L'Air de Rien

A renovated Scandi-chic farmhouse in a small village south of Liège. A surgically-clean kitchen with a view, protected by an IMAX-sized window. A menu that offers lobster and caviar add-ons. Okay! L’Air de Rien (French for “simple as that”), the locavore-luxury vessel of neo-chef Stéphane Diffels, greedily has its eyes on the stars. And yet, the dishes featured on his half-marathon-like menu manage to stay grounded: after a series of miniature treats including a carrot panna cotta, minced razor clam and rhubarb, or a puffed up rice paper crisp with foie gras; we had a bass and kohlrabi tartare with fermented blackcurrant, cabbage jus, granny smith apple and hazelnut oil that outshines your typical ceviche; comforting leek tempura with mayonnaise, a tuile and onion jam; a truly delicious pigeon double whammy (charred breast with jus, and thigh with mousseline); and to round out the meal, sorrel ice cream with dill granita; followed by a devastating combo of brownie, sunchoke, coffee and stout sabayon. And yet that’s just the beginning of this story… // Toni Negroni

FEELING THIRSTY? Dodge the traditional, intervention-heavy bottles and opt instead for one of the naturalist gems: a riesling from Les Vins Pirouettes collective (€69 a bottle), a grenache noir from Les Foulards Rouges (€62), or a Jura poulsard from Les Marnes Blanches (€79). Otherwise, there are beers brewed by Les Brasseries de Liège (€4.50 to €25) and various aperitifs and spirits (€7-25).

PRICE: Lunch menu €45, tasting menus €71 (5 courses, Tuesday to Friday at lunch) €98 (7 courses, Friday and Saturday night), add-ons €14-25 (caviar or lobster), food and wine pairings €39-51.