Gault&Millau once again awards diverse Belgian culinary talent

Chef of the Year 2024, the 3 Young Chefs of the Year, the 3 highest newcomers, the 10 strongest risers, the 19 thematic laureates, the best chocolatiers, dazzling cocktail bars ... over 1,385 cooking talents fall into the chef's hats in the 21st edition of Gault&Millau. More than 1,800 restaurateurs, journalists and partners witnessed this at the official presentation at Brussels Expo.

 

Listing all the winners separately would obviously take us too far, but feel free to follow the guide to test the judgement of the professional jury against your own taste buds. Here are a few standouts. Boury in Roeselare achieves a score of 19/20 and thus the highest possible 5 chef's hats. La Table de Maxime in Paliseul may call itself Chef of the Year 2024, mainly thanks to its classic regional seasonal cuisine that brims with creativity and original flavours. EssenCiel in Leuven, Arden in Rochefort and Màloma Comptoir Culinaire in Brussels were each awarded Young Chef of the Year. Otoro in Hasselt, La Table Benjamin Laborie in Lasne and Menssa in Brussels are the top newcomers this year.

 

New since 2023 is the H!P project (Here is the Place), a selection of atmospheric restaurants that are both hip and uphold the strict Gault&Millau standard.