The concept

Vrienden van de Smaak is a refreshing dining concept that was created last year by Didier Bastiaens. The idea is defined on the website as ‘a travelling restaurant without walls that tries to bring the Belgians closer to the food on their plate’.

Klik hier voor de Nederlandstalige versie.

The organization sets 1 big table, for about 70 guests, on very original locations: the outdoors, between fruit trees, in a pasture, next to a monastery or – like last Friday – in the caves of Kanne.

(© Raf Ketelslagers)

The dishes are prepared by a famous chef, who leaves his trusted kitchen behind and cooks with regional, very fresh products.

(© Raf Ketelslagers)

Guests take a seat next to unknown gourmets and soon everyone shares great dishes and great stories. Interesting conversations guaranteed!

(© Raf Ketelslagers)

On the first of June 2013, we entered a very special location for our first ‘Vrienden van de Smaak’ dinner: the caves of Kanne.

 (© Raf Ketelslagers)

After the aperitif (a local sparkling rosé from winehouse Genoels-Elderen) we enjoyed a guided, very interesting tour in the caves. After a visit to the mushroom plantation and a beer ageing cellar, the dinner was served in a heated party room inside the caves.

(© Raf Ketelslagers)

The chef for this edition was Giovani Oosters (restaurant Vous Lé Vous) and he served tasty and honest dishes in big, steaming bowls from which table guests could serve themselves – or others. You can find the full menu on the website www.vriendenvandesmaak.be, or please see the Dutch version for the description of the dishes.

(© Raf Ketelslagers)

(© Raf Ketelslagers)

(© Raf Ketelslagers)

The matching regional wines surprised and the coffee, fresh tea and the with mint infused water were of great quality.

(© Raf Ketelslagers)

(© Raf Ketelslagers)

Vrienden van de Smaak is a recommendation for everyone that loves to eat, in good company and at a pleasant table. Indeed, a great concept for everyone! The tasty dishes, prepared by a top chef with local produce, the amazing locations and the socializing with colleague foodies make this a unique and refreshing concept.

(© Raf Ketelslagers)

Dates & locations in 2013: 

• 15 juni – Landlopershoeve in Wortel-Kolonie
• 22 juni – Aspergeboerderij in Kinrooi
• 6 juli – Het strand in De Panne
• 13 juli – Bio-zelfpluktuin PurFruit in Oeselgem
• 17 augustus – Wijndomein van Chenoy in Emines
• 24 augustus – Brouwerij van La Chouffe in Achouffe
• 14 september – Beddermolen in Tongerlo

Belgian Taste Buds - Discover more tastes on www.belgiantastebuds.com

Gin & Tonic

Gin Tonic is hot and creative gin cocktails and mixed drinks are rapidly becoming one of the big bar trends in Europe (gin sales have increased with 11 % this year!).

Every self-respecting bar or restaurant has an extensive gin & tonic menu, with often more than 20 brands of gin and several tonics. The mix is completed with fresh spices, fruits and other accompaniments. Top restaurants like El Bulli, Oud Sluis, Hof Van Cleve, De Pastorale & De Librije have been serving qualitative gin tonic mixes for a long time and creativity and the mixture of flavors became very important when serving a gin & tonic.

The sour, dry aspects in the gin and the quinine, the hints of citrus and the bitter flavors in the tonics makes gin & tonic an excellent aperitif alternative. It opens the stomach and stimulates the taste buds, and is easily combined with many appetizers.

Belgian Gin

There are many kinds of Gin widely available these days. Hendrick’s Gin, Mombasa Club, Gin sea and VL92 gin are some of my favorites, but the one and only Belgian gin – the Filliers Dry gin – is definitely worth a try as well.

The Filliers original dry is an exceptionally mild, refined and widely prized dry gin – a great choice for a classic gin & tonic with a slice of lime.

The tangerine seasonal edition is a must-have for the summer and combines aromas of oranges, tangerines and lime with hints of juniper berries and coriander. Try the following recipe on a sunny day and enjoy the summer in your glass!

