Vrijmoed

Fantastic gourmet eatery in downtown Ghent. We opted for the all vegetarian menu which was full of pleasing flavour and texture combinations. Every bite is an adventure!

Restaurant Vrijmoed is a must visit in Ghent, Belgium. The chef/​owner, Michael Vrijmoed hailed from a well-​known three michelin stars restaurant in the area. He was the sous chef there for a number of years. Restaurant Vrijmoed had already received one star within a year of opening. Reserve early because it is not easy to get in.
The restaurant was minimalistic but had the charm of the historic building. The elegance and relaxed feeling of the restaurant felt like we were dining at someone’s home. We picked a bottle of Jean Javillier Meursault it was modestly priced for the quality. Having visited Meursault after the lunch, we came to learn that this was from a boutique vineyard in Meursault and had a chance to chat with the winemaker. We could not even get a bottle of Meursault from him. So trust the sommelier at the restaurant.
We had a beautiful afternoon at the restaurant enjoying a chef tasting menu. Each course was well thought out the use of beautiful striking colors, exotic ingredients and flavors, it was masterful. The first courses were inspired by Asian flavors pickled daikon noodles in a delicious sauce. The green triangular shaped dumpling or ravioli in a green sauce just brought all kinds of curiosity it was so balanced and full of umami flavors. He also made green keropoks to dip in another course. One of my favorites was the mackerel citrus and aubergine it was just sublime. We were treated to the shavings of black truffles on a perfectly prepared chicken dish. Yeah, the meat courses were modest ingredients but with 3 stars execution! The main course was a full size pork chop with sunchoke and red beets. It was the best pork chop I had tasted. Even the palate cleanser had such a twist, a very well executed turnip dish.
Chef Vrijmoed is a master of sauces. For each course he prepared a sauce that was balanced, flavorful (from hours of stock reduction) and of vibrant colors. Not heavy and greasy. You should see the size of the kitchen the chefs worked in.
Overall it was a really good experience including the service. Highly recommended!

Etant aujourd’hui à Gand pour le travail, j’ai eu l’agréable surprise d’aller manger au Vrijmoed.
Nous sommes passés à table vers 13h40 et j’en suis toujours sous le charme (il est 21h00)…
Le Resto n’est pas trop grand, bien agencé et avec un déco facile qui met dés le départ l’accent sur les assiettes.
Le Chef sert une cuisine aux inspirations Belges, Italiennes et Japonnaises en mélangant le tout d’une façon admirable.
Il né fait pas de cuisine moléculaire mais il s’en inspire pour mettre en valeur les légumes oubliés qu’il sert ou les saveurs de saison.
Le service était impéccable et fort attentionné !
Une adresse à recommander vivement mais prenez votre temps car mon hôte m’a soufflé qu’il lui a fallu quelques semaines avant d’obtenir une table…