Our vegetable restaurants are among the best in the world

30/09/2021

The new Smart World Awards ranking has put the spotlight on Belgian chef Michaël Vrijmoed, owner of Ghent restaurant "Vrijmoed", and awarded him third place in the world ranking of the best vegetable restaurants.

The award, which assesses establishments on their use of at least two-thirds fruit and vegetables in their menus and on their creativity, promotes veggie initiatives and highlights chefs who have mastered the art of putting plants at the centre of their activity.

Vrijmoed is not the only restaurant to make a name for itself, as the popularity of Belgian chefs is constantly on the rise when it comes to veggie cuisine. This is how two other local restaurants made it into the top 10. Ninth place went to "Humus x Hortense" in Brussels, with chef Nicolas Decloedt, while tenth place was taken by "L'air du temps" in Liernu, with chef Sang Hoon Degeimbre. Degeimbre has had his own five-hectare vegetable garden for years.

"Conventional" guests need not feel excluded by this classification. Some of the selected restaurants also offer meat dishes, for example "Vrijmoed", the two-Michelin-starred restaurant which, in addition to its menu exclusively vegetable menu, also offers beef, lobster, poultry, and more. "Humus x Hortense" is completely vegetarian. And the specialities of the two-star "L'air du temps", set in the dream setting of a Namur castle and farm, also include lobster.