- 5 cl of Filliers Tangerine Seasonal Gin
- 1 bottle of Fever Tree Tonic Water (or Lemon Tonic if you prefer it more sour)
- 1 Tangerine ice cube (pour fresh tangerine juice into an ice cube form and freeze)
- 4 normal ice cubes
- Garnish with tangerine peel, 3 juniper berries & coriander leaves

Fever Tree Tonic

Mixing your quality gin with poor quality soft drinks is quite a shame. High quality tonics are widely available since a few years, and Fever Tree is the tonic you will probably get when ordering a classic gin & tonic in a nice bar or restaurant.

Already served in 7 out of the top 10 restaurants in the world, you can now find the Fever-Tree range in restaurants, bars, hotels and gastro pubs in over 30 countries worldwide. For more information about where to buy Fever-Tree products please have a look at their website.

Belgian Taste Buds - Discover more tastes on www.belgiantastebuds.com

The Place

We discover Restaurant Elckerlijc in the fields of ‘het Meetjesland’,

a relatively unknown but beautiful region in East-Flanders. The restaurant is located in an old, beautifully renovated farmhouse with a view on the fields.

* Klik hier voor het Nederlandstalige verslag

The interior combines self-made art with romantic, authentic furniture and the warm atmosphere of the farmhouse is kept well through the use of wood and dark colors.

We travel to Elckerlijc on a rainy day in May, together with colleagues Be-Gusto and Le Gourmand Belge. We leave our vegetarian friends at home: today, meat will be the king and only the best quality will be served, prepared in the best ways. In restaurant Elckerlijc one does not come for fine & elegant cooking art, but for an exceptional no-nonsense kitchen based on fresh top-products.

The chef

Peter De Clerq is a dynamic Belgian chef who manages the art of grilling as no one else. Passionate about meat, Peter knew at a young age that this beautiful ingredient would become his profession. Meat of the best quality and top-products became his trade mark and with the best preparations he delivers his costumers an unforgettable taste experience. He became world champion barbeque in 2003, something that no other Belgian chef accomplished since then!

Peter is not only chef and owner of restaurant Elckerlijc, but also author of several barbeque books (BBQ bijbel, Basic BBQ, Just Grilling, …), a barbeque advisor and he also sells barbeque tools, spices and even has his own meat products (http://www.cocks.be). You can also find his products in supermarket Delhaize.
The authentic beef meat that Peter serves in his restaurant comes from top butcher Dierendonck in Sint-Idesbald; the lambs, chickens, spices, vegetables and fruit come from his own ‘Elckerlijc farm’ (http://www.elckerlijcfarm.be). During a visit to the farm we learn that quality is a philosophy here: the pigs are fed with a mixture of self-grown corn, steamed potatoes, Filliers leftovers, cheese whey and rice pudding and this is something you will also taste on your plate!

The food

Because of the ‘home-grown-philosophy’ that Peter applies, you will only find amazingly fresh vegetables, spices and fruits (picked in the morning, served at noon) on your plate, together with meat and fish of the best quality. The meat (more than 20 beef varieties), the fish and the sea fruits are prepared on the large grill, in the outdoor oven or on one of the barbeques.

The beef is matured with care, two till eight weeks, and is grilled above oak, beech or other wood chips with Geuze beer or bourbon fragrances. The meat gets a delicious tender structure and an extra smoked taste dimension, which is complemented with the characteristic flavor of each beef variety.

The table is laid cozily and a bowl of olives and homemade dried sausage invite us to join. A meal at Elckerlijc is started in style and the drinks menu with strong liquors, cocktails, beers and aperitifs surprises with a wide and varied range. If we want to start with one of the Gins (more than 20 brands), served with quality tonic and fresh herbs? As a civilized gin-lover you just don’t say no and soon our Gin Fifty Pounds is served, with Fever Tree Tonic and samphire. Fresh, gentle and a perfect start of our meal.

The extensive menu (printed on a daily ‘gazette’) invites to sample various dishes and we start with a delicious pig cheek of the Elckerlijc farm, grilled above keg chips of Geuze Timmermans. The cheek is full of flavor, has a firm structure and is accompanied with a soft cream of carrot and parsnip and puffed rice.

