Hertog Jan at Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp

IndulgeFH Feature

Feb 29

Written By Editor

Top-ranking gastronomy makes a comeback at Hertog Jan at Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp. The extraordinary duo of head chef, Gert De Mangeleer and maître- co-owner, Joachim Boudens create a journey through the world of imagination, art and indulgence.

Hertog Jan at Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp is a spectacular comeback to top-ranking gastronomy by head chef, Gert De Mangeleer and maître- co-owner, Joachim Boudens. Having started their journey together 25 years ago, this duo has achieved amazing triumphs over the years, including earning the coveted three-Michelin star rating with the original Hertog Jan in Sint-Michiels, suburb of Bruges, in 2011.

Within the intimate interior designed by Benoit Viaene, the congenial duo have taken a new approach: a journey through the world of imagination, art and indulgence, with many flavors from their own herb garden producing an almost spiritual symbiosis of aromas and textures.

Understated and elegant, the interior does not offer distractions – directing attention to the experience and its exclusivity.

This exceptional revival fulfills Gert De Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens’ dream of once more scaling culinary summits by offering something truly extraordinary – and in record time.

Alongside Hertog Jan, five other culinary gems have taken up residence at Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp, one-star Michelin restaurants – Fine Fleur and Het Gebaar, as well as Bar Bulot (14/20 Gault &Millau) and Restaurant 1238 (14.5/20 Gault & Millau). Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp offers guests a unique gourmet experience, all while immersed in a stunning, five-star superior hotel.

Gert De Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens

De Mangeleer and Boudens met in 1999, at Zeebrugge’s ‘t Molentje, and, three years later, moved on to what was then the Brasserie Hertog Jan in Sint-Michiels, a suburb of Bruges. By 2005, they had taken over the business, and a year later they were awarded their first star, with a second following in 2009.

In 2010, Gert De Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens purchased an old farmhouse in Zedelgem with its own kitchen garden. Their home-grown produce further raised their culinary bar. In 2011 Boudens received recognition as Belgium’s best sommelier and, in November of the same year, Hertog Jan was awarded its third star. In 2014, De Mangeleer was voted European Chef of the Year. In July of that year, Hertog Jan moved into the renovated farmhouse, freeing up the restaurant in Sint-Michiels for LESS, a world cuisine sharing concept.

Then, in 2018, De Mangeleer and Boudens announced the closure of Hertog Jan to allow them to pursue fresh adventures and new challenges. Indeed, within a very short space of time, the Hertog Jan Restaurant Group opened three new restaurants. In private, however, they continued to harbor a star-spangled dream … which came true in 2022 thanks to their exciting and mystical reawakening of Hertog Jan at the Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp.