Seasonal treats: Festive dining places fire up across Belgium

And so this is Christmas… and welcome festive cheer abounds in Belgium for the holiday season. Here’s our guide to some of the hearty, fireside gourmet treats on the menu at pop-up restaurants and hotels around the country.

BRUSSELS

Steigenberger Icon Wiltcher’s Brussels

The hotel is celebrating its 110th anniversary with a ‘sparkling snow’ theme for the festive season. The hotel transforms into a winter wonderland reminiscent of Alpine resorts. Enjoy a magical atmosphere with elegant clouds scattering sparkling flakes. In Wiltcher’s winter chalet, celebrate with the hotel’s ‘Iconic High Tea’ at €49. On Sundays, do not miss the wonderful brunch with special editions for Saint Nicolas on 10 December and for Christmas on 25 December. Until 7 January, Avenue Louise 71 (Ixelles)

Meal with a view at The Hotel

Enjoy a drink or light meal beneath the stars in The Hotel’s stunning champagne and oyster roof top bar. Perched in the 24th floor Panorama Lounge and decked out in cosy, luxury chalet style, Altitude is the perfect place to watch the city lights or see fireworks on New Year’s Eve. Downstairs, a delicious brunch is available every Sunday at the ‘Iris’ restaurant overlooking the charming Parc d’Egmont. Billing itself as not any hotel, but The Hotel, this icon of Brussels also offers a range of all-year-round treats like the Philharmonic Package or Spa for Two. Until 6 January, Boulevard de Waterloo 38

Hemisphere X – Jardins Hospice 

This Christmas, come and experience a unique culinary adventure in the heart of Brussels. In a comfortable, transparent dome, surrounded by the comforting warmth and mouthwatering aroma of delicious melting raclette cheese, you and up to five dining partners eat your meal looking out onto the enchanted, festively decorated Hospice gardens. This experience, a real treat for cheese and pierrade lovers (thin slices of meat cooked on a hot stone) can be enjoyed from €45 per person, with a gourmet offer at €80 including meat and fish options. 29 December to 25 February, Jardins Hospice, Rue du Canal

Timber

A recent addition to Brussels’ culinary experiences is not so much pop-up, but with food that changes as the year goes on. Timber is nestled in the unmissable Mix building – the still gleaming and beautifully renovated former Royale Belge – offering smoky, seasonal cuisine. For New Year’s Eve, the €120 five-course menu, including aperitif, is based ‘around land and sea’ with vegetarian options available. After your meal, why not extend the festivities, stay in this wonderful example of 1970s Brutalist architecture, and then enjoy the Mix’s Gym and Wellness facilities in the morning, to get 2024 off to a good start. 25 Boulevard du Souverain (Watermael-Boitsfort)

FLANDERS

Van der Valk Hotel Brussels Airport

Admire a giant Christmas tree topped with the signature Van der Valk toucan, beautiful decorations and delicious food and drink. Just bring along good company and Van der Valk will take care of the rest, making Christmas a stress-free delight. On the big day, the Christmas family brunch includes cava and a spectacular dessert buffet complete with an XL chocolate fountain. Luxurious evening buffets with endless starters and main courses are available on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Children can choose a special buffet as well as entertainment, so babysitting is off the menu and under 4s dine free. Icing on the cake, at the special family Sunday brunches – available throughout the festive season – there is even a bouncy castle. Until 7 January, Culliganlaan 4b, Diegem (Flemish Brabant)

Mohican – Castle Nieuwermolen

Why not dine with a difference in a yurt? Just turn off your phone and from your cosy, Mongolian-inspired tent watch your meal being prepared under your eyes. The menu is hyper seasonal, with local foraged ingredients taking pride of place along with open-fire cooking. The spectacular five-course brisk and fiery ‘Into the Wild’ menu includes pairing wines and drinks at €159. Building on last year’s success, Mohican is based in two locations this year, both in stunning château settings and nestled in the woods, “true Mohicans come on horseback”. Just in case you need further encouragement, for each Mohican visit, the restaurant will plant a new tree in the ‘Mohican’ forest. Until 18 February, Wednesday to Sunday, Bruggeveldstraat 61, Dilbeek (Flemish Brabant)