Next are a few slices of pigs smelt, home-smoked on pegs of Lambic and pickled (’Coppa di Kleit’). The soft Belgian ham reminds of her Italian competitor but gets its own & unique style because of the smoked aromas.

Authentic grilled lobster shows off with aromas of fire spices and lovely herb butter. Sleeves are rolled up, napkins are tied and the delicacy disappears much quicker than anticipated. The aromas of the green herbs and garlic give the lobster the perfect seasoning; the fire spices deliver the smoked touch.

Vegetables play an important role in Peter’s kitchen as well, and that is proven by our next dish: grilled asparagus from Spitsbroek is combined with bacon from the Elckerlijc farm, cheese whey, crumble cheese from Lotenhulle and a quail egg. We recognize Peter’s typical smoked grill flavor in the dish, supplemented by the greasy touches from the egg and the cheese.

After these surprising dishes we’re ready for the real work: noble beef of the best quality, grilled above wood chips of Geuze Timmermans pegs. Making a choice between the more than 20 varieties is difficult, share & taste is the message. Boeuf Salers comes from France, is aged during 5 weeks and is known for its beautiful color and deep flavor. Galloway derives from Scotland, received 8 weeks of ageing and contains exceptional Omega 3. The amazing Rubia Gallega comes from Spain, had 7 weeks of ageing and is incredibly tender, well veined and with a delicious aroma. Every piece of these meats was exceptional, where the Rubia became the anonymous favorite.

The meat is accompanied by fries baked in ox fat, which we would have liked to be crunchier. We also taste delicious vegetables, baked in the oven with rosemary for a Southern touch, and a fresh salad from the garden. We’re already looking forward to our next visit for the tasting of the other 17 beef varieties!

There’s no room left for a dessert after this carnivore festival, but we cannot leave without tasting the Elckerlijc chocolate pills (in cooperation with Dominique Persoone): delicious hazelnuts, grilled on spices and covered with a layer of chocolate. A wonderful ending of a delicious meal!

The wines

The international wine menu offers wines from different regions and at different prices. We taste a white Lirac, Domaine de la Mordonée with the lobster and the vegetables: a floral whine with enough strength to accompany the seasoned appetizers. With the meat we taste a Spanish Syrah, Durius 07 Natural Reserve from de Duero region. A full and embodied red wine that can compete with the aggressive meat violence.

The “Belgian Taste Buds” Experience

Restaurant Elckerlijc is a must for every lover of quality meat, home-made products and the best grill specialties. The price setting follows the quality of the products but the beautiful location, the extensive and surprising menu and the great philosophy will have you come back for more. A visit to Elckerlijc guarantees for no-nonsense culinary pleasure, and we consider this meat temple as one of our discoveries this spring!

Belgian Taste Buds:

- Food Buds 8/10

- Wine Pairing Buds 7.5/10

- Price/Quality Buds 7/10

- Service Buds 8/10

- Experience Buds 8/10

Thanks to Be-Gusto and Le Gourmand Belge for the pictures!

Restaurant Elckerlijc
Kraailokerkweg 17 – Maldegem
T: 050 71 52 63
http://www.peterdeclercq.be

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The Place

WY Brussels is established in “The Mercedes House” on the Grand Sablon in Brussels.        It is an exquisite meeting point for everybody who is interested in high end food and… Mercedes cars.

Inside, the main focus lies on Mercedes.  There is an exclusive car shop, an exposition or event room, meeting facilities and the bar/restaurant WY.

WY restaurant boasts a cocktail bar, tables for about 40 guests, a quiet city terrace and a separate space for meetings, walking-dinners and private parties. It is upgraded with contemporary artworks from Robert Combas and Mimmo Rotella and the artworks change regularly. In the near future the walls will be decorated by graffiti artists.

The Chef

WY opened in 2012 and is a collaboration between Mercedes and Bart De Pooter, chef from De Pastorale. The bar/restaurant is continuously opened every day (except Sunday) for lunch, dinner and drinks. The creative menu changes every month (3 or 5 courses, or à la carte).

