This year, three new Walloon restaurants ("Le Pilori" in Ecaussinnes, "Le comptoir de Marie" in Mons and "Philippe Fauchet" in Saint-Georges-sur-Meuse) have made their entry into the little red guidebook after obtaining their first star. "d’Eugénie à Emilie" in Baudour also obtains an additional star and joins the club of 2-star establishments.
"It is a great year for Belgium; these Chefs are part artists, part athletes. We are seeing the emergence of a young generation helped by their elders who are passing on their know-how. This transmission of knowledge is helping the standard of gastronomy to evolve. We are also seeing another trend, that of working with local produce as a priority, sourced from within a perimeter of just a few kilometres. Also, restaurants are tending to be less formal, more casual, something which can be seen all over the world", explains Michael Ellis, International Director.
No changes in the top 3. The three Flemish restaurants "Hof van Cleve", "Hertog Jan" and "De Karmeliet" have preserved their three stars.