Stéphane Rodrigues
Like a Jules Verne novel
Model, photographer, actor, dancer, influencer, entrepreneur... Stéphane Rodrigues needs no introduction. Originally from Luxembourg, he has travelled all over the world and spent several years in Los Angeles. In 2020, Stéphane moved back to the Grand Duchy with his wife Jade Leboeuf. Since then, the couple has embarked on several projects, including the Hyde food-truck and more recently the Emilona street trattoria. All the while cultivating a strong presence on social networks and the world of image. When we asked him about his favourite place in Luxembourg, Stéphane answered without hesitation the Chiggeri. He explains the reasons for his choice.
"This place is really our headquarters in the capital for Jade and me. It's a unique setting, an atmosphere, a table and also a friendship with the managers, Sandra Totaro and João Ramos, who took over the restaurant in 2017. João and I knew each other when we were younger. We lost touch a little when I went abroad and we got closer again after our civil marriage, which we celebrated here."
The decor, the memories and the table
"What do I like about this place? The decor, of course, unique and fabulous. And since the young people who took over the establishment have brought a touch of freshness to a setting that is already old. Because the Chiggeri, let's not forget, is a historical place! It was a place of reference where people came to party! Today it has taken on an almost gourmet air, but the walls still have the memory of those festive times. At the Chiggeri, you are always in different atmospheres, from one room to another and from one floor to another. It's a bit like the cave of a thousand treasures, the eye is always drawn to many elements from floor to ceiling. It's like being in the world of Jules Verne. In this special decor, this iconoclastic mix of objects, colours and materials, there is a kind of invitation to travel, one goes "around the world in 80 days" through the imagination. I love this unexpected and poetic side of the elements! While the trend is towards minimalism and purity, here it is completely the opposite, in a sort of orchestrated odds and ends, and it works! It's magical in different ways, during the day or in the evening, especially during the "dinners in the dark". On the top floor, there is a table for two that Jade and I love, a sort of little alcove with a view over the valley: you can't beat that for a romantic spot! Finally, what I also like is the menu, you can eat a good burger as well as a more elaborate dish, a semi-cooked tuna, a tataki, or food fusion, there is something for all tastes."