Almost everyone from the young and dynamic WY staff worked in restaurant Pastorale before they started at WY. Björn Verreckt was the maître of Pastorale for more than 2 years and has been given the opportunity to manage WY. He hosts and manages the place with a charming flair and also advises in the wine & drink choices, together with Koen De Meester and Cathérine De Greef.

The Food

Guus Van Zon is the chef in bar/restaurant WY.  Guus comes from the Netherlands and worked in restaurants such as Chalet Royal, Boreas and, off course, De Pastorale. Trained by Bart De Pooter, he serves contemporary and creative dishes prepared with quality products.

A preparation of cold oysters with passion fruit, dashi, black radish and ginger and warm oysters with tamarind, red pepper and mint gives the delicate sea fruit and extra dimension:

Langoustine is served with streaky bacon: a new interpretation of surf and turf!

Cabbage is smoked and comes with Holstein beef, eggplant and potato:

Structures of carrot  are combined with foie gras – a great combination!

Jonathan Moonens is the pastry chef and surprises with tasty, contemporary desserts:

The Wines

Beverages are very important at WY: 30 quality wines and 5 exclusive champagnes can be ordered by the glass, there is an extensive liquor collection available and make sure you do not forget to try out one of the special barrel aged cocktails!

The “Belgian Taste Buds” Experience

WY restaurant is a great cosmopolitan venue for an outstanding drink, a business lunch or a gastronomical dinner in the center of the European capital.

Belgian Taste Buds:

-          Food Buds                                                           7.5/10

-          Wine Pairing Buds                                            7/10

-          Price/Quality Buds                                           7/10

-          Service Buds                                                      7.5/10

-          Experience Buds                                              7/10

Restaurant WY

Bodenbroekstraat 22-24
Grote Zavel
1000 Brussels
Belgium
Phone: +32 3 400 42 63
www.wybrussels.be

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 The concept

Culinary festivals are hot. Every self-respecting city should have at least one, and more and more gastronomical festivals pop up every year. As these events offer a great way to sample dishes of the best restaurants in the country, the formula gains a lot of success.

Antwerpen proeft is the biggest culinary festival in Antwerp and celebrates its 7^th anniversary this year. The festival has been substantially growing every year and chose for the top location ‘Waagnatie’ for this year’s edition. The great selection of participating top restaurants, the beautiful location next to the Schelde, and the creative execution (decoration, fresh herbs, wooden plates, etc.)make this festival one of the better culinary festivals in Belgium.

Thirty top restaurants, star chefs and hip bistro’s offer sample dishes at small prices (most dishes cost between 4 and 8 euros). There is a small culinary market, a wine tasting pavilion, cheese & beer pairing sessions, master classes, presentations, etc. Indeed, every foodie will find a very good reason to visit this festival.

Organizer Claudia Engelen en ambassador Viki Geunes (‘t Zilte)

For more information about Antwerpen proeft, please visit their website or Be-Gusto’s review (Dutch). You can still visit the festival until the 12^th of May 2013 (opening times).

Here is a selection of dishes/drinks you can taste at Antwerpen proeft 2013 (in Dutch), please find the full list of participating restaurant at the bottom of this article.
Picture credits: Be-Gusto.

La Chapelle – Nick Bril & Sergio Herman

Ziltige salade van Zeeuwse asperges en zeekraal, jong lamsoor, luchtige geitenkaas, gedroogde entrecote van Dierendonck, jonge kruiden en bloemen.

’t Zilte – Viki Geunes

Gelakt melkvarken met octopus, gebakken rijstcrème en frisse komkommer.

De Tuinkamer – Ken Verschueren

Aspergesalade De Tuinkamer met texturen van asperge, Granny Smith-appel en verveine.

Gebraiseerde ossenstaart met aardappel.

Kommilfoo – Olivier De Vinck

Kabeljauw en een brandade van kabeljauw met texturen van erwt, tuinbonen en crème van bio yoghurt.

Ardent – Wouter Van Steenwinkel

Kabeljauwwangetjes met meisavooi, Noordzeekrab en een jus van karnemelk met garnaal.

