Founder of the association Les ExtraordinairesFlore Lelièvre created Le Reflet in Nantes. This unique place“where you feel good and differences evaporate” was born during her interior design studies, inspired by her older brother, who has Down’s Syndrome. His dream was “to enable people with disabilities to live like ‘everyone else’, but also (…) to enable society to meet these extraordinary people“. The success of this first inclusive restaurant in France quickly spread beyond local borders, giving rise to a second Parisian establishment in 2019, sponsored by chef Guillaume Gomez. The principle: that all positions, from kitchens to dining rooms, are accessible so that “ordinary” and “extraordinary” employees can work hand in hand. Every detail, from the design of the plates to the layout of the spaces, has been thought through to facilitate inclusion and create a welcoming environment for all. The objective? That Le Reflet be a restaurant like any other, where customers come for the pleasure of the table and not to do a good deed.
The Les Extraordinaires association is also behind the media initiative Chefs Extraordinaireswhich features videos of recipes and tips presented by chefs with mental or cognitive disabilities, interviews and celebrity guests for chef duos, and the Les Brigades Extraordinaires collective, which supports project leaders and federates inclusive restaurants.
