De Keukentafel

What initially started as just a hobby to entertain friends eventually led to a brick and mortar restaurant. Welcome to Anna and Jozefien Wynants’ place, two sisters who opened De Keukentafel in 2022 in their family country house, where they also cultivate a 3,000 m² vegetable garden, whose fresh produce acts as the backbone for their set menus. Despite eating meat and fish themselves, they rarely serve it at their long communal dining table or at the kitchen table. And it’s anything but a punishment: from the get-go, mustardy cuckoo flower get divinely married with comfrey, fried in a beer batter and accompanied by a red onion tartare; then lightly roasted asparagus are served with smoked cream, sorrel, lemon zest, sourdough crumble and a few anchovies; a bunch of grilled carrots are paired with béarnaise sauce, marinated carrot, speculoos crumble and chili oil; garlicky fresh pasta is stuffed with Kalamata olives and chives; followed by a van eyck cheese with its herby rind from cheesemongers Het Hinkelspel; and it’s all about rhubarb for dessert and the petit fours. Temptational! // Casimir

FEELING THIRSTY? A Brussels IPA BMX from Drink Drink and well-chosen wines: Johanniter, a Belgian white from winemakers Rhode, Grunspitz, a Transylvanian white from Edgar Brutler, Garnacha Tintorera, an Alicante red from La Bodega de Pinoso, €5 to €8 by the glass, €18 to €60 a bottle.

PRICE: Menu €65, lunch upon reservation €35, alcoholic pairings €30, non-alcoholic pairings €20.