Château Castigno

De Secret Des Dieux 2008 van Ch. Castigno

Helsen – Frédéric Helsen

Gelakte varkenswang, quinoa, komkommer, avocado en dashi.

12, Place du Marché – Thomas Coenen

Bershire buikspek met een kroketje van varkenskop, gemarineerde wortels, crème van jonge wortels en sorbet van pickles.

Haute Cookure – Ivan Daelemans

Frietjes van zeetong en truffelmayonaise.

De Schone van Boskoop – Wouter Keersmaekers

Zelfgemaakte Kalfsworst met truffel en stoemp van meisavooi.

L’île d’Anvers – Peter Cardoen

Traag gegaarde ‘pluma de lomo’ met seizoensgroentjes en een sausje van tijm.

Patisserie Toon De Klerck

Macaron van framboos, gevuld met chocolademousse op basis van Earl Grey thee.

Pierre Marcolini:

Macaron met bosbessen, macaron met chocolade, pavé chocolaatje, biscuit praliné, gekarameliseerde cacao, praline met citroen crème, karamel praline en een nougatine praline.

Participating restaurants:

•               Sergio Herman & Nick Bri: La Chapelle (Berchem) & (Oud Sluis) – ***

•               ‘t Zilte (Viki Geunes, Antwerpen) – **

•               De Schone van Boskoop (Wouter Keersmaekers, Boechout) – *

•               Mijn Keuken (Pieter Bosters; Wouw, Nederland) – *

•               De Tuinkamer (Ken Verschueren, Beerzel) – *

•               Kommilfoo (Olivier de Vinck, Antwerpen) – *

•               Haute Cookure (Ivan Daelemans, Oostmalle)

•               Helsen (Frédéric Helsen, Kasterlee)

•               Ardent (Wouter Van Steenwinkel, Antwerpen)

•               Rimbaud (Georges Geismar, Antwerpen) – Frans, Belgisch-Frans

•               ‘t Leeuwekopke (Thomas Verbist, Antwerpen) – Belgisch-Frans

•               L’Île d’Anvers (Peter Cardoen, Antwerpen) – Belgisch, Zuid-Frans

•               12, Place du Marché (Thomas Coenen, Antwerpen) – Belgisch-Frans, Italiaans

•               Grand Café Patrasche (Kim Schaerlaken, Hoboken)

•               Het Oude Raadhuis (Davey Adler; Halsteren, Nederland)

•               La Place (Antwerpen) – Marktrestaurant

•               Pierre Marcolini – Chocolatier

•               Toon De Klerck (Antwerpen) – Patissier

•               Kaasaffineurs Michel Van Tricht & Zoon (Berchem) – Kazen

•               Lucy Chang (Tjaco van Eijken) – Zuidoost-Aziatisch

•               Fong Mei (Leung Kwai Lam, Antwerpen) – Chinees

•               Little Ethiopia (Abraham Esayase, Antwerpen) – Ethiopisch

•               Namaste Gurkha (Nilkantha Acharya, Antwerpen) – Nepalees, Indiaas

•               Yam Thai (Nathalie Meskens, gastvrouw; Antwerpen) – Thais

•               Comocomo (Antwerpen) – Baskisch | Mamakookt  – Zuiders

•               El Sabor Andino; Antwerpen – Peru

•               Zaowang (Narayan Lal Chitrakar, Antwerpen) – Sushi

Belgian Taste Buds - Discover more tastes on www.belgiantastebuds.com

The Place

The 2 Michelin star restaurant St. Nicolas is located in rural Elverdinge, near Ypres in Belgium.Established in a traditional villa with a patio and a small pond, the hosts welcome guests in a warm but traditional environment. The owners also offer accommodation in another villa nearby.

The Chef

Chef Franky Vanderhaeghe and his wife Sandra Nys run St. Nicolas. The chef pays tribute to taste and respects his regional products. He cooks in a traditional way and emphasizes classical French preparations.

The Food

We had a 3-course promotion menu consisting of 3 small amuses, a fish dish, a meat dish and a dessert. We were a little bit disappointed in the level of innovation and creativity: for a 2 star restaurant, we expected more special flavors, better ingredients and more innovative preparation techniques.

