Tom Ieven's 17 favourite wine bars and restaurants in Belgium 2024

In Belgium you can find basically everything when it comes to wine and food – the classic producers and the newcomers, Michelin restaurants, cosy natural wine bars and family-style bistros and bars. Here, Star Wine List's ambassador Tom Ieven has selected his favourite wine spots in the country.

  1. Phone: +32 50 61 07 98

    Address: Zwaluwenlaan 12, Knokke-Heist

    By the Glass List of the Year Belgium, presented by Young Charly 2023

    Geoffrey Adam worked for the restaurant as a sommelier for more than ten years before taking over recently. He has changed the name to Tablàvins, placing even more emphasis on wine, as it suggests. The restaurant is located in a side street of the seawall in Knokke, a beautiful town on the Belgian coast. All his experience results in a beautiful wine list with a lot of gems on it. In addition to wines from Burgundy and Italy, Geoffrey is also a big fan of regions such as the Loire, Rhone and Jura. Definitely try them out!

  2. Phone: +32 57 38 80 87

    Address: Callicannesweg 16, Poperinge

    California Wine List of the Year Belgium 2023

    On the border with France in the village of Watou you will find the beautiful family restaurant Terminus. As the name of the restaurant indicates, this place is the last point before you enter France. Terminus started as a farm and border store and has grown into a restaurant known throughout the country. Today it’s even more than just a restaurant with an amazing wine shop next to it. Terminus is known for its pure, simple, and delicious cuisine with a breathtaking wine list that draws wine lovers from far and wide. The man behind the business is sommelier Pieter Verheyde, who loves to shar...

  3. Phone: +32 9 383 58 48

    Address: Riemegemstraat 1, Kruisem

    In the heart of the Flemish Ardennes in Kruisem, you can find the three Michelin-starred restaurant Hof van Cleve. Chef Peter Goossens, known as the godfather of the Belgian cuisine, is next to a great chef also a wine passionate which explains the very extensive wine list. In the kitchen, the best seasonal products of Belgian soil are the basis, influenced with tastes from all over the world. Try some of the evergreens such as the grilled turbot with lobster béarnaise or the Wagyu beef with Belgian fries. The tasting menu 'Freshness of nature' allows you to discover the kitchen of Hof van C...

  4. Address: Belfortstraat 29, Gent (New location) & Nederkouter 71, Gent

    Sustainable Wine List of the Year Belgium 2023

    Ona N Arne. A lovely couple with a beautiful wine bar on the Nederkouter in Ghent. A second branch has just opened in the center of Ghent. The new location will have even more space for events, workshops, classes, and tastings. Ona was just named “Wine Lady of the Year 2023” in Belgium and her husband Arne should certainly not be outdone. Together, they have a unique project with two very cozy bars and delicious wines. ONA stands for wine with a message, as they put it themselves. They have made a nice selection of authentic wines made by smaller producers with a great passion for their craf...

  5. Phone: +32 09 282 33 65

    Address: Baarle-Frankrijkstraat 1, Sint-Martens-Latem

    Best Long List of the Year Belgium 2023

    If you love classic French cuisine and Burgundy, d'Oude Schuur is the place to go. The restaurant is located in a rustic farmhouse. Inside you have a cosy living room feel and in summer you can enjoy the beautiful terrace. It is a real family affair; Mark d'Hoye started the restaurant in 1980 and now it is his son Steven who runs it. Steven's son Matisse has also caught the wine bug and is already working in the business, just like his father with enormous knowledge and passion. Up to eight times a year, they visit their beloved producers in Burgundy and bring back the best wines. Their "hou...

  6. Phone: +32 55 31 94 31

    Address: Nederholbeekstraat 135, Maarkedal

    Austrian Wine List of the Year Belgium, presented by Austrian Wine 2023

    Paul de Pierre has a fantastic event location as well as a cozy and stylish restaurant. It is located in Maarkedal, a picturesque village nestled among the fields in the Flemish Ardennes. Paul-Henri is the owner, one of the best maître d'hôtels in Belgium and a very good sommelier. He is very passionate about wine and that has translated into an extensive wine list with over 1,200 references. In the restaurant, host Paul-Henri also values the experience and this ranges from decanting wine to opening bottles with port tongs. They recently won the famous Copa Jerez competition and thus serve,...

  7. Phone: +32 2 582 89 92

    Address: Markt 9, Lennik

    Just awarded ‘Sommelier of the Year 2023’ by Michelin, Yanick Dehandschutter has his own restaurant in a beautiful mansion on the market of Lennik in the Pajottenland, a region close to Brussels. Sir Kwinten is a gastronomic restaurant awarded one Michelin star. The chef is Glenn Verhasselt who brings a very pure and refined cuisine where the essence of taste is most important. This is not only true in the kitchen but also in the glass where Yanick chooses pure and elegant wines. In addition to a wine list of around 300 references, there are always about twenty wines available by the glass....

  8. Phone: +32 015 51 11 11

    Address: Leuvensesteenweg 350, Boortmeerbeek

    A characterful annex of the Boortmeerbeek malting house was transformed into a lively brasserie. The restaurant is run by chef Dieter Fleurinck, sommelier Dimitri Cuypers, and host Dries Van Dijck, a real dream team. Silo's is a concept where honest basic cuisine is restored in a contemporary way. Wine has been given a central place in Silo's. At its center is the monumental wine room, where all the wines selected by Dimitri Cuypers are kept in optimal conditions. Another asset at Silo's is that you can taste up to 40 different wines by the glass, thanks to the Vin Au Verre system.

