The Jane

The Jane opened in 2014 inside the former chapel of the Antwerp Military Hospital — a restored Gothic interior with 12-metre ceilings, a central stained-glass oculus, and a vast chandelier specifically commissioned for the space. The restaurant became a global press story within six months — for the setting as much as the food — and earned two Michelin stars in the 2015 Guide. Chef Nick Bril (partnered with the late Sergio Herman, who opened but no longer actively cooks at the restaurant) has retained the two stars through the 2026 edition.

The cooking is modern European with a willingness to use Japanese and Middle Eastern techniques that is unusual at this level in Belgium. Signature dishes across seasons have included a cod preparation with miso and fermented celeriac, a pigeon with black garlic and sour cherry, and a dessert of caramelised yeast with malt ice cream that is the single most distinctive plate in the city. The format is a single tasting menu at dinner — seven courses — with a shorter five-course option at lunch.

The dining room is the most theatrical in the Benelux. The dinner service opens with a candle-lighting across the chapel, and the acoustic is carefully designed (the kitchen noise is piped in at a specific level to replace the natural church reverb). Service is led by director Johanna Kleine and is young, confident, and well-trained. The bar on the upper balcony (The Upper Room) serves a separate cocktail programme with a more informal menu.

Lunch tasting is €140 for five courses; dinner tasting is €220 for seven. Pairings are +€130. The restaurant has a strict 48-hour cancellation policy and a €60 per-head no-show fee.

The Jane is the Antwerp impress-clients dinner. The chapel is the pitch — no international client has seen anything like it, and the single-room 80-cover format means the evening feels like a private event even at full capacity. For a senior-level dinner where the room is itself the story, it is the obvious choice. Private dining is available in the upstairs altar alcove for groups of 8–12.