HOF VAN CLEVE: HAUTE CUISINE IN THE FIELDS OF BELGIUM

In the middle of the Belgian countryside, surrounded by shrubbery and golden sunsets, one can find a one-of-a-kind restaurant. Built inside an old farmhouse, it blends with the country landscape, and its doors open to reveal a small world of warmth and originality.  Founded in 1987 by Peter Goossens, Hof Van Cleve has an outstanding trajectory, constantly adding new accolades to its repertoire: it boasts a Golden Score of 19.5/20 by Gault & Millau, and three Michelin Stars, among many others.

The atmosphere at Hof Van Cleve is both sophisticated and welcoming, with an outstanding, passionate team that strives towards quality and perfection. Many of the ingredients served at Hof Van Cleve’s tables are grown in the fields that surround it, and the menu, consisting of 6 or 7 courses, is constantly changing along with the seasons and is always updated with the freshest, most creative plates in the region. There are vegan and vegetarian options, or you can order á la carte, and be sure to save some space for dessert: the desserts here are luscious and will surely leave the most demanding diners ecstatic. For an extra price you can also enjoy the menu along with the house’s fine wine selection or accompany it with fresh juices and infusions.

Along with the culinary escapade, Hof Van Cleve offers a whole aesthetic experience: the exquisite interior design has been commissioned to several well-known Belgian artists and designers, who have created unique pieces exclusively for the restaurant. Everything here is tailor-made for your visit: furniture, cutlery, linens, tableware and glassware, and even the personnel’s uniforms cannot be found elsewhere. The restaurant doubles as an art gallery as well, each year featuring a local artist in the privileged spaces of its walls. This 2021 you will find the works of Carole Vanderlinden, a Brussels-based artist whose dynamic, colourful paintings go extraordinarily well with the cuisine’s boldness.

Given its remote location, far away from the great cities’ bustle, Hof Van Cleve offers the exclusivity of a meal accompanied by birdsong in its terrace. The trek there, however, can be lengthy, which is why the restaurant has its own heliport just a couple meters from the entrance, and offers a list of activities to do during your trip when not at the restaurant. In it you will find carefully selected accommodations in the restaurant’s vicinity, private taxi and helicopter services, as well as cultural attractions to make your trip even more worthwhile. Occupying one of Hof Van Cleve’s twelve tables is a rare treat, as their reservations are commonly full. Mind you: once you have eaten at Hof Van Cleve, you will keep coming back again, and again, and again.

Photos: courtesy.