Brussels stars in Gault&Millau’s latest gastronomic guide

Many Brussels restaurants - from Le Transvaal Comptoir in Auderghem to Terza Luna in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre - have gained the highest accolades in Gault&Millau’s new restaurant guide, that marks its winners out of 20.

Among the winners announced for the guide’s 22nd edition of best restaurants in Belgium and Luxembourg were Babam, the "Brussels discovery of the year" at Watermael-Boitsfort and Elliott Van de Velde "young chef of the year" at vegetarian restaurant Entropy on Place Saint-Géry (14.5 out of 20).

He was praised by Gault&Millau as “reinventing haute cuisine with a zero-waste approach, transforming local, seasonal and mostly plant-based produce into intuitive dishes in a restaurant that combines gastronomy and social commitment”.

Renowned chef Christophe Hardiquest’s Menssa (Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, pictured) won a "best newcomer" award. The restaurant featuring gastronomy around an oak communal table received a score of 17 – 0.5 points more than last year. Also in this category was Brussels fine arts centre's Bozar Restaurant, led by Armenian chef Karen Torosyan.

Along with Comme chez Soi, La Paix, Le Chalet de la Foret, La Villa in the Sky and La Villa Lorraine (the last two run by Yves Mattagne), Menssa and Bozar Restaurant have now reached the echelons of Gault&Millau’s "17+ club".

"Revelation of the year" went to Quartz, in its former butcher’s shop home in Ixelles (14 out of 10). “In every dish, from starter to dessert, chef David-Alexandre Bruno combines finesse and daring with unexpected combinations,” Gault&Millau said.

Lastly, for "Brussels discovery of the year", seek out Babam (13 out of 20) in leafy Watermael-Boitsfort, with Thibaut van Outryve at the helm. “This Brussels discovery is like an address in your neighbourhood that you’d like to keep secret because it offers both comfort and pleasure,” the Gault&Millau guide said.

In addition, Da Mimmo, KLINE and Klok (Brussels City), Origine and Hadrien (Etterbeek), L’Improbable and Tatar (Ixelles), Asado and Chez Luma (Uccle) and Bottega Vannini and Terza Luna (Woluwe-Saint-Pierre) all scored better than last year.

Completely new to the guide are Le Corbier, Art Deco-designed Belga Queen and Lily’s (Brussels-City), Quartz, NYYÒ, 65 Degrés and friendly neighbourhood classic Les Brassins (Ixelles), Groseille (Schaerbeek), St. Kilda and Au Repos de la Montagne (Uccle) and Babam and Timber (Watermael-Boitsfort).

The Gault&Millau guide contains more than 1,400 establishments, including 135 newcomers and 163 upgrades.

This latest edition awarded Glenn Verhasselt of Restaurant Sir Kwinten in Lennik, Flemish Brabant, the prestigious "chef of the year" prize, while Hof Van Cleve in Kruishoutem (East Flanders) came top with 18 out of 20, albeit lower than its record 19.5 score held by former chef Peter Goossens for 20 years.

Gault&Millau also launched two new awards for this edition. The "cheese experience of the year" went to Attablez-vous in Namur and the "lifetime achievement award" went to Brussels-based chef Jean-Pierre Bruneau. Bruneau retired in 2018 after 42 years at his three Michelin-starred Bruneau restaurant in Ganshoren, north Brussels.