New Restaurants Delight at Sofitel Luxembourg Europe

The Sofitel Luxembourg Europe in Kirchberg has two restaurants, the Radici (formerly the Stubli) serving Italian cuisine, and the De Feierwon (formerly the Or e Argento) serving traditional Luxembourgish dishes, both of which have had significant makeovers during the summer; recently the hotel opened its doors to members of the press to showcase the two separate dining experiences.

Chronicle.lu got the opportunity to sit down with Rodolfo Serritelli, Chef at the Radici, when he explained that he comes from the Marche region in Italy, which has an important culinary school where his father taught, so he grew up in a culinary / hospitality environment. He later attended the culinary school himself and worked in local restaurants before his passion for travelling brought him to America at the age of eighteen years, to Houston, Texas. Later he moved back across the Atlantic to Berlin in Germany, working again in a hotel restaurant, gaining experience across a range of services including in the steakhouse, fine dining, salad and pastry sections, as well as banqueting.

He then moved home to Italy to rediscover his roots and learn the basics of Italian cuisine, including working in a pizzeria. He later got his first chef position in Macau in a traditional Italian restaurant (in a casino) where he spent four years, during which time the market was evolving from fine dining to more family dining and casual concepts. He moved to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam to work as a chef in another Italian restaurant. He explained that he learnt from local Asian chefs, but decided to stick with authenticity - "authentic is the new luxury", he mused enthusiastically. After working in the Far East, including during Covid times, he came back to Europe and moved to Luxembourg in early 2025, to be in charge of the Radici restaurant which has around 50 covers, busy at both lunchtimes and evening dinnertime which he confirmed is a slower service than earlier in the day when diners have less time.

On the topic of the Radici's menu, he explained that he uses some local ingredients, but focuses primarily on top quality produce. His menu offers authentic dishes, with a focus on giving the best ingredients. When asked about his signature, he talked about evolving as he discovers more, "which is not boring", he confided. He said that he has a passion for work and believes his kitchen is a fun environment.

On Monday this week, the 40-covers restaurant De Feierwon (which translates to "steam locomotive") held a press lunch at which the new windows allow in natural light, a stark contrast to be previous rustic interior.

Julien Marchesini, Director of F&B at the Sofitel, explained that almost all ingredients are fresh and local from Luxembourg, apart from some fish dishes (Mediterranean sea bass and smoked herring), but including the hams and salami on the charcuterie board as well as the main dishes of beef (both rib-eye and tenderloin/filet) and Bouchée à la Reine (chicken), with local vegetables the main ingredients in the rustic terrine (starter) and vegetable fricasee (main dish), with side dishes also including the Luxembourg favourite Gromperekichelcher and small boiled potatoes. The daily "suggestions" currently include meat dishes with venison or wild boar, as it is currently the hunting season in the Grand Duchy.

The wine list includes both Luxembourgish (Moselle, from Bernard-Massard) and French (from five different regions: Bordeaux, Rhône valley, Languedoc, Bourgogne and Provence) wines.

ED