In their brick villa, Tim Boury and Inge Waeles have clearly puzzled and pondered over each tiny detail from the attentive service and felicitous wine-food pairings to the fashionably stylish interior and the gorgeous patio and bar. The buzzy casual vibe is ample proof that perfection is not necessarily starched and stuffy. Chef Boury’s painstaking recipes mingle classicism with creative peps and he cannot be equalled for his ability to enhance exceptional ingredients, particularly those from his region whose praises he frequently sings. His cuisine attains a pinnacle of high-flying virtuosity, whether by the complexity of flavours and textures or by a prodigious sauce that hits the spot every time. Take for example the three variations on a langoustine that our inspectors sampled. They kicked off with a tartare in a buckwheat and caviar cannelloni, flanked by a perfectly balanced dashi beurre blanc and wild garlic oil. Then came a langoustine served in shellfish jus with a duxelles of roe and a spicy thyme butter. This ode to the langoustine finished with a tail cooked in an intense stock. Striking, velvety, crunchy and exotic spices, all of which underpinned by wholesome Flemish earthiness depict this unique and truly marvellous dining experience.