BRUSSELS: Gault&Millau announced today Maxime Collard of restaurant La Table de Maxime in Paliseul as the chef of the year for 2024. In front of an audience of around 1,800 restauranteurs, journalists and partners, Gault&Millau launched the 21st edition of the BeLux guide which sold 30,000 copies in pre-sale.
CEO Marc Declerck said that Maxime brings out the best the region has to offer and while his cuisine is classic it is also creative. “In all his dishes we find excellent techniques, respect for the seasons, aesthetics and respect for original flavours. We have been following this chef for 15 years and for his consistency and exemplary couse we are happy to nominate Maxime Collard as chef of the year 2024,” he said.
The young chefs of the year are Marius Bosmans (Restaurant Arden – Rochefort) for Wallonia, Niels Brants (Restaurant EssenCiel – Leuven) for Flanders and Georges Athanassopoulos (Restaurant Màloma Comptoir Culinaire – Brussels) for the Brussels Region.
The highest newcomers this year are: Otoro in Hasselt for Flanders with a score of 15.5/20; La Table Benjamin Laborie in Lasne for Wallonia with a score of 15/20; and Menssa in Brussels for the Brussels Region with a score of 16.5/20.
Among the ones to improve their score there is Boury in Roeselare with 19 points out of 20. Innesto in Zonhoven and Menssa in Brussels got a score of 16.5 while Attablez-vous (Namur), Bruut (Bruges), DIM Dining (Antwerp), Humus x Hortense (Brussels), La Grappe d’Or (Aarlen), Misera (Antwerp) and Rebelle (Kortrijk) got a score of 16/20.
This year’s thematic awards were as follows:
Hostess of the Year: Laurence Wynants (Comme Chez Soi, Brussels)
Italian Restaurant of the Year: Da Mimmo (Brussels)
Asian Restaurant of the Year: A Food Affair (Ghent)
The most beautiful terrace: De Kruier (Knokke-Heist)
The most beautiful restaurant design: Innesto (Zonhoven)
Sommelier of the Year: Jeno Del Turco (Le Chalet de la Forêt, Brussels)
Dessert of the Year: Charles-Maxime Legrand (Quai n°4, Ath)
Brasserie/Bistrot of the Year: Bistrot De Pottenbrug (Antwerp)
Gastro-bistro of the Year: Monsieur V (Linkebeek)
Craftsman of the Year: Filip Slangen (Tafeltje Rond, Beveren-Waas)
Vegetable dish of the year: De Poorterij (Dilsen-Stokkem)
Wine list of the year: L’Envie (Zwevegem)
Beer Card of the Year: Sophie & Nicolas (Comblain-la-Tour)
The ‘price-quality ratio’ of the Year: Clay (Ypres) for Flanders, Ioda for Brussels and Merry (Liège) for Wallonia.
The 3 discoveries of the Year: Komaf (Wommelgem) for Flanders, Aster for Brussels and Max&Moi (Braine-l’Alleud) for Wallonia.
The Gault&Millau Belux guide 2024 will be in bookstores from the middle of this week and costs 34 euros. It can also be ordered on the website shop.gaultmillau.be.
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