16 Belgian restaurants celebrate new Michelin stars

Thirteen restaurants around Belgium are celebrating their first Michelin star as the eagerly awaited 2018 edition of the foodie guide is unveiled.

Three restaurants are upgraded from one to two Michelin stars in the latest guide, while the top tier of three stars remains occupied by just two restaurants: Hof Van Cleve in Kruishoutem and Hertog Jan in Zedelgem.

In Brussels, Bon Bon, Le Châlet de la Forêt, Comme chez Soi and Villa in the Sky keep their two Michelin stars.

The three new two-star restaurants announced by Michelin this week are:

• Vrijmoed, Ghent (Michael Vrijmoed)
• La Source, Lanaken (Ralf Berendsen)
• Boury, Roeselaere (Tim Boury, also named Gault & Millau chef of the year 2017)

And the 13 restaurants achieving their first Michelin star are:

• The Butcher's Son, Antwerp
• Dôme, Antwerp (Frédéric Chabbert)
• Bistro Racine, Braine le Château
• Zet'Joe, Bruges (Geert Van Hecke)
• L'Ecailler du Palais Royal, Brussels
• Chambre Séparée, Ghent
• OAK, Ghent (Marcello Ballardin)
• De Vork van Luc Bellings, Hasselt
• M-Bistro, Nieuwport (Mattias Maertens)
• Carcasse, Sint-Idesbald 
• Goffin, Sint-Kruis
• Brasserie Julie, Sint-Martens-Bodegem (Thomas Locus)
• Altermezzo, Tongeren (Jo Grootaers)

Judges were on the lookout for "eclecticism and innovation". Food-lovers can buy the 2018 Michelin guide in Belgium from Thursday.