The Wines

We received a Kirr with the menu and 2 matching wines. The Kirr was a little bit too sweet to start our menu and unfortunately we did not receive information about the used wine for this aperitif. Quality of the wines was good, but we did not take any other notes.

The “Belgian Taste Buds” Experience

As we only had a small promotion menu, we cannot comment on the normal full menu. We were a bit disappointed with the dishes we received, but we’re sure there is a lot of potential and we hope we can return soon to try the full menu.

Belgian Taste Buds:

-          Food Buds                                                         7/10

-          Wine Pairing Buds                                            6/10

-          Price/Quality Buds                                           6.5/10

-          Service Buds                                                    7/10

-          Experience Buds                                              6.5/10

Saint Nicolas
Veurnseweg 532
8906 Elverdinge
http://www.hostellerie-stnicolas.com

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Ellis Gourmet Burger concept

Ellis Gourmet Burger is a new concept from 6 young Belgians on a quest for the perfect hamburger.  Their aim is to dedicate a whole restaurant to high end hamburgers cooked to perfection (http://www.ellisgourmetburger.com).

In order to strengthen their concept, Ellis organized the first ‘Gourmet Burger Guerilla‘ and invited two top chefs: Nick Bril (sous chef Oud Sluis, 3*) and Viki Geunes (chef ‘t Zilte, 2*). Together with the Belgian press and Belgian bloggers, we tasted and approved some of the finest ‘Gourmet Burgers’ in the world.

Gourmet burger Nick Bril (Oyster, Langoustine):

Gourmet burger Viki Geunes (Danish Lamb):

Dessert burger

Ellis Gourmet Burger

http://www.ellisgourmetburger.com
Place Sainte Catherine 4 – 1000 Brussels
Zeedijk 556 – Albertstrand – 8300 Knokke-Heist

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The Place & The Chef

De Veranda is one of the most famous ‘bistronomie‘ restaurants in Belgium. It is located in a former paint shop in Berchem, near Antwerp.

Bistronomie is an aggregation of ‘Bistro’ and ‘Gastronomy’ and refers to eating gastronomical food in a bistro setting. The bistronomie trend has known a big increase the past few years with restaurants like J.E.F., De Vitrine, La buvette, Lewis and Beurre Noisette in Belgium; St. John and Pollen Street in London and Septime en Saturne in Paris.

Davy Schellemans is the chef in De Veranda and founded the restaurant a few years ago. The restaurant has been fully booked since day 1 and guarantees a succesful gastronomical night out, combining pure & delicious food, great matching wines and beers, and an informal, cosy setting.

Our second visit to the Veranda was on the 29th of March 2013, together with 15 other Belgian bloggers. Indeed, in Belgium bloggers unite and enjoy the beauty of good restaurants together!

For more information about the chef, the menu or the restaurant, please consult one of the other blogs below.

Many thanks to Kim (Cookanista) and Frank (Be-Gusto) for organizing the dinner, and to Thomas (Filet Pur) for the great pictures! If you’re looking for a nice hotel nearby, head over to the Radisson Astrid for a great night sleep.

• Coolinary Sid Frisjes
• Be-Gusto Frank
• Hap & Tap Myriam
• Meer Smaak Kristof
• Filet Pur Thomas
• Yummyblogsister Iris
• Belgian Taste Buds Sven
• Lazy Monday Dennis
• Cookanista Kim
• Avocado Van De Duivel Caroline
• Nientediparticolare Ruth
• De Foodzoeker Edward
• Jonge Sla Dorien
• Hot Cuisine de Pierre Pieter
• Bistronomie Steve
• @kev’s Kevin

Belgian Taste Buds - Discover more tastes on www.belgiantastebuds.com

The Place & The Chef

For more information about the place and the chef, please consult our first report here.

The Food

We visited Vous Lé Vous again on 19/03/2013, together with our colleague blogger Be-gusto. The chef recommended the menu ‘Pure nature’ and we were happy to follow.

