David Martin, chef of Brussels restaurant La Paix was named chef of the year by Gault & Millau when they announced the publication of the 2019 guide.
A year after the chef had been told by Michelin that they had visited his restaurant more than 10 times but didn’t consider him worthy of 2 Michelin stars, the French born chef who has been awarded the highest accolade by Gault & Millau for his personality, vision, expertise, creativity and courage. “He is inspired by French, Belgian and Japanese cuisine. This intelligent and enterprising chef has given the restaurant a new identity,” said Gault & Millau at the awards ceremony which was attended by over 1,000 guests in the restaurant business in Belgium.
Martin was also co-owner of a second Brussels restaurant, Bozar led by chef Karen Torosyan but decided to sell the restaurant to the latter earlier this year. He has opened two fish shops in Wallonia and has taken over the operations of a fish restaurant in Brussels airport. The latter also increased his score going from 16 to 16.5.
For the first time ever, Gault and Millau have awarded a chef from Wallonia (the French speaking side of Wallonia five hats). The award went to Sang Hoon Degeimbre of L’Air du Temps who was given a score of 19 out of a possible 20.
Both Hof Van Cleve of chef Peter Goosens and Christophe Hardiquest of Bon Bon retain their near perfect 19.5 score.
There were other restaurants that have moved closer to the top including Sea Grill by Yves Mattagne which got an 18.5 score to reach the other Brussels institution Comme Chez Soi. The Jane by Nick Bril and Chambre Separee by Kobe Desramaults both scored 18 out of 20.
There was more good news for Brussels as the newly opened La Canne en Ville of Kevin Lejeune (formerly working along side David Martin) was nominated as discovery of the year together with le Vieux Chateau in Flobecq and Vier in Kortrijk.
The newcomer restaurant of the year went to Vilhjalmur Sigurdarson of Souvenir who moved the restaurant from Ieper to Ghent earlier this year.
Missing from this year guide is Hertog Jan which closes its doors in December.
The results
- Chef of the year: David Martin, La Paix, Brussels
- Young chef of the year in Brussels: Maxime Maziers, Bruneau by Maxime Maziers
- Young chef of the year in Wallonia: Maxime Zimmer, Un Max de Gout, Comblain-au-Pont
- Young chef of the year in Flanders: Thijs Vervloet, Colette, Westerlo
- Discovery of the year in Brussels: La Canne en Ville
- Discovery of the year in Wallonia: Vieux Chateau in Flobecq
- Discovery of the year in Flanders: Vier in Kortrijk
- Price quality ratio in Brussels: Le Tournant
- Price quality ratio in Wallonia: Attablez-vous in Namur
- Price quality ration in Flanders: Le 54 in Tongeren
- POP in Brussels: My Tannour
- POP in Wallonia: Samella in Vise
- POP in Flanders: Peppe’s in Genk
- Gastro-bistro of the year: Veranda in Antwerp
- Brasserie of the year: Brasserie Julie in St Martens Bodegem
- Newcomer of the year: Souvenir in Gent
- Artisan chef of the year: Luc Broutard of La Table du Boucher in Mons
- Vegetable chef of the year: Nicolas Decloedt of Humus & Hortense in Brussels
- Host of the year: Fabrice D’Hulster of Sea Grill in Brussels
- Italian restaurant of the year: Francois Piscitello of La Villa des Begards in Liege
- Asian restaurant of the year: Bun Bar and Restaurant in Antwerp
- Terrace of the year: Bachtekerke in Bachte-Maria-Leerne
- Sommelier of the year: Yanick Dehandschutter of Sir Kwinten in Lennik
- Dessert of the year: Martijn Defauw of Rebelle in Marke
- Wine list of the year: Au Gre du Vent in Seneffe
- Beer list of the year: De Gebrande Winning in Saint-Trond
- Chocolatier of the year in Brussels: Frederic Blondeel
- Chocolatier of the year in Wallonia: Sigoji in Ciney
- Chocolatier of the year in Flanders: Zuut in Leuven.
