Louis Linster and Njomza Musli-Linster manage the two-Michelin-starred restaurant Léa Linster in Frisange while raising their young son. The couple, married since 2019, discuss balancing late nights at work with family time and their ambitions for a third star. They emphasize how their complementary roles strengthen both their partnership and the business.
Louis Linster, a 35-year-old Michelin-starred chef, and his wife Njomza Musli-Linster, 39, form a dynamic duo at the restaurant Léa Linster in Frisange, Luxembourg. Together since 2015 and married on 12 September 2019, they took over the operations in 2018. She handles management and was named Host of the Year by Gault&Millau in 2021, while he leads the kitchen.
Their days often end late, as Musli-Linster noted after a recent shift: “We didn’t get home until 00:30.” With their three-and-a-half-year-old son Léon already asleep, they unwind with simple meals like pizza before bed around 03:30. Family support from grandmother Léa Linster or Musli-Linster's parents helps with childcare.
The restaurant, named after Louis's mother, closes on Mondays and Tuesdays, allowing brief respites. However, free time is scarce; even Valentine's Day was fully booked with 32 people on the waiting list, according to Linster. In their off hours, the family dines out, though Léon prefers pizza and fries over gourmet fare. “He usually wants to run into the kitchen and look at everything,” Linster said.
Professionally, the pair earned a second Michelin star, prompting renovations and hiring seven new staff. The restaurant's name will soon change to Restaurant Louis Linster, an idea from his mother, though logistics like updating website and napkins delay the process. “We were overwhelmed for months” after the accolade, Linster recalled.
Ambitions remain high. “There’s never been a three-star restaurant in Luxembourg. And Louis is the first Luxembourger who could achieve that,” Musli-Linster said. Yet, they prioritize balance, traveling occasionally—such as a recent Paris trip for her birthday—and limiting work talk on holidays. Linster reflected on their bond: “We simply like each other.” Their differences—she outgoing and energetic, he calm and thoughtful—complement each other, much like their shared love of food and drive for success.
