This one remains an enigma to me. Been there first time end of the 80’s when I started to work and in those days food and service were fantastic and it had a great aura as well. The chef was still Pierre Wijnants and it was still rated 3 Michelin stars (a Belgian institution). Unfortunately, no pics from these days as you can understand.

In the pictures below, you can see our visits in 2015 for my father’s 80th birthday including the family’s picture with Lionel Rigolet the current chef.
During that period the food and service was still great as you can see but rated as a 2 Michelin stars restaurant as they changed the chef with an ambition to get the 3rd back I guess.
I know my parents won’t forget that evening there!

It is now time to talk about our latest visit…

As you can see it still looks great, the food and service are still great and you will see that the meal is still worth it. Here is the menu:

DUO OF VEAL, OXTAIL FONDANT WITH SAGE
AND MERLOT VINEGAR, WATERCRESS EMULSION
SEMI-COOKED GAMBERO ROSSO AND ITS PICKLES OIL
MUSTARD SEEDS, GRAVLAX-STYLE SALMON BACK,
CITRUS MARINATED LISETTE
FILLET OF MULLET BARBET AND ITS CRUMBS OF SCALES
WITH PIMENTON, CHIPIRONS, ROASTED GREEN ASPARAGUS,
SWEET GARLIC MOUSSELINE
HAMACHI, ANISE BOUILLABAISSE JUICE, CANDIED FENNEL
WITH KALAMANSI, ONION FONDUE WITH WILD DILL
WHERE
BREAST OF SQUAB OF ENEOUR, CRUNCHY OF ERYNGII
WITH ROASTED HONEY, FINE PUREE OF PEAS WITH WASABI,
FOAM OF MUSHROOMS
RHUBARB IN SORBET AND POACHED IN CALCUTTA TEA,
CREAMY RICOTTA WITH SHEEP’S MILK
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE FROM PERU,
AMARENA CHERRY JAM, WHIPPED GANACHE
IN KIRSCH LIKE A BLACK FOREST
SWEETS

It is difficult to understand that such experience is now a 1 star « only » experience. I assume that Michelin had its reasons to downgrade the place but as an educated customer, 2 stars better reflects what you get as products and services…
We should never forget that this restaurant is there to represent Belgian cuisine at a high standard and I don’t think the customers are expecting the latest and greatest molecular or trendy meals.

I can only recommend the place and thank them for the quality work they provide!
#sdbplus