Hof van Cleve

From 1914 to 1970, this idyllic Flemish farmhouse, built in 1870 in Kruishoutem, close to Ghent, was home to one solitary hermit, a certain Mr van Cleve. Since 1992, when chef Peter Goossens took it on as a gastronomic restaurant, it's enjoyed an altogether different existence.
It still resembles the humble Ardennes farmhouse of its former life, but its previously sparse rooms have been filled with 100 types of handmade cigars (a collection of 10,000 in total), 200 spirits, 70 types of tea, 50 types of whisky, not to mention eight exclusive paintings by contemporary Belgian artists. But that's allso much background detail to the main event.

From 1914 to 1970, this idyllic Flemish farmhouse, built in 1870 in Kruishoutem, close to Ghent, was home to one solitary hermit, a certain Mr van Cleve. Since 1992, when chef Peter Goossens took it on as a gastronomic restaurant, it's enjoyed an altogether different existence.
It still resembles the humble Ardennes farmhouse of its former life, but its previously sparse rooms have been filled with 100 types of handmade cigars (a collection of 10,000 in total), 200 spirits, 70 types of tea, 50 types of whisky, not to mention eight exclusive paintings by contemporary Belgian artists. But that's all so much background detail to the main event.
In the foreground, you have Goossens' precise, luxurious cuisine, seen in the indulgent Simmenthal Entrecôte under a Crust of Salt with Truffles, Young Cabbage, Celeriac Cream, Panisse for two, or Crunchy Veal Sweetbreads with Penne au Gratin, Melted Foie Gras, Spinach and Whelks. Lunch is a simpler affair, themed on 'a walk around the market', with ingredients chosen in tune with the seasons. The wine cellar stores some 1,250 wines, the bulk of which are from France, Italy and Spain.
This year, Goossens and restaurant designer Antoine Pinto launched the Museum Food project, a brasserie, coffee bar and café at the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels.

Behind the stove:
Peter Goossens and Michael Vrijmoed

Always on the menu:
Turbot with Belgian Sevruga, Leek Stoemp, Lager Beer Sauce, Broccoli, Prawns

Random fact:
Goossens' food may be classy, but there's nothing the chef likes more than a good filthy joke

Wine list:
€45 - €8,200 (£30 - £5,550)

Menu:
€80 (£54) for three courses to €175 (£118) for eight

Riemegemstraat 1, 9770 Kruishoutem, Belgium
+32 (0)9 3838 584 www.hofvancleve.com
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