Michelin today released its guide for Belgium and Luxembourg and upgraded three restaurants to the 2 Michelin star category in Belgium.
The Belgian city of Gent was in the spotlight with Vrijmoed of chef Michael Vrijmoed clinching two stars while Oak and Chambre Separee, the restaurant by Kobe Desramaults both getting 1 Michelin star. The other two restaurants that were promoted to two Michelin stars were Boury of Tim Boury in Roeselaere and La Source of Ralf Berendsen in Lanaken.
Restaurant critics in Wallonia expressed their disappointment that their region seemed to have been forgotten by the red guide. In fact there was only one new Michelin star in Wallonia, the Bistro Racine in Braine-le- Château.
The young chef of Altermezzo, Jo Grootaers, crowned a superb year. After winning the Flanders young chef of the year by Gault & Millau, he was also given the title by Michelin and his restaurant in Tongeren won its first star. The female chef of the year went to Kathleen Van der Veken of Terminus in Watou.
Brussels also has a new Michelin star restaurant, the L’Écailler du Palais Royal in Sablon.
The restaurant of the renowned butcher Hendrik Dierendonck in Sint-Idesbald Carcasse also clinched its first Michelin star.
There were no changes at the top with both Hof Van Cleve of chef Peter Goossens and Hertog Jan of chef Gert de Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens retaining their coveted three stars.
In total Belgium has 22 2 Michelin star restaurants, 5 in Brussels, 13 in Flanders and 4 in Wallonia.
Michelin paid hommage to the legendary chef Jean-Pierre Bruneau who will retire in January. His Brussels restaurnt Bruneau has been in the guide for 42 years, 15 of which as a 3 Michelin star restaurant.
The other new one star restaurants are The Butcher’s Son, Dome, Zet’Joe by Geert Van Hecke, De Vork van Luc Bellings, M-Bistro, Goffin, Brasserie Julie and Fani (in Luxembourg).
Apart from the restaurants that closed their doors L’épicerie du Cirque, Kasteel Diependael, Apriori and Bistro Margaux lost their 1 Michelin star.
The new two Michelin star restaurants
De Vrijmoed – Michael Vrijmoed (Gent)
La Source – Ralf Berendsen (Lanaken)
Restaurant Boury – Tim Boury (Roeselaere)
The new one star restaurants
The Butcher’s Son – Bert Jan Michielsen (Antwerp)
Dôme – Frédéric Chabbert (Antwerp)
Bistro Racine – Jimmy Collodoro and Jean-Marie Bucumi (Braine-le-Château)
Zet’Joe – Geert Van Hecke (Bruges)
L’Ecailler du Palais Royal – Maxime Maziers (Brussels)
Chambre Séparée – Kobe Desramaults (Gent)
OAK – Marcelo Ballard (Gent)
De Vork van Luc Bellings – Luc Bellings (Hasselt)
M Bistro – Mattias Maertens (Nieuwpoort)
Carcasse – Hendrick Dierendonck (Sint-Idesbald)
Den Goffin – Timothy Goffin (Sint-Kruis)
Brasserie Julie – Thomas Locus (Sint-Martens-Bodegem)
Altermezzo – Jo Grootaers (Tongeren)
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