The Mystery Hidden for Long Ages Past
There’s gastro innovative and there’s Le Mystique. Hotel Heritage, a member of the prestigious Boutique Hotel Club, is one of the few privately owned establishments in Bruges to have its own restaurant. Johan Creytens, who along with his wife Isabelle owns and manages the hotel, remarks, “The emergence of diverse dining options reflects Bruges‘ ability to embrace change while celebrating its culinary traditions.” As night descends, the mystical turns magical at this restaurant right in the middle of medieval Bruges.
The principal dining room of Hotel Heritage opens to staying guests and visitors alike. Myriad mirrors reflect the soft lighting of the rich red interior. Chef Raoul De Koning breezes out of the frenetic kitchen across the floor on a busy Saturday night for a mid course welcome, “I studied and graduated at Hotelschool Ter Duinen where many of Belgium’s most famous chefs have attended. After my classical training I had the chance to specialise in world gastronomy. I love to combine the finest regional ingredients and Belgian cuisine with world flavours. I recently visited Qatar and have instilled some Middle Eastern influences into my cooking.”
Johan agrees, “Le Mystique restaurant opened its doors as part of Hotel Heritage in 2009. Since then, our culinary team has been dedicated to creating a dining experience that combines the rich flavours of Belgian and international cuisine with a touch of creativity and innovation. We aim to offer our guests not only a meal but a memorable and gastronomic journey in the heart of Bruges.
The set menu is adapted to pescatarian taste. A trio of amuse bouches – falafel, sweet potato and black bean – is promptly served. A happy note. Cauliflower moose is followed by three fish dishes: line caught seabass, squid, winter radish, labneh, squid ink sauce and bay leaf; red mullet, oyster, fennel, orange and Jerusalem artichoke; scallop, garum dressing, smoked herring, cauliflower, walnut, pastis. Bruges may no longer be maritime but the port of Zeebrugge is a mere 13 kilometres away. It’s like round the world in eight matching wines including Zull Weinviertel (Austrian), Villa Dria Jardin Secret (French), Borga (Italian) and Talento (Spanish). A very happy note. Beetroot pudding – poached, sorbet and meringue – rounds off the night in a blaze of rouge. A forever happy note. Le Mystique is at once glamorous and intimate, decadent and tasteful, in an increasingly byzantine world.
