The 2022 MICHELIN Guide for Belgium and Luxembourg has just been presented, and the Leading Hotels of the World BOTANIC SANCTUARY ANTWERP is in a celebratory mood! Two fine-dining restaurants have been awarded 3 Michelin stars at the first go: 2 stars for the revival of Hertog Jan and 1 star for Fine Fleur. This makes the BOTANIC SANCTUARY ANTWERP the first 5-star superior hotel in Belgium with 3 MICHELIN stars.

As the first 5-star superior hotel in Belgium, the BOTANIC SANCTUARY ANTWERP has been catapulted straight into Europe’s top culinary league with 3 MICHELIN stars. Gert De Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens’s sensational revival has succeeded in bagging them two stars for HERTOG JAN. The FINE FLEUR by Jacob Jan Boerma and Thomas Diepersloot was also rated with one star at the very first push. This is a superb start: the two restaurants at BOTANIC SANCTUARY ANTWERP have only been open since late autumn 2021.

These awards cement the position of the diamond city of Antwerp as a culinary hotspot, adding to Flanders’ exceptional number of stars. These initial three stars under one 5-star superior roof are just the beginning of the BOTANIC SANCTUARY ANTWERP’s culinary success story – the two fine-dining restaurants Bar Bulot (Hertog Jan Restaurant Group) and 1238 are in the starting blocks and ready to go. This is already fuelling anticipation and excitement for the 2023 MICHELIN Guide …

Hertog Jan at Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp has received 2 MICHELIN stars from the off – a mere seven months after opening Hertog Jan in Antwerp. As well as beginning a new chapter in Hertog Jan Restaurant Group’s history, Gert De Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens’ Hertog Jan at the Botanic has opened up near mystical experiences. Within the intimate interior designed by Benoit Viaene, the congenial duo take a new approach: a journey through the world of imagination, art and indulgence, with many flavours from their own herb garden producing an almost spiritual symbiosis of aromas and textures. Understated and elegant, the interior does not offer distractions. This, and the highly restricted number of covers, directs attention to the experience and its exclusivity. This exceptional revival fulfils Gert De Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens’ dream of once more scaling culinary summits by offering something quite extraordinary – and in record time.

They who journey have delights to share! That’s certainly true of Jacob Jan Boerma and Thomas Diepersloot. The duo’s latest journey is the opening of Fine Fleur at the Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp. In just five months, this restaurant has become one of the city’s culinary hotspots, with Boerma and Diepersloot cooking up 1 star in record time. The congenial duo are culinary globe trotters and enjoy great critical acclaim. Theirs is a cuisine of finesse which they celebrate with a streak of perfectionism. With a shared cosmopolitan outlook and skilled craftsmanship, their inspiration comes via Asia, Spain, southern Europe and North America. Local ingredients and nature take the lead with aromas and spices from all over the world adding to the harmonious mix. Creativity is also evident in the restaurant’s interior, while restaurant manager, Mark Reynders, provides lashings of cordiality and charm.

Currently in its soft-opening phase, the project for the 5-star superior Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp, nestled in the hidden Botanical Garden, was just as cosmic in its proportions. This challenging restoration scheme on the historic monastery site was implemented with plenty of innovative spirit, as well as profound sensitivity for the environment, sustainability and the historic building fabric. The mission: to preserve its legacy, which dates back to the 13th century, and breathe new life into it by focusing on its tradition of botanical study. Steeped in history, the hotel’s botanical tradition accompanies visitors on a journey into 14 incomparable worlds of experience, totalling 20,000sqm. Four fine-dining restaurants honour the culinary excellence of Leading Hotels of the World with, most notably, the spectacular return of Hertog Jan. Fine Fleur, Bar Bulot and 1238 offer a shared celebration of culinary experiences and authenticity. The atmospheric Henry’s Bar is an homage to the botanist Henri-Ferdinand van Heurck and embodies a successful association of tradition and modernity. This destination also offers numerous superb event locations, a 15th-century chapel and the Botanic Congress Centre’s 18 meeting and conference rooms.

The visionary concept of the Botanic Health Spa combines an understanding of ancient herbal and monastic remedies with traditional European and Chinese medicine. The monastery’s historic apothecary is reborn with Saint Charles becoming a leading botanic niche concept store. Those thirsting for nature and art drink their fill at the Granada Gallery, where Jochen Leën skilfully traces an arc to the city of diamonds. A good night’s sleep is found in spaces as unique as the destination itself. 108 rooms and suites are housed in five historic buildings, all of which have their own story to tell with the rebirth of their historic architecture, incomparable interiors, concierge and butler services and, of course, judiciously selected works of art. Resonant names offer a sense of each building’s uniqueness: Sint Joris, Monasterium, Sint-Elisabeth, Alnetum and Filips Van Marnix Huis … Another enigma is found in the Sanctuary’s cavernous depths: The Unprecedented is a VIP members-only Scotch whisky investors club. General Manager Marc Alofs was instrumental in the destination’s development. His distillation of the Botanic’s magic: ‘We believe that luxury is in the experience. Creating unique moments to make the Botanic the epicentre of hospitality is our mission.’