  9. Phone: +32 468 51 71 35

    Address: Mechelsestraat 87, Leuven

    Sustainable Wine List of the Year Belgium 2023

    Convento once started as a wine store with a small bar and has since grown into a store with a wine bistro and bar in the centre of Leuven. The wine bistro has a very homely and quiet atmosphere. On sunny days you can also enjoy the lovely terrace. The wine bistro brings a very pure, daily fresh and original cuisine. Convento has compiled a very nice wine book over the years. Very important to them are the producers who make the wine and you can see that in the wine list: not only are many different regions represented but it also offers a vertical depth of top producers. All this adds up to...

  10. Phone: +32 3 337 09 43

    Address: Rijkerooistraat 14, Kontich

    Best Short List of the Year Belgium 2023

    Vintage is a restaurant in a beautiful farmhouse located in the countryside in Kontich. A fifteen minute drive from Antwerp makes this the ideal place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. Expect a warm welcome by owners Steven and Eva upon arrival. Besides running the business they also work together and run the front of house. Eva is hostess and Steven sommelier. After many years of experience in Michelin-starred restaurants and becoming 'Best sommelier of Belgium', Steven Wullaert decided to open his own restaurant. The chef creates a very elegant and refined cuisine which perfectl...

  11. Phone: +32 89 36 25 45

    Address: Europalaan 99, Genk

    This is one of the best Italian restaurants in Belgium. The restaurant is located in Genk, a city with many Italian influences. La Botte once started as a pizzeria and is now a gastronomic restaurant with an amazing wine list. The two brothers Peppe and Gaspare Giacomazza are the driving force behind this great restaurant. Peppe is the chef and brings a refined and original Italian cuisine inspired on his Sicilian roots. Gaspare on the other hand is the sommelier and manages a wine list bringing the best wines of Italy, as you would have guessed. Give Gaspare carte blanche and you will mak...

  12. Phone: +32 3 283 40 40

    Address: Hanzestedenplaats 5, Antwerpen

    By the Glass List of the Year Belgium, presented by Young Charly 2023

    Zilte is located on the top floor of the MAS museum in Antwerp and offers a breathtaking view of the city. The interior is modern, yet very warm and homely. In the kitchen you will find Viki Geunes, famous Belgian chef, awarded with three Michelin stars. The name Zilte refers to the salty flavours of fish, shellfish and crustaceans that define the kitchen. Zilte does not have a wine cellar, but a kind of wine attic that you can admire while sitting in the restaurant. Besides a magnificent wine list, sommelier Aaron Moeraert also offers several options by the glass with each dish. Be sure to...

  13. Phone: +32 3 230 16 38

    Address: Boomgaardstraat 1, Antwerpen

    Best Medium-sized List of the Year Belgium 2023

    Chef Bert Jan Michielsen and sommelier Luc Dickens have been friends for a long time and worked together for ten years before opening their own restaurant, The Butcher's Son. The restaurant is located on the site of the De Koninck brewery in the Harmonie district of Antwerp. Next to the restaurant, there is a world-famous butcher who supplies the restaurant with meat. This, together with the cooking skills of Bert Jan, ensures excellent dishes. The food menu offers both classics and ever-changing seasonal suggestions. One of the signature dishes not to be missed is the videe with veal sweetb...

  14. Phone: +32 470 10 44 83

    Address: Volkstraat 50, Antwerpen

    Best Short List of the Year Belgium 2023

    In the trendy South of Antwerp you can find Ta-nnin, a wine bar owned by sommelier Tawat. Tawat moved from Thailand to Belgium with his family and was working multiple years in the hospitality industry when he discovered his real passion: wine. After several internationally recognized wine courses and some more experience in an Italian wine bar, he was able to realize his dream of opening his own place. Ta-nnin always has a very interesting and diversified selection by the glass. Not only the classic wine regions are represented on the wine list but it also offers a very good selection of wi...

  15. Phone: +32 3 232 86 82

    Address: Oudeleeuwenrui 12, Antwerpen

    Best Medium-sized List of the Year Belgium 2023

    A must visit for all wine lovers is Pazzo, a wine restaurant and bar in Antwerp owned by chef Ingrid Neven and sommelier Tom d’Hooghe. On the ground floor, the restaurant offers a wide diversity of culinary influences, like Belgian asparagus with burrata, pigeon from Anjou, salmon sashimi and shrimp tempura. Not to forget are their amazing truffle dishes. I love the truffle risotto! A wide range of wines by the glass have been selected to accompany these wonderful dishes. The wine list is as worldly influenced as the kitchen is and there are some real gems on it. The lovely bar, on the fir...

  16. Phone: +32 3 336 33 02

    Address: Van Schoonbekeplein 13, Antwerpen

    California Wine List of the Year Belgium 2023

    Marcel is a very cozy restaurant in the neighbourhood 'het Eilandje' in Antwerp. The building is an old sailor's church that has been stylishly renovated. The restaurant offers a very pure cuisine with classic dishes brought in a contemporary way. Serge Verboven took over Marcel five years ago and since then, thanks to his knowledge and passion for wine, the wine list has grown enormously. Today, the list counts about 800 references. Serge's favourite regions, which are also the strengths of the wine list, are Champagne, Burgundy, Piedmont and Tuscany. Interesting is the separate listing f...

  17. Phone: 03 231 32 07

    Address: Haarstraat 7/9, Antwerpen

    Best Short List of the Year Belgium 2023

    As you might guess from the name, InVINcible is a real wine restaurant. The restaurant is located in the heart of Antwerp, somewhat hidden in one of the small streets between the river Scheldt and the Grote Markt. Kenny is both chef and sommelier, which of course explains why the wine and food are so well matched here. Next to some classics from the menu, like the pasta pancetta from the parmesan wheel, the Dorade Royal in salt crust or his special selection of côte a l'os, you can always find some very interesting suggestions. Don't miss the game season here, as the chef makes great game pâ...