Before the stars and the party, a tribute. In the sumptuous Gothic Handelsbeurs room, the applause first sounded to greet Jonnie Boers, the only three-star chef in the Netherlands, who died on April 23 following a pulmonary embolism. With his wife, he was the owner of the restaurant in Librije, in Zwolle (Netherlands).
After sadness and emotion, make way for the ceremony. A video of Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin guide, opened the presentation of the winners. He was not wet much by declaring that “we are witnessing the emergence of a new generation of talents, the culinary affirmation of installed houses, as well as the launch of new projects carried by already well established chefs. Whether they rely on tradition or be carried by innovation, distinguished establishments surprise, delight and inspire ”.
In a politically correct alternation between Flanders, Brussels, Wallonia and Luxembourg, the new stars are announced, starting with Quentin Gallopyn, of the restaurant La Viscuré, in Roucourt, which had just received the young Chef Prize. Among the new stars, there are many to be attributed to restaurants at the head of which are already renowned chefs: Kobe Desramaults (Eliane in Brussels), Giuseppe Giacomazza (La Botte à Genk), Wouter Van Tichelen (Memoir in Bruges) or Dimitri Proost (top to Ostend). In Luxembourg, René Mathieu found in his new Fields the star acquired in 2012 at the distillery. He always delivers a sought -after vegetable kitchen which also earned him a green star.
The young generation is also in the spotlight in the image of François-Xavier Simon (Bistrot Blaise in Marche-en-Famenne), Curtis Maquet (Beau Rivage by Curtis in Dave) or Maxime Zimmer (a max of taste in Comblain-au-Pont). Luxembourg is doing well with two young chefs greeted with a star: Clovis Degrave who, at the Grünewald Chef’s Table offers a strong experience and marked in tastes that is lived at the counter. “What an emotion! It is a great reward for the whole team that will allow us to go further in our work, ”commented Clovis Degrave. Archibald de Prince, second by René Mathieu for eight years and Belgian candidate for the golden bocuse, who signs creative cuisine that gives pride of place to products, also won his first star, barely six months after the opening of the restaurant that bears his name. “We did everything to reach excellence right away, but we couldn’t be sure that it was going to pay,” he explains. Not sure either Njomza Musli, the wife of Louis Linster and room manager of the restaurant Lea Linster told us: “When the presenter announced that there were only two new ‘two stars’, I thought it was screwed up”. The explosion of joy was all the greater when Frisange, the name of the village where the restaurant is installed, appeared on the screen. Chef since 2019, Louis Linster (35) succeeded his mother, the legendary Lea Linster, the only woman winner of the Bocuse d’Or. Today he develops contemporary, purified cuisine, marked by frank flavors and an Asian influence, with a particular accent on the work of sauces. “The best gift I could dream of for my 70th birthday,” said Lea, who came on stage congratulate her son. Thijs Vervloet, who had two stars for his Colette restaurant, kept them in his new establishment, Colette house located in Tongerlo.
Despite the presence on stage of numerous wives of chefs, essential in their establishments, no woman is one of the new starry cheffes this year.
For three editions, the Belgian and Luxembourg selection has not been printed but is only online. In total, the selection recommends 790 restaurants, including 151 star tables. Zilte and Boury keep their three stars but several distinctions have disappeared because of the closure of restaurants (notably The Jane in Antwerp which posted two stars, the Fox to La Panne, the cane in town in Brussels or Eden Rose in Luxembourg, one star each). Also note the demotion of Villa Lorraine by Yves Mattagne, from two to a star.
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Practical | Link to the Michelin Guide
Photographs | France Clarinval
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