Gault&Millau Guide Belgium 2022 :
the Chef of the Year and the other winners announced

Brussels, 13 December 2021. In front of a digital audience of thousands of restaurateurs, journalists and partners, Marc Declerck and presenter Virginie Claes announced the nineteenth edition of the Belgian Gault&Millau Guide. Given the current circumstances, this event is once again taking place behind screens. Last year, the guide’s anonymous inspectors were pleasantly surprised by the resilience of the restaurateurs and the quality on the plate, which resulted in 135 new addresses and no less than 122 increases.

Chef of the Year, Young Chef of the Year and Outstanding Newcomers

The title of Chef of the Year 2022 goes to Thierry Theys of Nuance in Duffel. “With his sense of nuance – everything is said in the name -, contrasts worked in well-balanced details and well-designed dishes, he has indeed reached new heights. The signature of his cuisine is a red thread that runs from the aperitif appetizers to the sweets that accompany the coffee, pampering guests with many amusing discoveries that tickle the taste buds,” writes the editor. “No detail is missing: from the luxurious interior to the selection of bread and butter”, CEO Marc Declerck also confirms.

This year, the Young Chef of the Year award goes to: Martin Volkaerts (L’Amandier – Genval) for Wallonia, Martijn Defauw (Rebelle – Kortrijk) for Flanders and François-Xavier Lambory (Stirwen – Brussels) for the Brussels Region.

Among the remarkable newcomers for Flanders, we can mention Hertog Jan in Antwerp with a score of 18/20. Two remarkable novelties for Wallonia are Toma in Liège and Le Grand Verre in Durbuy, both with 16/20. The outstanding newcomer for Brussels is La Villa Lorraine by Yves Mattagne with a score of 16.5/20. The top risers this year are: Restaurant Ralf Berendsen (Lanaken) and Vrijmoed (Ghent) with 17.5/20, Sel Gris (Knokke-Heist) with 17/20, Altermezzo (Tongeren), Colette – De Vijvers (Averbode), Dôme (Antwerp) and Sir Kwinten (Lennik) with 16.5/20, and L’Envie (Zwevegem) with 16/20.

Annual winners by theme

Traditionally, we also award certain winners by theme.

• Host of the Year : Jonas Kellens (Dim Dining – Antwerp)
• Italian of the Year : San Daniele (Brussels – Ganshoren)
• Asian of the Year : Nonbe Daigaku (Brussels – Ixelles)
• Most beautiful terrace : Le Cor de Chasse (Wéris)
• Most beautiful design restaurant : Le Vieux Château (Flobecq)
• Sommelier of the year : Benjamin De Buck (Vrijmoed – Ghent)
• Dessert of the year : Restaurant Ralf Berendsen (Lanaken)
• Brasserie of the year : Ciro’s (Antwerp)
• Gastro-bistro of the year : DOOR73 (Ghent)
• Chef of the year : Jan Nijs (Plein 25 – Elsegem)
• Chef-Vegetables of the year : Arabelle Meirlaen (Marchin)
• Wine menu of the year : Sans Cravate (Bruges)
• Beer menu of the year : Taratata (Hasselt)
• Pleasure prize of the year : ‘t Pachthuis (Zottegem) for Flanders, Chabrol for Brussels and CCnomie (Dinant – Falmignoul) for Wallonia.
• The 3 discoveries of the year : Klost’r (Vlijtingen) for Flanders, Savage for Brussels and Racines (Floreffe) for Wallonia.

The gastronomic guide also welcomes 135 new gastronomic addresses in this special year. The restaurant sector continues to grow despite the difficult times and this shows how much talent and passion there is in our country,” the editors continue.

POP selection and additional sections in the guide

The POP section, which was launched four years ago, is also growing rapidly, bringing together the best ‘fast/street food gourmet’ addresses. It now includes more than 430 more accessible addresses where it is good to have a meal in a relaxed atmosphere. This means about 50 new addresses. The three POP winners of 2022 are Raffat in Leuven, Habibi in Brussels and El Cuchillo in Genval. Discover this unique selection in full at www.gaultmillau.be.

This year again, the Gault&Millau guide is much more than just a restaurant guide. In this 2022 edition, the publisher presents three richly illustrated booklets, in addition to the POP booklet:

• ‘Great Cocktail Bars’: a selection of the best cocktail bars in Belgium. Arthur Orlans in Brussels is awarded the title of Cocktail Bar of the Year 2022.
• Finest Chocolatiers’: the Gault&Millau selection of the best chocolatiers. A few weeks ago, the guide named Brussels Expo Deduytschaever (Ghent), Vanessa Renard Finest Chocolate (Brussels) and Bernard Schobbens (Chaumont-Gistoux) Chocolatiers of the Year. The Discovery of the Year award goes to Xocolate in Brussels.
• The gastronomic restaurants and POPs from the ‘A Taste of Luxembourg’ guide have also been included in this guide, in a separate section.

A completely redesigned website with extended search options

In addition to a new volume, the restaurant guide also launched a brand new website. The publisher of the guide is moving with the times and therefore recognises the importance of digital media. In recent years, the Gault&Millau website has established itself as one of the largest restaurant websites in Belgium, and this aspect is becoming even stronger. The new website includes all restaurants, POP restaurants, chocolatiers and cocktail bars. The search functionality is very extensive and the user can search on ratings, budget, opening hours, type of cuisine, etc. It is even possible to consult nearby restaurants with a single click thanks to geolocation. Access to the site is completely free.