Michelin Guide Belgium & Luxembourg 2024

Hertog Jan by Gert de Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens in Antwerp is a huge success, as was confirmed by the renewed award of 2 stars. Six years ago, Gert and Joachim announced the closure of their 3-star restaurant Hertog Jan in Zedelgem near Bruges. After their many years there, the duo were ready to take time out to reflect and find the space for new ideas such as the Hertog Jan Restaurant Group’s L.E.S.S. Eatery, and Bar Bulot in Bruges. The latter opened in 2019, and was quickly awarded a Michelin star. A second Bar Bulot, in Antwerp, followed in October 2021, and, in late 2022, Bar Bulot Bruges moved to the beautiful farmhouse, Hof De Pleyne in Zedelgem, where Hertog Jan had closed its doors in 2018.

But the call of high-end gastronomy proved irresistible: Gert and Joachim felt the need to push their culinary boundaries once more. In 2021, they established Hertog Jan at Botanic Antwerp. The concept became even more exclusive: open for only two weeks a month, Hertog Jan offers a maximum of 22 covers within the historic setting of the Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp hotel. Very soon after opening Hertog Jan in Antwerp, they attended the 2022 Michelin ceremony where they received two stars. Retaining these in 2024 honours Gert, Joachim and the entire Hertog Jan team’s culinary passion. It also validates the course that Hertog Jan at Botanic Antwerp is taking within the Belgian gastronomic landscape.