Rizoom

Verdict

The Asian-influenced cooking from chef Yves Kerckhoffs has earned consistent praise from guests, Michelin's own commentary positions it as a restaurant with real potential to push further into plant-forward territory. Book here if you want a serious meal with Asian accents at a high-end price point in a city that takes vegetables seriously. If you are not ready to commit to the €€€€ bracket, Souvenir or Publiek offer strong cooking at €€€.

About Rizoom

Rizoom sits at Nieuwewandeling 62 in Gent, a city that formally declared itself the plant capital of Belgium and backs that claim with an official weekly meat-free day that has been running for well over a decade. That context matters when assessing Rizoom, because Michelin's recognition of the restaurant comes with an explicit editorial nudge: the guide's commentary says it hopes chef Kerckhoffs will shift his focus more decisively toward plant-forward cooking. That is an unusual signal from a guide that typically confines itself to the food on the plate. It tells you two things. First, the cooking is already good enough to earn a Plate two years running. Second, there is a sense that the restaurant has not yet fully committed to what could make it genuinely distinctive in this city.

The cuisine is described as Asian influences, which in Gent's restaurant context places Rizoom in a small group of kitchens working outside the Modern Flemish and Modern European frameworks that dominate the upper end of the local dining scene. For comparison, a food affair also works with Asian reference points in Gent, but at a different price tier. At €€€€, Rizoom is priced alongside Vrijmoed and Oak Gent, both of which carry heavier award credentials.

For a special occasion meal, Rizoom's profile works well if your party wants something that sits outside the standard Flemish tasting menu format. Asian-influenced cooking at this price point in Gent is not a crowded category, which means the restaurant has relatively clear positioning. The guest experience feedback that Michelin references is positive, the Plate recognition across two consecutive years indicates steady, reliable quality rather than a one-season anomaly.

Private Dining and Group Bookings

Seat count, private dining room details, specific group booking policies are not confirmed in the available data for Rizoom. What the record does confirm is that booking is rated as easy, which is a meaningful practical signal for group planners. At the €€€€ level in Gent, easy availability is not a given: Vrijmoed operates at a level where forward planning is essential. If you are organising a business dinner or a celebration meal for a group and flexibility on dates matters, Rizoom's current booking ease gives it a practical advantage over its immediate peers.

For private dining specifically, contact the restaurant directly to confirm room options and minimum spend requirements before committing. The Nieuwewandeling address puts the restaurant on a quieter stretch of Gent, which tends to suit groups who want a meal that does not compete with street-level noise. If a fully private room is a hard requirement for your event and Rizoom cannot confirm availability, Vrijmoed and Oak Gent are the natural alternatives to explore at the same price tier.

How It Compares

At €€€€, Rizoom competes directly with Vrijmoed and Oak Gent. Vrijmoed carries stronger award credentials and a more defined identity in the local market. Oak Gent occupies a Modern European position that is more conventional in format. Rizoom's Asian-influenced approach gives it a different flavour profile from both, which can be an advantage if that direction appeals to your group. The booking ease at Rizoom is currently better than at Vrijmoed, which is a real practical difference for last-minute plans or flexible itineraries.

If budget is a factor, Souvenir and Publiek both operate at €€€ with strong reputations and would free up meaningful spend per head. Bar Bask at €€€ works if your group wants a Basque and Spanish contemporary direction instead of Asian influences. For the widest overview of where Rizoom sits in the local dining scene, see our full Gent restaurants guide.

Elsewhere in Belgium, the €€€€ tier reaches up to three-star level at Hof van Cleve - Floris Van Der Veken in Kruishoutem and Boury in Roeselare. Rizoom at Michelin Plate level is several steps below those rooms in award terms, but it is also more accessible and easier to book, which suits a different kind of occasion. In Antwerp, Zilte represents the ceiling of Belgian fine dining. Rizoom is not in that conversation yet, but two consecutive Plates and consistent guest approval give it a solid base.