Where to Eat in Belgium and Luxembourg

Two-Michelin-star Castor restaurant in Waregem (near Kortrijk) is a beacon of new, innovative Belgian cuisine with flair. Helmed by chef Maarten Bouckaert, the restaurant uses locally sourced ingredients captured at just the right time and presents them with a surprising twist. It's an exploration of taste and flavours in simple, design-forward surroundings.

Jo Grootaers, the chef at Altermezzo, Young Chef of the Fiande 2018, despite his young age (30 years) offers a solid yet constantly evolving menu. The restaurant is located on the outskirts of Tongres in a former school. With a Michelin star and a Gault & Millau score of 16/20, Altermezzo can be counted among the best restaurants in the province. With a varied menu, from peasant chicken to desserts, and a splendid terrace, lunch or dinner at Altermezzo will be a breath of air thanks to the refreshing and delicate cuisine of the young chef.

The basis of every dish at Boury is the main ingredient, specially selected to be of the highest quality with accompaniments chosen to exalt taste and harmony. In his philosophy, the award-winning Tim Boury composes new dishes with a focus on the use and balance of noble products. His high-end cuisine takes centre stage in a fabulously renovated townhouse in the city centre of Roeselare, 120km west of Brussels. Gastronomic finesse meets impeccable, friendly service with tableside elements for a dining experience that feels equally classic and new.

One of the best Italian kitchens in Brussels, where a high level of accomplishment is the standard, especially in dishes such as Suckling lamb, orange blossom, alla Calce olives, anchovies, miso eggplant or John Dory, Nduja, artichoke, fir tree and smoked tea, Amalfi lemon. Also not to be missed are the Wagyu beef, Grappa, carrot curry, peperone crusco, aged garlic yogurts; and the Lemon blossom, creamy tarragon, vanilla, lemon sorbet, meringue.

At Ma Langue Sourit, chef Cyril Molard (chef of the Year 2020), offers harmonious cuisine, which combines unique textures, techniques and flavours, while remaining balanced and respecting the seasonality of the products. With refined and appealing cuisine beautifully presented on every plate, as the name suggests -Ma Langue Sourit (My Language Smiles) - the restaurant puts positivity and warmth at the heart of everything it does.

Chef Viki Geunes reached the peak of his journey achieving three Michelin stars for his Zilte restaurant in 2021, making it one of the only two three-star restaurants in Belgium.

The newly renovated restaurant is located inside the Museum aan de Stroom (MAS) [Museum on the Stream] in the old port of Antwerp and offers sublime views with a modern creative menu.

Hof van Cleve, run by one of Belgium's best chefs, Peter Goossens, first opened in 1992 and has remained at the pinnacle of Belgium's fine dining scene for almost three decades, receiving its third Michelin star in 2005.
Goosens and his wife, Lieve, run their destination restaurant set on a converted farm, with an emphasis on their Flemish roots and a passion for local produce.

^{Phots: ©Heikki Verdurme}

Chef Arabelle Meirlaen's intuitive cuisine harnesses the best of their family tended vegetable and herb gardens, showcasing their homegrown produce in light and generous dishes. Pierre Thirifays, Meirlaen’s husband is the restaurant's prize-winning sommelier and manager.

Filip Claeys, chef and owner of De Jonkman creates inventive seasonal cuisine in his two Michelin starred restaurant set in an appealing Flemish villa just outside the historical centre of Bruges, while his wife Sandra takes care of the front of house.

The name Colette refers to Colette Leemans, grandmother of chef Thijs Vervloet (°1990) to whom he owes his culinary qualities. Colette has been a cook herself for many years, and Vervloet learned the craft from an early age. After visiting Hof ter Hulst, Magis, L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, 't Fornuis and Zilte, among others, Vervloet decided in 2016 to open his own restaurant in a building in Westerlo owned by grandmother Colette. In 2016, Restaurant Colette received its first Michelin star. Vervloet was subsequently appointed Top Young Chef of Flanders in 2019. In 2020, Restaurant Colette moved to Domain De Vijvers in Averbode.

_{Veal tartar, cauliflower, caviar Imperial Heritage Caviar, one of the Thijs Vervloet's dishes.}

Chef Giovanni Bruno captures his Sicilian roots and re-interprets Italy's most authentic flavours in an innovative way at this elegant, yet relaxed Michelin-starred restaurant, located at the Place du Sablon. Serving a seasonal menu based on quality ingredients sourced directly from his homeland, Bruno and his team offer a warm and memorable Italian fine-dining experience in the heart of Brussels.

_{'La famosa caprese' burrata, sorbetto di pomodoro, olio al basilico is one of the signature dishes of Giovanni Bruno. Photo: ^©Eating}