Bib Gourmand Benelux 2016: the 317 faces of Bib Gourmand

Michelin today unveils the new 2016 Michelin Bib Gourmand guide to the Benelux with its selection of restaurants offering very good value for money in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

This year's selection shows that chefs are able to offer creative dishes and also keep their prices within reason. The 317 restaurants awarded a Bib Gourmand this year, all of which offer a full menu for under 37 euros, represent a wide range of different cuisines. Some chefs serve classic, traditional dishes, while others have more exotic influences, for example drawing their inspiration from some of the Asian culinary traditions. "The 317 restaurants selected by Michelin inspectors, which now have the highly coveted Bib Gourmand, demonstrate the diversity and wealth of gastronomy in the Benelux region," says Michael Ellis, International Director of MICHELIN guides.

In Belgium, 28 new restaurants were awarded a Bib Gourmand. Among these Terminus (Watou) and Ciro's (Antwerp) offer classic cuisine, whereas the great little restaurant Maru (Ixelles) offers authentic and extremely tasty Korean dishes and proves that international cuisine is as important as ever on the Belgian restaurant scene. At Il était une fois (Nivelles), the chef offers beautifully presented contemporary dishes. Finally, proof that the Bib Gourmand is a highly sought after award, the restaurant Des Ardennes (Corbion) has retained its award for the 25th consecutive year – in fact since the Bib Gourmand symbol was first introduced!

This year, the Bib Gourmand selection in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg was up 50% compared to the previous edition, illustrating the growing popularity of these restaurants, acclaimed by both restaurateurs and the general public! A total of 15 establishments were rewarded with a Bib Gourmand. They include traditional hotels like Dahm (Erpeldange), where the dishes on the menu have been revisited Luxembourg-style, and Bick Stuff (Luxembourg, Clausen), which offers high quality home-style cooking.

Finally, in the Netherlands, the Bib Gourmand meets with great success all over the country. Of the 25 new addresses selected this year, Dorset (Borne) stands out with its contemporary atmosphere and classic cuisine with international influences and local produce. And BasQ Kitchen (Rotterdam) offers its guests delicious Basque cuisine served in the recently opened covered market hall. The bustling atmosphere in the very cosmopolitan Harry's (Maastricht) is one of the restaurant’s strengths, happily combining local produce and internationally inspired dishes.