Antwerp’s
Understated Hospitality

(Maison Ë Visit) Perhaps it’s all the good food that’s fueling Antwerp´s creativity. The city is blessed with the bountiful produce of the Benelux region, and its top chefs take a nuanced, elegant approach to cooking—much like the city’s fashion designers, who emphasize craftsmanship.

Fastidious attention to detail is showcased at Dim Dining, an acclaimed Michelin-starred restaurant in central Antwerp led by local sake master Jonas Kellens. Here, diners embark on a ten-course journey that fuses Japanese precision with the down-to-earth nature of Flemish dining on sleek timber tables and bar counters. “Antwerp’s dining scene thrives on humility, quality, and the happy cross-pollination of ideas,” Kellens explains. “We’re quietly confident, focused on excellence without flashiness.”

Kellens curates a dining experience rooted deeply in emotional storytelling. Each sake pairing is introduced through a narrative that takes diners across the landscapes of Japan, illuminating the complexities of brewing and craftsmanship. “We start with a map of Japan, exploring prefectures and production processes,” Kellens describes. “By the end, diners understand not just the flavor, but also the culture behind sake.” While there is plenty to absorb intellectually, the restaurant eschews white tablecloth formality in favor of cozy atmosphere and personal interaction. “We want guests to feel as if they’ve entered a friend’s living room,” Kellens explains.

History and Future Converge

Dim Dining’s success underscores a broader transformation in Antwerp, particularly after the Pandemic. The city is alive with renewed investment, enhancing its cultural, culinary, and hospitality sectors. Kellens notes, “Antwerp has become a polished gem, attracting visitors not only for its fashion and art but now for its culinary offerings.” He also credits the healthy growth of his business to the increasing number of high-end hotels available for well-heeled travelers. The new Sapphire House Antwerp, housed within a carefully restored 16th-century trading hall, opened its doors in 2022. It was joined last year by Botanic Sanctuary, a luxurious but laid-back refuge that occupies a sprawling, sensitively converted monastery complex next door the city’s botanical gardens.

Here, guests luxuriate in the glass-enclosed, timber-framed serenity of the Botanic Health Spa & Club, a refined wellness haven, whose impressive 18-meter swimming pool, steam baths, and Finnish sauna overlook the lush monastic gardens. Beyond its sumptuous yet tastefully spare suites—each crafted by Belgian design talents Maryse Odeurs and Rebecca Verstraete—the hotel is also home to some of Antwerp’s finest gastronomic talent. This includes the two-Michelin-starred Hertog Jan at Botanic, where renowned chef Gert De Mangeleer draws from the hotel’s glasshouse gardens in his menu, and the Michelin-starred Fine Fleur.

“Luxury is no longer just about grandeur; it’s about authenticity, experience, and emotional connection,” explains Rebecca Verstraete, who co-led the interior design overhaul of Botanic Sanctuary. “True luxury is how a space makes you feel—serene, inspired, and deeply connected to its surroundings.” At the five-star hotel, her thoughtfully curated earthy palette and tactile interiors instantly put weary arriving travelers at ease. “The interior design and decoration of Botanic Antwerp was partly inspired by its rich history as a 13th-century monastery,” she continues. “We used the historical site as a capstone for the design. Honoring this history meant carefully preserving and reinterpreting original architectural elements—exposed wooden beams, intricate stone archways, and timeworn textures—while seamlessly integrating contemporary elegance.”

Verstraete adds that Antwerp is a city where history and innovation collide most beautifully. From the ornate Gothic and Baroque facades to the cutting-edge interiors of modern boutiques and hotels, there is an effortless dialogue between past and present.

Dim Dining
A Michelin-starred restaurant that fuses Japanese precision with Flemish warmth in a cozy, intimate setting, offering exceptional dishes paired with Belgium’s best sake selection.

Cobra
A neo-bistro inspired, whose team took inspiration from the mid-century, avant-garde CoBrA art movement. Here, the four co-founders have forged a fine space for enjoying creative small plates in a lively environment—it’s vibrant energy meets effortless hospitality.

Le Pristine
Celebrated Antwerp chef Sergio Herman’s Michelin-starred reinterpretation of Italian cuisine blends classic trattoria warmth with contemporary flair, offering dishes like Zeeland lobster with white wine sauce.

Hertog Jan
A Michelin-starred restaurant within Botanic Sanctuary, offering a multi-course dining experience that draws inspiration from the hotel’s monastery gardens and the freshest seasonal produce.

Botanic Sanctuary
A former monastery transformed into a hotel, blending heritage architecture with modern design to offer a sophisticated retreat just outside the city center.

Hotel August
Here, monastic history and minimalist modernism combine to create a relaxing atmosphere in the heart of Antwerp.