Gastronomy: Liège restaurant Le Jardin des Bégards among the stars

Le Jardin des Bégards won a Michelin star in 2013 with local chef François Piscitello adamant that he would not compromise his creative style of cuisine. He described the award as “the cherry on the cake” of a long career in the province of Liège.

Proudly self-taught, Piscitello has intuitively honed his palate over many years serving increasingly sophisticated Italian cuisine. Inspired by his parents’ Sicilian origins, his guiding light has been freedom in the kitchen and fun in the dining room.

“While I never wanted to be a prisoner to my career, there was always a desire to do better, not with the aim of winning awards, but in the spirit of creativity,” he explains. The stylish and energetic chef is perfectly at home in the restaurant’s sophisticated 1960s retro interior. Stark, black square tables are flanked by black leather bucket seats while the polished mahogany bar is softly illuminated by orange table lamps that he designed. Diners are treated to an open view of the kitchen and on the far side of the bar an illuminated glass wall provides a tantalising glimpse of the all-Italian wine cellar, carved out of the ancient city walls.

The contemporary lounge style is in contrast to the restaurant’s medieval setting.  Le Jardin des Bégards lies at the foot of the imposing grey stone ramparts, accessible from the busy Boulevard de la Sauvenière by a narrow passage and hidden garden. When the sun is shining, Piscitello says, “you can imagine yourself on holiday on the terrace”.

He also seeks to create flavours inspired by the south through using spices, herbs and oils that evoke the Mediterranean. As in Italy, there is always one pasta and one risotto dish on the menu. While respecting tradition, Piscitello has taken a modern approach in balancing and contrasting flavours and ingredients: sweet and sour, soft and crunchy. He plays on his Sicilian origins, widening his repertoire by taking inspiration from the Arab, Norman, Roman and Greek influences on the island’s cuisine. “I may have been born in Liège,” he laughs, “but I take advantage of all these influences. They enable me to create what I would personally like to eat.”

The pared-down seasonal tasting menu – four or five courses for €62.50 or €75 respectively – consists of one fish or seafood and one meat main. A three-course Italian-style menu is €75 and during the week it is possible to select two courses ‘a la carte’. The tasting menu currently offers charcoal smoked octopus, green risotto, young pigeon breast and marinated and grilled Iberian pork loin, all paired with light and zesty flavours. Dessert is a praline-flavoured mousse with bitter chocolate crumble, porcini ice cream and meringue.

For each item on the menu there is a recommended wine, available by the glass or half glass. Piscitello’s stepson Alexandre Bemelmans is the sommelier and an enthusiastic advocate of Italy’s vineyards. His wine list is designed to both surprise and reassure.

It is also for his small, young team that Piscitello welcomes the Michelin accolade. “My personal goal has always been to be free; the star is fantastic and remains a culinary reference, but the most important thing for me is to see people in my restaurant who love what I do.”

He joined the citizens of Liège in rejoicing in a second Michelin star for the city (the other is the Héliport Brasserie, Colinster), which traditionally favours a festive rather than gourmet approach to eating out. More importantly, he believes it will help boost young chefs in the province.

He speaks from experience: Piscitello’s first restaurant venture was an Italian establishment in the immigrant quarter of Verviers. His initial motivation, though, was to party. “I didn’t want to cook; I simply wanted to enjoy myself, play the host and create a lively atmosphere.” But as his relationship with chefs broke down, he decided at the age of 29 to step into the heat of the kitchen. “I bought a book, then another and started to learn, to understand. While I lacked technique, I had a palate, and it progressed from there.”

Other restaurants followed in Verviers and Liège, as did a stint in the sunny islands of Ibiza and Tenerife; the cuisine always Italian and the atmosphere consistently hip. Although his customers loved his uncomplicated daily specials, Piscitello’s career rise was motivated by the desire to be more creative in the kitchen. “I always wanted to improve, not looking for awards, but to evolve. It’s the same today; when I put a new dish on the menu, I continue to work on it and when I can’t make any further improvement I remove it from the menu.”

His ultimate move into fine gastronomy was the opening of Le Jardin des Bégards as owner-chef in 2001, a place where he could finally perfect his talent in the kitchen and create a fitting atmosphere for his food in the restaurant. “It’s not just about what’s on your plate: you must feel happy and relaxed enough to spend a few hours forgetting about your worries.”

 This article was first published in the Wab magazine, spring 2013