Hof van Cleve

Kruishoutem, Belgium

Some restaurants have history. Others have the slightly intimidating weight of it. Hof van Cleve, tucked in the Flemish countryside, has both. For years, Peter Goossens made this elegant farmhouse synonymous with Belgian fine dining, taking it to 3 Michelin stars, and turning it into something of a national institution. Goossens has moved on, but his successor, Floris Van der Veken, is proving that taking over a legend need not mean living in its shadow.

The setting remains gloriously unshowy for a restaurant of such stature: a handsome farmhouse surrounded by fields. Inside, the service is precise but warm - none of that chilly choreography that can sometimes accompany serious fine dining.


A procession of beautifully judged bites can move from oyster and razor-clam mousse with caviar, to marinated sea bass with soy-bean flan and dashi. The main dishes keep the same balance between refinement and sheer flavour.

Langoustine appears both as a playful finger-food bun and in a more elaborate preparation with avocado and black rice; king crab meets kohlrabi, miso and chilli; cod comes with cooked oysters, leek and celery.

The real achievement here is continuity without museum-piece reverence.