Léa was born and raised in a world composed of a café-restaurant, a hotel, a service station and a bowling alley! After the baccalaureate exam, she chose to study law in France, but returned to her village of Frisange after her father’s death to manage the family business. After this “duty” turned into a passion, she decided to open the “Lea Linster” gastronomic restaurant, which was awarded a star by the Michelin Guide in 1987. A warm and open individual, she has encountered some of the greatest chefs, including Freddy Girardet, Joël Robuchon, Paul Bocuse, the Troisgros family and many more, enriching her cuisine and her love of the profession. When given the opportunity of representing Luxembourg for the Bocuse d’Or in 1989, it was an obvious chance for her to enhance her reputation. Her simple and delicious cuisine enabled her to become the first woman to win a Bocuse d’Or. The award propelled her into the heights of the culinary world, though she still has one regret, “that there aren’t more female candidates in the Bocuse d’Or!”
These days, her greatest happiness is seeing her son, Louis, taking over the family restaurant with talent, pride and dynamism.