In the new selection, chef Peter Goossens’s Hof van Cleve in Kruishoutem, and chef Gert De Mangeleer’s Hertog Jan in Zedelgem, each maintained their coveted three stars.
Three new restaurants received two stars in the 2018 instalment, including chef Tim Boury’s eponymous restaurant in Roeselare, offering creative and skillful French techniques in an elegant setting. Vrijmoed by chef Michael Vrijmoed in Ghent, boasting intensely-flavoured dishes using high quality products, is also a new entrant. And La Source, by chef Ralf Berendsen in Neerharen, has also been added to the two-starred ranks.
“These talented chefs have matured in recent years,” says Michael Ellis, International Director in charge of the MICHELIN guides. “Thanks to their techniques and their sense of creativity, in their restaurants they now offer exact, balanced dishes that showcase the very essence of the products.”
After closing his three-star restaurant De Karmeliet in Bruges, chef Geert Van Hecke has obtained one star for his restaurant Zet’Joe in Bruges, as does Luc Bellings, who has changed his concept and is awarded one star for his new de Vork van Luc Bellings in Hasselt.
Carcasse, in Saint-Idesbald and The Butcher’s Son in Antwerp—restaurants where customers can enjoy very high quality meat—are also new one-star designees.
Also new to the one-star list is Oak in Ghent, M-Bistro in Nieuwpoort, Dôme in Antwerp, Goffin in Bruges and Altermezzo in Tongeren.
In Wallonia, Bistro Racine also receives one star. It’s two chefs, Jean-Marie Bucumi and Jimmy Collodoro, offer refined bistronomy-style cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere.
Finally, Fani, in Roesner, which serves very refined yet generous Italian cuisine, is also awarded one star.
The 2018 MICHELIN Guide Belgium & Luxembourg also designates 181 Bib Gourmand restaurants, including 24 new entrants.
View the full list here.