Amuses
 

Menu
 

Coffee & sweets

The Wines

We asked the sommelier to advise us a proper wine and/or beer pairing and were pleasantly surprised with his choices. We received a wine and a beer for each dish so we could discover both pairings. We tasted many local beers, and enjoyed a good wine pairing.

The “Belgian Taste Buds” Experience

We were impressed with the amuse parade (8 pieces) and enjoyed our 6 course dinner. Giovani Oosters impresses with his eye for quality and drive for innovation. Besides being a great chef, Giovani is an intelligent businessman and continues to build his horeca-imperium.

Vous lé Vous remains a recommendation near Hasselt!

Belgian Taste Buds:

-          Food Buds                                                           7.5/10

-          Service Buds                                                      8/10

-          Wine Pairing Buds                                            7.5/10

-          Price/Quality Buds                                           8.5/10

-          Experience Buds                                              7.5/10

Vous lé Vous
http://www.vouslevous.be/
Wimmertingenstraat 76
3500 Hasselt

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The Place

Chef patron Viki Geunes and his wife Viviane Plaquet have been running ‘t Zilte for almost 17 years. They started their restaurant in Mol but moved  to the historical city of Antwerp in 2011, occupying the 9^th floor of the new and remarkable MAS city museum.

The MAS defines itself as a ground-breaking museum and is also an extraordinary building in its own right, occupying an extraordinary site in an extraordinary location by the port of Antwerp. Indeed, ‘mas’ means ‘more’ in Spanish and that’s exactly what you’ll get at ‘t Zilte.

The interior of ‘t Zilte was designed by architect Vittorio Simoni and upgraded with exclusive artworks from Koen van den Broeck, whose influence returns in the layout of the website, the menu, the plates and even the clothing.

The unique mixture of art and a minimalistic, contemporary furniture gives ‘t Zilte a cosmopolitan feeling while maintaining a warm and friendly atmosphere.

The exceptional interior and the breathtaking views over the port and Antwerp city makes dining at ‘t Zilte an unforgettable experience. And then, of course, there’s the food…

The Chef

Viki Geunes started his gastronomical career in restaurant De Watermolen (Kasterlee) but quickly moved on and established his own restaurant, receiving a first Michelin star in 2004 and a second in 2006. In 2009 Viki became GaultMillau’s Chef of the year.

At ‘t Zilte he cooks together with his right hand Michiel De Bruyn and as a team they focus on top-quality products.

They present recognizable ingredients processed in diverse and complex ways, where vegetables and (local) fish play the main roles. The menu offers à la carte dishes, a tasting menu and a vegetarian menu.

The Food

Please find the pictures of our full menu underneath, here are some of our tasting notes.

The delicious lobster preparation surprises with a combination of butternut, rhubarb, juniper and hazelnut butter.

North sea crab is combined with hop sprouts, cucumber and algae and is served with a Belgian Geuze beer (Mariage Parfait, Boon): a perfect example of the ‘local cuisine’ trend.

Duck comes with bamboo, green mango, cashew and paprika masala and delivers a creative international twist in the menu.

Little meat is served, but what we get is outstanding: the famous Rubia beef, combined with eggplant, sesame and rice.

Full menu:

Appetizers

Bread

Dishes

Coffee & sweets

The Wines

Quality is a philosophy at ‘t Zilte which is also extended to the  staff. The Iranian female sommelier Sepideh charms with remarkable wine and beer pairings and a professional, down to earth approach.

The “Belgian Taste Buds” Experience

Restaurant ‘t Zilte combines a unique and overwhelming location with a creative, inventive, product-driven kitchen and offers more than top-level dining: expect a comprehensive gastronomical trip where all elements blend nicely together and guarantee a remarkable dining extravaganza.

Belgian Taste Buds:

-          Food Buds                                                      8.5/10

-          Wine Pairing Buds                                          8.5/10

-          Price/Quality Buds                                         8/10

-          Service Buds                                                 9/10

-          Experience Buds                                            9/10

Restaurant ‘t Zilte
Hanzestedenplaats 5
2000 Antwerpen
Belgium
+32 (0)3/283.40.40
info@tzilte.be
www.tzilte.be

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