Nick Bril, chef of award winning restaurant The Jane in Antwerp will be opening a new restaurant in the Belgian city of Antwerp in April.
The restaurant will be housed in a new hotel that is set to open on the site of the former military hospital right across The Jane. The hotel called August Antwerp is operated by the owners of Antwerp hotel Julien.
The former Augustinian convent will become a modern retreat with a bar and restaurant, wellness with swimming pool. hidden gardens, a shop and 44 hotel rooms.
The Dutch chef who partnered with Sergio Herman to open The Jane after working with him at Oud Sluis for many years told Food and Wine Gazette last year that he would be working together with a new hotel which is opening its doors just 100 metres away from The Jane. The new restaurant will be more simple and more accessible than the cuisine of The Jane, a two Michelin star restaurant.
“The hoteliers of Hotel Julien, a renowned boutique hotel in Antwerp contacted me as they were opening a hotel just a few metres away from our restaurant. They wanted to speak about the possibility that guests at their hotel would be able to book a table at The Jane,” Nick told Food and Wine Gazette.
The Jane is a highly successful restaurant that is considered as one of the most visually stunning restaurants in the world.
Nick said that he was inspired by his business partner Sergio Herman (he worked with him at Oud Sluis before opening The Jane together with him who is now an entrepreneur on top of being a chef). “Although I am responsible for the daily operations of The Jane, I also need to expand and diversify. My entrepreneur feeling tells me that this is an opportunity that I have to take. It will be the chance to be able to cook a la carte, to be able to get bookings from the hotel, to connect it with dinner at the Jane and lunch at the hotel restaurant or vice versa. We can work by creating healthy food in the spa like fresh juices, smoothies and salads.”
Nick said that the hotel will strengthen the Jane in terms of being able to offer rooms for visitors who come to the restaurant. “It is a win win for us. It gives me the possibility to have a second restaurant and a hotel that is extremely close to The Jane.”
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