- Best cocktail bar in Brussels: La Pharmacie anglaise
- Best cocktail bar in Wallonia: Botanical by Alfonse in Namur
- Best cocktail bar in Flanders: BarBurbure in Antwerp
The scores
19.5
- Bon-Bon, Brussels
- Hof Van Cleve, Kruishoutem
19
- L’Air du Temps, Liernu (+0.5)
18.5
- Comme Chez Soi
- Sea Grill (+0.5)
18
- Arabelle Meirlaen, Marchin
- Bartholomeus, Knokke-Heist
- Chambre Separee, Gent (+0.5)
- The Jane, Antwerp (+1)
- Lunch-Lounge Het Gebaar, Antwerp
- De Jonkman, Bruges
- Slagmolen, Opglabbeek
- ‘t Zilte, Antwerp
17.5
- Le Chalet de la Foret, Brussels
- D’Eugenie a Emilie, Baudour
- Nuance, Duffel
- La prieure Saint-Gery, Soire-Saint-Gery, (-0.5)
17
- Boury, Roeselare
- Le coq aux champs, Soheit-Tinlot
- Couvert Couvert, Heverlee
- Cuines.33, Knokke
- L’eau vive, Arbre
- L’essentiel, Temploux
- L’eveil des sens, Montigny-le-Tilleul
- ‘t Fornhuis, Antwerp
- La Grappe d’or, Torgny
- Lemmonier, Lavaux Ste Anne
- Magis, Brugges
- La Paix, Brussels
- De Pastorale, Reet
- Horseele, Ghent
- De Schone Van Boskoop, Boechout
- La Source, Lanaken
- La Villa in the Sky, Brussles
- Zet’Joe, Bruges
16.5
- Alain Bianchin, Overijse (+0.5)
- Bozar Restaurant, Brussels (+0.5)
- Le chateau du Mylord, Ellezelles
- Hostellerie Le Fox, De Panne
- De Kristalijn, Genk
- La Menuiserie, Waismes (+0.5)
- Philippe Fauchet, Saint-Georges-sur-Meuse)
- Samurai, Brussels
- Sans cravate, Bruges
- Sel Gris, Knokke Heist
- La table de Maxime, Paliseul
- Villa Lorraine, Brussels
- Vrijmoed, Ghent (+0.5)
16
- Altermezzo, Tongres (+0.5)
- t’Aards Paradijs, Merendree
- L’air de rien, Esneux
- L’Amandier, Genval
- Au gre du vent, Seneffe
- Benoit en Bernard Dewitte, Ouwegem
- Berto, Waregem
- Bienvenue chez vous, Namur
- Bouchery, Brussels
- Castor, Beveren-Leie,
- Chai gourmand, Gembloux
- Colette, Westerlo (+1)
- Le cor de chasse, Weris
- Cuchara, Lommel
- Didier Galet, Sprimont
- Dome, Antwerp (+1)
- La duree, IZegem
- Eyckerhof, Bornem
- Den Gouden Harynck, Bruges
- Le gril aux herbes d’Evan, Wemmel
- Hof Ter Eycken, Ninove
- Hostellerie St Nicolas, Ieper
- Innesto, Houthalen
- L’Imperatif, Roucourt
- JER, Hasselt
- Kommilfoo, Antwerp
- Het Land, Berlaar
- Markt XI, De Haan
- De Mijpaal, Tongres
- Oak, Ghent
- De Pastorie, Lichtaart
- Le Pilori, Ecaussines Lalaing
- Senzanome, Brussels
- Ter Leepe, Zedelgem
- Terborght, Huizingen
- La Villa des Begards, Liege
- Vivendum, Dilsen Stokkem
- Zur Post, Saint-Vith
The 2019 edition covers 1,400 restaurants in Belgium and Luxembourg. The price is EUR 29 and is available from bookstores. More information can be found on www.gaultmillau.be
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