Dozens of restaurants in Belgium were awarded their first star in the prestigious Michelin Guide 2024 during an awards ceremony on Monday, while the jury revealed which restaurants were awarded more.
The restaurant guide's annual ceremony – one of the main culinary events of the year – was held at the Queen Elisabeth Hall in Antwerp on Monday 26 February. The number of stars that are awarded or taken from restaurants in the guidebook published by the French tyre company Michelin can make or break establishments.
Belgium and Luxembourg now count no fewer than 153 Michelin stars, meaning both countries have an impressive concentration of top restaurants considering their size.
First star
A total of nine restaurants received one star for the first time, of which eight are located in Belgium and one in neighbouring Luxembourg (Apdikt by Mathieu van Wetteren in Steinfort). As a result, Belgium and Luxembourg are now home to 128 one-star restaurants.
In Belgium, one restaurant in Brussels was awarded its first star: Menssa by Christophe Hardiquest located on Avenue de Tervueren in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, where food lovers can admire the high-precision craftsmanship of the kitchen team from a seat at the curved wooden counter.
"Chef Hardiquest shares his vision of sustainable gastronomy that respects both the producer and nature, combining his know-how and imagination to promote the region," the Michelin Guide writes of the restaurant and its chef. "A philosopher chef who is going from strength to strength."
A plate served at La Roseraie in Modave. Credit: La Roseraie
The other restaurants in Belgium that now have one star are L'impératif D'Éole by Benoît Neusy in Quévy-le-Grand; Hoeve De Bies by Maurice Huynen in Sint-Martens-Voeren; La Roseraie, run by Marie Trignon in Modave; Julien by Davy Devlieghere in Lovendegem; Pont Neuf by Tommy Bocklandt in Antwerp; Pré de chez vous by Julien Malaisse in Namur; and Neon by Nils Proost in Lier.
Neon also received a Green Star from Michelin. This award has been a separate Michelin category for several years, specifically for restaurants where sustainability is central to the policy.
Two and three-starred restaurants
Former chef Peter Goossens, who at the end of last year left Hof van Cleve in Kruisem (East Flanders), which was recognised as the best restaurant in Belgium for 20 years, was called on stage to announce the new two-star business. Several top Belgian chefs came on stage to pay tribute to Goossens.
Two restaurants were awarded a second star: Sir Kwinten of Glenn Verhasselt in Sint-Kwintens-Lennik and Hof van Cleve in Kruisem, now under the helm of Floris Van der Veken. This brings the total number of two-star establishments in Belgium to 22. One such restaurant is located in Luxembourg.
Van der Veken, Goossens' right-hand man for many years, took over the restaurant in early January. The restaurant therefore lost the three stars it had under Goossens. However, in the eight weeks since reopening with a new chef, anonymous Michelin judges dined there three times and decided to crown the restaurant with two stars.
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Finally, no new restaurant was given three stars this year, meaning Het Zilte in Antwerp, run by Vicki Geunes, and Boury by Tim Boury in Roeselare are the only two establishments with three stars in Belgium. Last year, that list included Hof van Cleve.
Finally, Chef Julien Malaisse of Pré de Chez Vous restaurant in Bouge (Namur), which received its first star this year, has been awarded Young Chef of the Year. Mathieu Vanneste, who works at the three-starred restaurant Boury, has also been crowned Sommelier of the Year 2024.
