Some news just make you smile for days — this one surely does.
Barely two months after opening, Acolytes has received a distinction that touches the heart: 15/20, three toques, “Remarkable Table”, and above all… the 2025 Award for Hospitality, given to our restaurant manager Théodore Peter.
A tremendous honour, a shared pride across the entire team, and a beautiful recognition for a project built from day one with sincerity, precision and humanity.
A long-awaited table – already recognised
The Gault & Millau guide got it right. In a classified Renaissance building at the heart of Sélestat, Acolytes unfolds within a space designed in every detail by interior architect Nadia Gulino. Soft lighting, raw materials, arched windows and “cul de bouteille” glass panes… The place tells a story — that of a 16th-century house reinvented with gentleness and respect, without ever betraying its soul.
This unique atmosphere is matched by the intuitive cuisine of Lucas Engel, guided by purity, emotion and deep respect for the product. Gault & Millau describes a vibrant culinary score: beef shoulder tataki hidden beneath marinated radish, barbecued leeks with mussels from Mont-Saint-Michel Bay, fire-roasted beetroot with fermented plums, delicately cooked Landes poultry, and finally, Alsatian plum “Purple Rain” with roasted corn ice cream and crispy shiso fritter.
A cuisine that travels, dares, and respects — all while following one essential rule: When the product speaks, flavour follows.
The Hospitality Award – a distinction that means so much
Receiving an award for hospitality is no small thing. It is, in truth, one of the most meaningful honours a restaurant can receive.
This award belongs to Théodore Peter, but also to a united team – Vincent, Clara, Alex, Rémy, Dorian and José – each bringing precision, warmth and genuine enthusiasm.
Gault & Millau describes a service that is “comforting and convivial,” a balance between rigour and ease, “close to hygge,” that Danish sense of cosy well-being. Despite the busy weekends, the team always takes time to explain the chef’s vision – the story of a product, a gesture, a cooking technique.
Here, hospitality isn’t a formality – it’s a value, a guiding thread, a way of being in the world.
And it perfectly echoes the philosophy of Acolytes: Behind every great dish, there are hands, faces, and connections – nothing happens alone.
A collective recognition
For Lucas Engel and the team, this distinction is confirmation – proof that their commitment from day one (respecting nature, seasons, producers and guests) is already bearing fruit.
Acolytes is a house where the door is always open – a place of exchange and encounters. A passionate, genuine team for whom gastronomy is not just about technique, but also about connection, emotion and generosity.
This recognition from Gault & Millau celebrates exactly that.
Thank you
To our guests — thank you for your words, your emotions, your feedback that continually inspire us. To our producers, families and friends — thank you for your unfailing support. And to our team — thank you for embodying, day after day, what it means to be Acolytes..
Finally, our gratitude to Gault & Millau for this distinction that encourages us to keep refining, sharing and creating — always with sincerity.
Sélestat now proudly hosts a three-toque table: a living, generous and welcoming restaurant where the intelligence of flavour meets the simple joy of being together.
