Souvenir

Here at Vilhjalmur “Vili” Sigurdarson (ex-Hertog Jan, Texture and In De Wulf) and Joke Michiels’s place, you’ll find three rooms with three different atmospheres: a marbled bar in the old, white-tiled, street-facing butcher’s shop space, a monastic row of tables at the back, and a private dining room for ten. Meanwhile, the chef’s cuisine is inspired by his childhood on the farm and a respect for the planet, from North Sea fish with bright, shiny eyes, to crisp vegetables supplied by farmer friends – the same goes for his fermentation, smoking, marinating and grilling techniques. That evening’s menu featured: celeriac and slow-cooked portobello mushroom terrine, lacto-fermented jus and rapeseed oil; barbecued skate, slow-cooked leeks, powdered fermented black garlic, fish stock soup and leek top oil; and an unusual spinach and pear combo – pear poached in a pear peel and rosemary syrup, pear-spinach bavarois, pear sorbet and rosemary meringue. // Anita Kane

FEELING THIRSTY? Naomie Hauspie is the one uncorking all the natural beauties: a juicy, sparkling Mayga Gamay from L’Octavin in Arbois (€85), or a Majorcan orange wine from the Selva estate (€55).
PRICE: Menus €45 and €55 (lunch), €55 to €135 (dinner, €225-260 all-inclusive in the private dining room), food and wine pairing €60-85, non-alcoholic pairing €55-77.