Once again, the Ghent restaurant ranks fourth in the international 'We’re Smart' list, as revealed on Tuesday with the release of the Green Guide.
'We're Smart' lists over 1,300 establishments that excel in vegetable cuisine across around 50 countries. Topping the list is the Madrid restaurant El Invernadero. In Belgium, the top vegetable-focused restaurant is Vrijmoed in Ghent.
Another Belgian establishment in the top 10 is Humus x Hortense in Brussels, ranked ninth. These two restaurants share the spotlight with Central in Lima (second), named the world’s best by 50Best in 2023, and Geranium in Copenhagen (8th), which received the title the previous year. Glenn Viel’s L’Ousteau de Baumanière sits in seventh position.
A total of 16 Belgian establishments made it into the top 100.
Alongside the rankings, the guide’s release also includes several special awards. Souvenir in Ghent received the Discovery Award for Belgium, highlighting well-established establishments recognised for their exceptional contributions to fruit and vegetable culinary arts.
Further south, Begoña Rodrigo, chef of La Salita in Valencia, was named Female Vegetable Chef of the Year.
Emile van der Staak, chef of De Nieuwe Winkel in the Netherlands, entered the Untouchable category, joined by René Mathieu of La Distillerie in Luxembourg since their restaurants have topped the list for two consecutive years.
