La Canne en Ville in Ixelles gets first Michelin star

Brussels has a new Michelin-star restaurant, while one of its eateries has lost a star. The 2020 edition of the Michelin Guide for Belgium was launched this week at a ceremony in Ghent.

Brussels is now down to five two-star restaurants as La Villa in the Sky on Avenue Louise lost one of its stars. The restaurant, which sports magnificent views from the top floor of the IT Tower, has had two stars since the 2016 edition of the famed gastronomic ratings guide.

In a statement, La Villa in the Sky said that chef Alexandre Dionisio was “more than ever” dedicated to “exercising his profession with passion, emphasising his creativity and continually surpassing his own expectations”.

The other two-star restaurants have all kept their stars: Comme Chez Soi (which once upon a time had three stars), La Paix, Sea Grill, La Chalet de la Forêt and Bon-Bon. And all of the 10 one-star restaurants have kept their stars, too.

Ixelles fave

There’s even an extra one-star restaurant to add to the list. Michelin has awarded La Canne en Ville in Ixelles (pictured) with its first star. Chef Kevin Lejeune worked at La Paix for a decade before taking over the vintage style French restaurant on the corner of Rue de la Réforme and Rue Fernand Neuray last year.

According to Michelin, “Lejeune whisks up tempting dishes that delve freely into his classical training. He enjoys adding a personal, inventive stamp to familiar family favourites. Subtle yet comforting.”

“La Canne en Ville was a little neighbourhood restaurant,” said Lejeune. “I took a risk in taking it over, and it’s going well.”

As for three-star restaurants, there is still just one in all of Belgium: Hof van Cleve in Kruishoutem, East Flanders.