Julien Malaisse pays frequent visits to the best Walloon producers, whose first-class ingredients he has been championing for eons. Meat from Sébastien Van Lommel and veg from market gardener, Régis, unveil all their nuances in the chef’s unorthodox cuisine. Malaisse takes the time to lovingly craft powerful sauces, lends a hand in the dining room and has a knack for concocting a wide range of varied yet coherent flavours by way of inventive side dishes. His apparently laid-back style demonstrates a weakness for floral notes and an ability to capture an ingredient’s vibrant essence. A few examples: he may baste breasts of medium rare pigeon and confit legs with a gutsy gravy jazzed up with blackcurrant liqueur, which is in turn underscored by distinctive contrasting textures of blackberries and mushrooms. The veteran sommelier can be relied upon to suggest pairings that may surprise but which will subtly balance your meal thanks to his savvy insights. It feels as if you’re eating in the chef’s home thanks to the log-burning fire and open-plan kitchen - we only wish that this friendly eatery were in our own backyard! We highly recommend staying overnight in one of the lovely guestrooms.