The Butte aux Bois luxury hotel is exquisitely located in the grandiose countryside of Hoge Kempen National Park. From the tree-lined terrace to the dark parquet flooring and bright airy dining room, everything about this restaurant oozes character and class, bewitching the diner even before the first bite. Perfectionist chef Ralf Berendsen now takes centre stage. He spices up familiar flavours with delicate nuances and subtle international ingredients. His cooking is complex but never overly complicated or fussy. He may combine North Sea crab and foie gras in two dishes, in which the fresh crab meat is offset by briny seaweed notes, hot jalapeno, a subtle green apple vinaigrette and dashi underscored by almonds – to die for! We would queue to eat here just for Berendsen’s knockout sauces! Discerning foodies will be even more delighted to learn that Ralf was a baker-pastry chef in a former life, hence the irresistible bread and the wickedly tempting miniature dessert trolley.