Ghent restaurant Chambre Séparée is in Europe’s top six

From Flanders Today: Ghent restaurant Chambre Séparée is at number six on this year’s Opinionated About Dining’s ranking of the best restaurants in Europe. The temporary eatery in downtown Ghent is run by renowned Flemish chef Kobe Desramaults.

Four other restaurants in Flanders made the influential site’s top 100. Both the three-Michelin star restaurants – Hertog Jan in Zedelgem, run by chef Gert De Mangeleer, and chef Peter Goosens’ Hof van Cleve in Kruishoutem – are on the list. Hertog Jan is at number 11, while Hof van Cleve made 36.

The Jane in Antwerp, run by Nick Bril and celebrity chef Sergio Herman, is at number 73, while Souvenir – Icelandic chef Vilhjalmur Sigurdarson’s restaurant that moved from Ypres to Ghent just this month – made 95. One Brussels restaurant, three-Michelin star Bon-Bon, made the top 100, coming in at 71.

Opinionated About Dining (OAD) is a highly prized foodie website dedicated to creating annual best lists based on opinions of chefs, restaurants owners, professional food writers and critics and average restaurant goers. The reviewers’ opinions are weighted according to how much experience they have.

Chambre Séparée serves 20 small courses to no more than 16 guests every evening. It is a temporary venture, located in Ghent’s old Belgacom building.

“OAD is a great list,” Desramaults told Het Nieuwsblad in response to his top 10 position. “It’s always fun to make a list like this, but for me, it’s never the goal.” Still, he is pleased that it puts Ghent more in the foodie spotlight. “It’s good for the international attention it will bring to the city. Other restaurants will profit from this as well.”

OAD produces other lists for specific characteristics. Best European Classical Restaurants covers eateries that have adapted French classical culinary techniques to their locality. The Duffel restaurant Nuance came in 43 on this list, while Brussels’ Sea Grill made number 76 and Comme Chez Soi made 96.

Bozar’s restaurant in Brussels, meanwhile, is in 20th place on Best Heritage Restaurants, a list, according to OAD, that typifies “grand regional restaurants that do simple grilling or roasting”. Het Fornuis in Antwerp is at number 93 on the same list.

Photo: Piet De Kersgieter