Chef Antoine Verhaest graduated at the University of Hospitality and Management in Brittany, France. Later, he moved to Paris where, after winning the third place at the CDRE (National Hotelier Competition), he was hired by the 5-star Marriott Hotel at Champs-Elysees.

Chef Antoine's next move took him to Melbourne, Australia, where he worked at “Pearl”, one of the Top 20 restaurants. For the Olympic Games in Vancouver he was hired as part of the team of chefs in the Olympic village. Later, he moved to Montreal, where he wored in the luxurious “L'autre” restaurant and acquires substantial experience in catering at Agnus Dei, the largest catering company in Montreal.

In 2012, Chef Antoine is offered by the Michelin starred French Chef Yannick Alleno to run his restaurant in Dubai. Managing the famous restaurant “101” during its most successful period, Antoine felt himself ready to start his own business.

Seeking for a new challenge, Chef Verhaest and his wife Karine decided to open their own restaurant in Sofia, as the family of Karin has Bulgarian roots. "L'instant" quickly became famous and only two years after opening won the Bacchus' Best Restaurant of the Year Award for 2014 and 2015. At the same time, Antoine and Karine began to develop catering services. Since January 2017, they have decided to focus only on L'instant Boutique and Catering.