Bubble BQ – Hof Ter Laken

Bubble is the perfect way to experience a sophisticated outdoor winter barbecue in a beautiful castle setting. The pop-up restaurant, consisting of 15 individual domes for two to six people is set against the stunning Hof ter Linden castle, decorated with, the website claims, 100,000 sparkling lights. You can choose between four menus – all meat, meat and fish, vegetarian and Halal as well as a special children’s menu; for lunch, dinner or a special late dinner service. The BBQ is €99 for adults and €45 for children. Until 14 January, Chateau Domein Hof Ter Linden, Drie Eikenstraat 3, Edegem (Antwerp province)

Glass House on the Lake - Terland

This beach restaurant lies in the picturesque Terhills Center Parks resort in Terland national park. The pop-up bar and restaurant proposes drinks, aperitifs and a five-course winter barbecue (€52 for adults, €25 for children – three courses). Come and enjoy the ‘Afterworks’ on Thursday, complete with happy hour or special Friday jazz evenings.  Every Sunday, you can enjoy a ‘lazy afternoon on the lake’, sipping a hot drink, nibbling on pastries, playing board games and listening to live piano music. Thursday to Sunday, Nationaal Parklaan 1, Dilsen-Stokkem (Limburg province)

Winter Wonderland – the Castle of the Counts

A landmark in the centre of Ghent (do not miss the castle museum’s torture room), this stunning medieval castle is transformed into a scene of festive merriment. It also has a welcoming pop-up winter bar in its stables, oozing hot drinks and adorned with enchanting lighting. Gravensteen castle might boast a chequered past defending this region of Flanders, but, complete with merry music and Christmas decorations, it is now bringing enchantment to the cold dark season. Until 7 January, Sint-Veerleplein, Ghent

WALLONIA

Les Serres d’hiver – Domaine de Béronsart

A grandiose glass palace, this pop-up restaurant is a festive beacon for locals. Open throughout the winter months, the dining experience includes Savoyard cheese fondues, other French classics and a special New Year’s choucroute (sauerkraut). In addition to the €40 menu, there is a €65 Sunday brunch with bubbles (children €25) and an €85 Christmas Day brunch (children €35). The Domaine de Béronsart is a former mill house in the Condroz region. Check out the popular concert programme featuring local bands and singers… Until 18 February, Wednesday to Sunday, Rue Des Carrières 7, Gesves (Namur province)

Casa Alpina, Parc Saint Roch

Come and enjoy the festive season at Ciney – one of Wallonia’s underrated towns – with a magical meal in beautiful Christmas-lit Parc Saint Roch. The beautifully decorated Casa Alpina winter chalet welcomes you with a range of gourmet options. Choose a menu at just €32 per person with a homemade foie gras or smoked salmon entrée, followed by as much raclette as you can eat. You can also enjoy an ‘à la carte’ Osso Bucco alla Milanese or, ‘like a Liégeois’, boulettes à la Boyard Milky Stout. And for dessert, do not miss the Fusion Mousse or Merveilleux Chocolat. Until 7 January, Parc Saint Roch, Ciney

L’Hiver au Château, Modave

Experience the Christmas season until April at wonderful Modave castle. Here you can spend an exceptional evening in a luxurious green (or white, if the weather obliges) setting in the heart of a vast nature reserve complete with classified gardens. On the menu front, you can enjoy real Valais fondues, but also a range of haute cuisine dishes. As well as the classic three-course menus (€45 for adults, €25 for children), you can opt for a delicious Sunday brunch (€65 for adults, €25 for children) or, if you are lucky, it’s waiting list only now, a spectacular New Year’s Eve dinner (€120 for adults, €60 for children) and then dance the night away to special DJ sounds until 3.00. Friday and Saturday evenings until 31 March, Rue du Parc 4, Modave (Liège province)

Mohican – Château de Mérode

The Mohican concept can also be experienced in the romantic setting of this castle in the leafy countryside south of Brussels. For details of the menu, see Mohican – Castle Nieuwermolen, above. Until 31 March, Wednesday to Sunday, Drève du Calvaire, Rixensart (Walloon Brabant)