"Gert De Mangeleer's two-star omakase, open just two weeks a month inside Botanic Sanctuary — book it months out for an anniversary."
Twelve covers, two weeks a month, and a four-hour omakase that runs to €360 a head: Hertog Jan reopened inside Antwerp's Botanic Sanctuary in 2021, and chef Gert De Mangeleer took back two Michelin stars within a year. The original Hertog Jan held three stars in rural Zedelgem until De Mangeleer and host Joachim Boudens closed it at the end of 2018, at the top of its form. This is the sequel, smaller and more personal, and one of the most serious tables in Antwerp.
Gert De Mangeleer cooks Japanese in spirit and Flemish in produce. The format is omakase, the menu unannounced, the price fixed at €265 for lunch and €360 at dinner. His most-photographed course is the 'caviar explosion', sturgeon dashi and trout roe over warm sourdough, served alongside kombu-aged caviar and a cold starter of red beet, liquorice and foie gras. Joachim Boudens runs the pairings, and the wine list is the reason many regulars come back. The room sits inside the five-star Botanic Sanctuary at Lange Gasthuisstraat 51 and opens only two weeks each month, twelve seats at a time. Two Michelin stars followed in 2022, a year after the reopening.
Belgian architect Benoit Viaene designed the dining room, and it reads as intimate rather than grand: low light, soft surfaces, conversation kept to a hum. Twelve guests sit at a counter and a few tables with the kitchen in view, the pace deliberate over roughly four hours. Dress is smart and a jacket never looks out of place. Because there is one seating and the evening is long, the room never feels rushed or crowded.
Book this counter for a milestone anniversary because the evening is built to last: one four-hour omakase, twelve seats, and a sommelier in Joachim Boudens who tailors the pairing to the table. It is a destination in its own right rather than a quick dinner, which is the point on a night meant to feel rare. Pair it with a stay at the Botanic Sanctuary and the logistics disappear. For other once-a-year tables, see our anniversary restaurants guide and the wider Antwerp dining guide.
Not for a casual or spontaneous dinner: Hertog Jan runs a single four-hour omakase, opens only two weeks a month, takes a deposit at booking, and has no à la carte. If you want a short, flexible meal, this is the wrong room.
For a special occasion, yes. Gert De Mangeleer's two-Michelin-star omakase is one of Belgium's most distinctive tables, and the €265 lunch is the more affordable way in. The cooking is Japanese in technique and Flemish in produce, and Joachim Boudens's pairings are a genuine draw. It is expensive and inflexible, so it suits a planned celebration rather than a casual night out.
Hard. The restaurant opens only two weeks per month and seats twelve at a time, so dates vanish quickly. Booking is through the restaurant's website and requires a deposit to confirm. Watch the published opening windows and reserve as soon as a new month is released; cancellations occasionally reopen seats closer to the date.
Smart. There is no formal jacket-and-tie requirement, but most guests arrive in tailored or smart-casual clothing in keeping with a two-star room inside the five-star Botanic Sanctuary. A jacket is never out of place; trainers and shorts are.
The omakase menu is €265 at lunch and €360 at dinner, before wine. Boudens's wine pairings add roughly €130 to €355 depending on the tier, with a non-alcoholic pairing around €135. Budget for a four-hour evening and a serious bill; this is a milestone-occasion price, not an everyday one.
Yes. The long single seating, the twelve-seat counter and the tailored pairings make it a strong choice for an anniversary or proposal. Book well ahead, mention the occasion, and consider staying at the Botanic Sanctuary so the night ends without a drive home. See more proposal restaurants for comparison.
Hertog Jan books direct through its website. Opening windows are released monthly; a deposit confirms the seat.
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