Michelin Guide Belgium & Luxembourg 2024

Hertog Jan in Antwerp, the top gastronomic restaurant from chef Gert De Mangeleer and host Joachim Boudens, confirms two stars in the Michelin Guide Belgium & Luxembourg.

 Awarded two stars immediately after opening, the honour was confirmed in 2024: Hertog Jan, the extraordinary culinary concept by the congenial Belgian gastro duo Gert de Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens, is a landmark in the up-and-coming gourmet destination of Antwerp. The ceremony marking the publication of the Michelin Guide Belgium & Luxembourg 2024 took place on 26 February in Antwerp’s A Room with a Zoo.

‘It is a true pleasure that we have been awarded once again two twinkling Michelin stars. We are very thankful to the Michelin inspectors for believing in our vision, and full of gratitude for all our guests and our suppliers, the farmers and fishermen who provide us with superb ingredients. Of course, we thank our marvellous kitchen brigade and front of house personnel. We also congratulate all the chefs who have received new stars or have had theirs confirmed this year.’

Gert de Mangeleer & Joachim Boudens

Photo credits: Pieter d’Hoop

Six years ago, Gert and Joachim announced the closure of their three-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 Michelin 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.

In 2005, Gert and Joachim bought the Brasserie Hertog Jan. Based on their in-depth expertise in top Belgian gastronomy, they transformed the traditional restaurant into a thriving centre of innovative culinary art. Within just two years they received their first Michelin star, the second followed in 2009, and they were crowned with the third star in 2012. At this point, de Mangeleer and Boudens had already spent two years renovating a historic farmhouse with a large herb and vegetable garden that they planned to use to supply their kitchen. In 2014, Gert de Mangeleer was named European Chef of the Year in Madrid and Joachim Boudens received 3-star status from the Sustainable Restaurant Association. That same year, the duo opened a restaurant in the restored farmhouse and launched the sharing concept L.E.S.S. Four years later, in the autumn of 2018, they closed the three-star Hertog Jan to regroup and refocus. In 2019 they founded the Hertog Jan Restaurant Group. L.E.S.S. Eatery moved to a new location in Bruges city centre and the first Bar Bulot opened. What started as a seafood pop-up quickly grew into a fully-fledged restaurant focusing on traditional Belgian and French cuisine. Bar Bulot received its first Michelin star in its first year. In October 2021, Hertog Jan’s renaissance came to be in the grounds of the Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp, where the duo also opened another Bar Bulot. In the same year, they opened BABU in Ghent – a casual culinary experience based on the Brunners sandwich.

The pursuit of culinary excellence with the highest level of innovation, creativity, artistry, sustainability and vision characterise the star chefs of the culinary world. Giving this endeavour a framework is the mission and vision of the Staryteller community club. We provide a platform to build relationships within the world’s culinary elite, exchange ideas, drive innovation and carry them into a sustainable future. We tell stories that are based on personalities and convey the wealth of culinary – and therefore cultural – heritage to the world. Last but not least, we are committed to recognising and valuing the culinary arts as an important cultural and artistic expression that contributes to the richness of global culinary heritage.