Between the Meuse and the Route Merveilleuse a tale of friendship is woven, one that doesn’t come along very often. The friends in question? Damien Gorjanec and François Schepens, who met as teenagers behind the stoves at La Plage d’Amée in Jambes, and found themselves chef-proprietors of this refreshingly modern bistro 14 years later, whose gastronomic meals sure hit the jackpot. First to fire out of the open kitchen, two appetizers: a crazy parsnip and parsley root cream, and a clever gingery chicken bao bun with a honey-Sriracha glaze. Then followed, at a leisurely pace: a brilliant borscht with bacon foam; veal tenderloin with a shellfish sauce and a risotto tuile; finishing with a comforting yogurt sorbet flanked with gingerbread and mango butter, cream and jelly. Added bonus: the relaxed welcome and table service by the apron-clad chef’s themselves, all of which left us burning for more. // Jessica Fletcher

FEELING THIRSTY? Put out the fire with some Belgian bubbles, like the crémant from Entre-Deux-Monts (€10 a glass), or the Rhone Gamay from Yves Cuilleron (€35 a bottle).

PRICE: Menus €39 (lunch), €47 and €60 (dinner).