In the Royal Theater in Mons, Michelin today unveiled the restaurants selection of the MICHELIN Guide Belgium and Luxembourg 2023.
With a total of 816 restaurants, including 149 MICHELIN-Star restaurants, and 147 restaurants awarded the Bib Gourmand, the millesime 2023 distinguishes itself by a very refreshing vigor. The 2023 selection thus numbers one new Two MICHELIN Star restaurant, 16 new One Star restaurants, 4 new MICHELIN Green Star restaurants and 22 new Bib Gourmand restaurants.
“The MICHELIN Guide’s inspectors have put their hearts into compiling the new selection for the two countries. They have enthusiastically noted the dynamism and commitment shown by the local chefs in their quest for a more sustainable gastronomy, and their desire, in a very difficult context, to give their guests those precious moments of pure delight. The new crop of restaurants receiving the MICHELIN distinctions, many with young chefs, exhibit the extraordinary creativity which is sweeping through the gastronomic scene in Belgium and Luxembourg, and the increasing desire of many professionals to offer their guests a dining experience which is more in line with society’s ecological concerns, but without losing any of its creativity and delicious tastes.” underlines Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guides.
The three restaurants with Three MICHELIN Stars have confirmed their status
Again this year, the restaurants Hof van Cleve (Kruishoutem), Zilte (Antwerp) and Boury (Roeselare) continue to be recommended with Three MICHELIN Stars for their unique cuisine. These distinctions confirm chefs Peter Goossens, Viki Geunes and Tim Boury, real pioneers of Belgian gastronomy, as exceptional talents. Having all demonstrated their attachment to the classic repertoire, to which each one adds an inspired creative touch, these three chefs have marked the local gastronomic scene with a special dining experience and a singular set of trademark dishes.
A new Two MICHELIN Stars restaurant
For many years, Karen Torosyan at the Bozar Restaurant in Brussels has been a veritable model of culinary savoir-faire. A rigorous and exacting chef, he re-interprets the classic recipes with a very personal sense of detail and plenty of emotion. Among the many creations on offer, the most remarkable are his ‘en croute’ dishes. He has developed his restaurant and his innovative cuisine patiently and conscientiously, to be finally rewarded today with Two MICHELIN Stars.
In total, 22 restaurants are recommended with Two MICHELIN Stars in the MICHELIN Guide Belgium and Luxembourg 2023.
16 new establishments awarded One MICHELIN Star
The new selection of the MICHELIN Guide highlights the creativity that graces the gastronomic landscape in Belgium and Luxembourg. No fewer than 15 restaurants have been distinguished with a first MICHELIN Star.
Among these are Nicolas Decloedt (Humus x Hortense, in Ixelles, already honored with the MICHELIN Green Star), Grégoire Gillard (Barge in Brussels) and Clément Petitjean (La Grappe d’Or in Autelbas), three chefs who sublime vegetables and aromatic herbs in delicately refined dishes. They are also the living proof of the commitment to sustainable gastronomy which is in the process of establishing itself in Belgium.
Honoring the product in all its aspects is also the culinary ‘credo’ of Benjamin Laborie (La Table Benjamin Laborie in Ohain), Mathieu Vande Velde (Le Roannay in Francorchamps) and Manon Schenck (La Table de Manon in Grandhan). As for Grégory Gillain, he ensures his local produce is given pride of place in his restaurant La Grange d’Hamois in Emptinne. The creative dishes from Tanguy De Turck in Le Vieux Château in Flobecq are distinctively generous and highly original. In Durbuy, Wout Bru in his restaurant Le Grand Verre, provides cuisine of singular refinement.
In Flanders, Nicolas Wentein Misera, in the restaurant Misera, brings the tastes of Zeeland to the table in Antwerp. In the same city, Wouter Van Tichelen in his establishment GLASS re-thinks the former classic bistrot dishes. Kevin Graf of the restaurant De Bakermat in Ninove and Matthieu Beudaert at the Table d’Amis in Courtrai create truly memorable menus. In Ghent, Maurice De Jaeger at Sensum puts his excellent technique into providing a unique culinary agenda.
Willem Hiele, in Oudenburg, remains true to his reputation as a very original chef who likes to veer off the beaten track, without losing sight of his origins. Finally, in Luxembourg, Caroline Esch and Valérian Prade beguile their guests in Eden Rose with their very contemporary gastronomic creations.
Four new restaurants receive the MICHELIN Green Star
Restaurants that have shown particular commitment to a more sustainable gastronomy can see their efforts rewarded by the MICHELIN Green Star. Four restaurants join the 2023 selection, bringing the total number of these role model restaurants to 15. Barge in Brussels and La Grappe d’Or in Autelbas, for example, promote the local produce and producers they work with.
At WILDn in Antwerp, vegetables are showcased and plants (often grown by the chef himself) are at the heart of the cuisine on offer. Finally, Seppe Nobels, the chef at Instroom also in Antwerp, allies his vegetable-based cuisine with a multi-cultural and multi-culinary approach. He is seen as the champion of responsible and local cuisine which follows the seasons.
The MICHELIN Special Awards
The MICHELIN Special Awards are a way for the MICHELIN Guide to reward the various talents and know-how that go beyond the culinary skills and which together are the essence of creating unforgettable experiences around a joyous table.
Mathieu Vande Velde, of the new MICHELIN-Star restaurant Le Roannay in Francorchamps, receives the MICHELIN Young Chef 2023 Award, offered by San Pellegrino. The gastronomic personality which this young chef has demonstrated in such a short time is truly impressive. The 24-year-old highly skilled professional has learned the full culinary art alongside David Martin (chef at the restaurant La Paix in Anderlecht). And today he demonstrates an exquisite savoir-faire with stunning enthusiasm - qualities which augur well for a fine career.
Yanick Dehandschutter at the MICHELIN-Star restaurant Sir Kwinten in Sint-Kwintens-Lennik is rewarded with the MICHELIN Sommelier Award, offered by Ruffus, for his expertise and the surprising associations with which he regales his guests. Whether he chooses a local gueuze, a vineuze - which he himself has developed and offers as an aperitif - or a classic Barbera, this expert sommelier never disappoints his guests.
22 new restaurants have received a Bib Gourmand
Three weeks prior to the announcement of the full 2023 selection for Belgium and Luxembourg, the MICHELIN Guide had awarded a Bib Gourmand to no less than 22 new restaurants. Such restaurants are distinguished by their good quality, good value propositions. The full list of these establishments can be found on the MICHELIN Guide website and in the MICHELIN Guide app.
In summary, the MICHELIN Guide Belgium and Luxembourg 2023:
816 recommended restaurants including:
- 3 restaurants with Three MICHELIN Stars.
- 22 restaurants with Two MICHELIN Stars (1 new).
- 124 restaurants with One MICHELIN Star (16 new).
- 15 restaurants with the MICHELIN Green Star (4 new).
- 147 Bib Gourmand restaurants (22 new).
