The 2023 MICHELIN Guide for Belgium and Luxembourg has just been presented, and the Leading Hotels of the World BOTANIC SANCTUARY ANTWERP is in celebratory mood! The leaders of the 5-star superior gourmet hotspot are confirmed: Hertog Jan by Gert De Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens has again been awarded 2 stars. Fine Fleur by Jacob Jan Boerma and Thomas Diepersloot, and Het Gebaar by Roger van Damme also kept hold of their scintillating star of culinary excellence.

Just one year ago, the first 5-star superior hotel in Belgium, the BOTANIC SANCTUARY ANTWERP, catapulted straight into Europe’s top culinary league. This recognition of the Botanic as a gourmet hotspot has been more than confirmed, thanks to the sensational revival of Hertog Jan by Gert De Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens. No less impressive is the success story of Fine Fleur by Jacob Jan Boerma and Thomas Diepersloot. And of course, the temple to all things dessert, Het Gebaar by Roger van Damme, where sweet (and savoury) culinary experiences excel at the BOTANIC SANCTUARY ANTWERP. The diamond in the heart of Antwerp also has additional culinary aces up their sleeve – the two fine-dining restaurants Bar Bulot (Hertog Jan Restaurant Group) and 1238.

They who journey have delights to share! That’s certainly true of Jacob Jan Boerma and Thomas Diepersloot. The Fine Fleur at the Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp is the duo’s latest endeavour, featuring a cuisine defined by finesse and celebrated 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.

Roger van Damme’s superb restaurant at Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp is appropriately housed in a fairy-tale-like ‘gingerbread house’. The restaurant’s fame is based on creative, innovative desserts and modern twists on sweet classics, although savoury starters and mains also testify to the chef ’s inquisitive creativity. Roger’s versatility, technical skills and repertoire have not only earned him a well-deserved Michelin star but also made him a star among pastry chefs. And, in case anyone might think mouthful after mouthful at Het Gabaar is sweet sweet sweet, van Damme has also developed a sophisticated repertoire of savoury delights to make every lunchtime an adventure and teatime treat an exciting experience. Van Damme’s is a labour-intensive, high-tech cuisine, informed by his travels … and his great-grandfather, a baker by trade who left a lasting impression on this star of Antwerp’s culinary scene.

As well as being a major rising star in the gourmet world, the 5-star superior Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp is a sparkling diamond of hospitality nestled in the hidden Botanical Gardens. Following a challenging restoration scheme on a historic monastery site, the Botanic offers plenty of innovative spirit, as well as a profound sensitivity for environment, sustainability and heritage. The mission: to preserve the historic buildings’ legacy, which dates back to the 13^th century, and giving it a new life 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, 1238 and Het Gebaar 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 15^th-century chapel and the Botanic Congress Centre’s 14 meeting and conference rooms.

As well as forming the basis of Traditional European Medicine (TEM), medieval monastic medicine paved the way for modern herbalism’s scientific and holistic approach. Recent years have seen a growing desire for natural healing and holistic solutions. The mission, therefore, was to carry this tradition of monastic and natural healing into our own millennium, establishing it here in the diamond city of Antwerp. This is reflected in both infrastructure and treatment concept. The Botanic Health Spa combines nature – embodied by the Botanical Garden – with the attitude to wellbeing of a state-of-the-art spa. Its architectural concept evokes the historic greenhouse that once stood here, while looking into the future with its groundbreaking concept, facilities, products, treatments and sustainable energy management systems. The synergy between traditional medicine and science also underpins a unique solutions concept: Mylife Changer combines the best of TCM and TEM with the latest scientific findings. The concept is based on cosmeceuticals, manual therapy, device-based skin rejuvenation, dietary supplements and tonics.

While the monastery’s historic pharmacy is reborn as a niche botanic concept store featuring Saint Charles. 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 redefine luxury experiences and create unique moments that our guests will always remember.’