Famous restaurant Bon Bon to close as chef seeks new challenges

The well-known two-star restaurant Bon Bon in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre will close its doors on 30 June 2022, head chef Christophe Hardiquest announced on Monday.

In a post on Instagram, Christophe Hardiquest explained that he is "in a special period of his life", which allows him "not only to think, but also to accelerate desires and aspirations".

After 20 years in the kitchens of Bon Bon, one of the capital's favourite gastronomic addresses, the celebrated chef has decided to pursue new challenges.

Hardiquest emphasised that the closure of the restaurant should not be seen as a defeat. "I am happier than ever and have no financial or health problems. I just need some freedom. My restaurant got in the way of my further development," he admitted.

Hardiquest added that he still does his job with passion and will continue to cook. "I just don't know how yet, but it will be full of surprises. The closure of this restaurant is not the end, but the beginning of a new chapter," says the top chef.

Since the start of the pandemic, the chef has, in his own words, been reflecting. He has become convinced that gastronomy and the restaurant of the future must be based on a new business model and provide an impetus to change our consumption patterns.

"I want to continue on the same footing as today, but in a different way," Hardiquest said, who is considering, among their things, an advisory or coaching role, or a move into research and development. "It's like jumping without a parachute, but I want to share my know-how."

Bon Bon opened its doors 20 years ago in a building on the Avenue Louise in Brussels and then moved to a small neighbourhood bistro in Uccle. In 2004, the establishment received its first Michelin star.

A few years later Bon Bon moved to the Avenue de Tervuren in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre and in 2013 a second Michelin star followed. In the revered Gault & Millau guide, the restaurant has a score of 19.5 out of 20.