address of French haute cuisine overlooking the banks of the Ill River, reinterpreted through the new design by Jouin Manku that reinforces the dialogue between architecture, landscape and territorial identity.
Interior Design Focus: new rooms featuring natural materials, palettes inspired by the Alsatian landscape, large glass surfaces, and a contemporary design language that enhances the relationship with the garden and waterway.
Food and wine highlight: the Auberge de l’Ill restaurant, a historic reference in French gastronomy, continues to represent one of Europe’s most iconic tables through cuisine that combines memory, territory and contemporary research.
Design & Experience: the project by Jouin Manku transforms the dining experience into an immersive journey in which interiors, natural light and views become an integral part of the culinary narrative.
Web & Booking: Auberge de l’Ill , Relais&Chateaux
Conversation with Chef Marc Haeberlin
During my visit to the Auberge de l’Ill I had the pleasure of meeting Chef Marc Haeberlin, heir to one of the most influential families in French gastronomy. The result was a conversation that went beyond cuisine and Michelin stars to touch on universal themes such as the value of time, the transmission of a family legacy, the contemporary meaning of luxury, and the delicate balance between memory and innovation.
The value of time and legacy
MLE: Chef, l’Auberge de l’Ill is a century-old maison led by your family for generations. In a luxury market increasingly focused on novelty and speed, how do you manage to turn the legacy of the past into a contemporary asset without it becoming a mere exercise in nostalgia?
MH: I believe that tradition should never be considered an end point. It is a foundation, a culture, a sensibility that accompanies us every day. Our task is not to preserve the past under a bell jar, but to interpret it with respect. Each generation has added something without erasing what was built before. It is this balance that allows a house like the Auberge de l’Ill to remain alive.
The evolution of taste
MLE: Your mother was fond of saying that “cooking is a love story.” The great recipes of Alsatian tradition and a more contemporary sensibility coexist in your dishes. What ingredient, technique or insight represents the most authentic link today between your father Paul’s legacy and your personal vision of cooking?
MH: More than an ingredient, I would say the search for harmony. My father had an extraordinary ability to enhance the product without ever overpowering it. Today we use different techniques and a more current sensibility, but the principle remains the same: to create emotion through balance. It is a lesson that continues to guide me every day.
The concept of essential luxury
MLE: Today we talk a lot about Quiet Luxury, butAuberge de l’Ill has always represented one of its most authentic expressions. In your opinion, in contemporary haute cuisine, does true luxury lie in the complexity of technique or in the ability to enhance the purity of the raw material?
MH: Technique is essential, but it must remain invisible. The real luxury is being able to provide an experience that feels natural, simple, almost spontaneous. There is a lot of work behind this apparent simplicity, but the guest must not perceive it. He has to remember a flavor, an emotion, a moment. For me, this is what luxury is all about.
The soul of the Auberge: hospitality
MLE: L’Auberge de l’Ill is not just a restaurant, but a place where gastronomy and hospitality coexist naturally. How do you transmit to your brigade and team that savoir-faire that belongs to the history of the Haeberlin family? Is it something that can be taught or is it only learned by living this place day in and day out?
MH: Some of it can be taught, of course. But there is also something that is passed on through example and daily sharing. Those who work here must understand that every guest comes not just to eat, but to have an experience. Attention to detail, kindness, respect-these are values that are as much a part of our identity as the cuisine.
The sustainability of tradition
MLE: Alsace is deeply present in your cuisine. How does theAuberge ‘s daily work help to preserve the gastronomic and cultural heritage of the area? And how complex is it to maintain excellence in haute cuisine while staying true to your roots?
MH: Roots are not a limitation, but a continuous source of inspiration. Alsace offers extraordinary products, a rich gastronomic culture and a strong identity. Our task is to enhance it with a contemporary look. I believe that authenticity and excellence can coexist perfectly when working with sincerity and respect for the land.
A glimpse into the future
MLE: Looking ahead to the next ten years of high-end hospitality and gastronomy, what element of the tradition do you consider indispensable and what change do you consider necessary to dialogue with new generations of travelers and gourmets instead?
MH: The must-have element will always be attention to the guest. People may forget a dish, but they don’t forget how they felt. Instead, I think we will have to continue to evolve in the way we narrate our cuisine, making it more accessible and understandable without losing depth. New generations are looking for authenticity, and this is probably the most interesting challenge for the future.
