Restaurant in Lieferinge, Belgium
Michelin value in rural Flanders, book now.
't Sleutelgat holds a Michelin Plate for 2024 and 2025 and a 4.9 Google rating from 362 diners, making it one of the most credentialled Creative French restaurants in the region at the €€€ price tier. It costs less than most Belgian fine-dining peers and books more easily than its recognition level would suggest. A strong choice for food-focused travellers who want Michelin-level quality without the full fine-dining spend.
't Sleutelgat holds a Michelin Plate for both 2024 and 2025, carries a 4.9 Google rating across 362 reviews, and sits in the quiet Flemish Ardennes village of Lieferinge — a combination that makes it one of the more compelling value propositions in the Belgian Creative French category. At the €€€ price tier, it costs meaningfully less than the €€€€ field that dominates Michelin-recognised creative cooking in this country. If you are researching where to eat well in this region without committing to a full fine-dining spend, this is the venue to book first.
Booking difficulty is low by the standards of recognised Belgian restaurants. That is a genuine advantage: venues at this quality level with a Michelin Plate and near-perfect crowd sentiment often require weeks of planning. Here, the evidence suggests you are not competing with the same reservation pressure as Boury in Roeselare or Hof van Cleve in Kruishoutem. That accessibility is part of the appeal, not a signal of lower quality.
't Sleutelgat operates as a Creative French kitchen in a region better known for Flemish cooking traditions. That positioning matters for explorers: you are not getting a replica of what Brussels or Ghent already does well. The cuisine sits in a European creative register — technique-led, seasonal in orientation, and closer in spirit to what you find at venues like Restaurant Haerlin in Hamburg or Atelier in Munich than to the brasserie-rooted cooking that dominates this part of Belgium.
The address at Kasseide 78 in Ninove places the restaurant in a genuinely rural setting. This is not a city-centre destination with convenient transport links , you will need a car or a planned transfer. Factor that into your logistics, particularly if you are combining the visit with an overnight stay. See our full Lieferinge hotels guide for accommodation options nearby.
For food and wine enthusiasts who seek restaurants that are doing something distinct rather than replicating urban fine-dining formulas, the combination of recognised quality, rural location, and accessible booking makes 't Sleutelgat worth the extra planning. The Michelin Plate signal is meaningful here: it indicates a kitchen the inspectors consider worth returning to, even if it has not yet reached star level. Given the 4.9 rating from 362 diners, the crowd assessment is unusually consistent for a venue of this type.
We do not have confirmed seat-count data for 't Sleutelgat, but Creative French kitchens at this price point and scale in rural Belgium frequently offer some form of counter or kitchen-adjacent seating that provides closer access to the cooking. If the venue offers counter seats, request them at the time of booking. Counter positions at this category of restaurant typically give you direct sight of the kitchen rhythm, earlier service of courses, and informal conversation with the team , elements that are especially valuable at a €€€ venue where the chef-driven precision of the cooking is part of what you are paying for. At restaurants like Vrijmoed in Gent, counter seating transforms a strong meal into a genuinely immersive one. The same logic applies here: if counter positions are available, they are worth asking for specifically.
Creative French kitchens in Belgium typically run menus that shift with the seasons, and the current period matters: autumn and winter cooking in this register tends toward richer reductions, preserved and fermented elements, and root-vegetable-driven plates that suit the Flemish climate. If you are visiting now, expect the menu to reflect that. Spring visits will likely bring a lighter, more herb-forward profile. Either way, the kitchen's creative orientation means the menu is unlikely to be static , one of the practical arguments for booking sooner rather than later if a specific seasonal window matters to you.
Smart casual is the right call. The venue holds a Michelin Plate at the €€€ price tier in rural Flanders , this is not black-tie territory, but arriving in jeans and a trainer is underplaying the occasion. Think neat, put-together clothing: dark trousers, a shirt or blouse, clean shoes. If in doubt, err toward the more formal end.
Yes, particularly relative to Belgian peers. Most Michelin-recognised Creative French restaurants in this country sit at €€€€. 't Sleutelgat delivers confirmed Michelin Plate quality at €€€, which represents a meaningful saving without dropping to an unrecognised tier. A 4.9 Google rating from 362 diners reinforces that the value lands well with people who have actually eaten there. If you are comparing spend, this is likely the shrewdest option in the region.
We cannot confirm the menu format from available data, but at this price tier and award level, a tasting or set-menu structure is the most common format for Creative French kitchens in Belgium. If a tasting menu is offered, it is likely the format that leading represents what the kitchen does. Book accordingly and contact the venue directly to confirm current menu options before your visit.
Yes. The Michelin Plate recognition, the 4.9 rating, and the €€€ price point make it a strong choice for an anniversary dinner, birthday, or celebration meal where you want recognised quality without the full €€€€ outlay. The rural Lieferinge setting also gives the occasion a sense of destination , you are making a deliberate trip, which adds to the feeling that the meal is an event. For larger groups, confirm capacity and booking arrangements directly.
Booking difficulty is rated easy, which is unusual for a Michelin-recognised venue. In practice, that likely means you can secure a table with a week or two of lead time rather than the month-plus planning required at comparable venues. That said, Friday and Saturday evenings at any award-holding restaurant fill faster , if your date is fixed, book as soon as you know it. Do not assume last-minute availability for weekend dining.
We do not have confirmed policy data for this venue. For any Creative French kitchen operating at this level, it is standard practice to accommodate major dietary requirements with advance notice , but creative tasting menus can be difficult to adapt for complex restrictions. Contact the venue directly before booking to confirm what they can accommodate. Do not leave this until arrival.
Lieferinge is a small village, so your practical alternatives are in the broader East Flanders and Flemish Brabant region. Vrijmoed in Gent is the closest peer in creative register, though at €€€€. La Durée in Izegem and Cuchara in Lommel offer creative cooking at the same €€€€ tier for those willing to travel further. For a full picture, see our full Lieferinge restaurants guide.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 't Sleutelgat | Creative French | €€€ | Michelin Plate (2025); Michelin Plate (2024) | Easy | — |
| Boury | Modern Frlemish, Creative French | €€€€ | Michelin 3 Star | Unknown | — |
| Comme chez Soi | French - Belgian, Classic Cuisine | €€€€ | Michelin 1 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Vrijmoed | Modern Flemish, Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| La Durée | French-Belgian, Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| Cuchara | Modern European, Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
A quick look at how 't Sleutelgat measures up.
Smart casual fits the context. 't Sleutelgat holds a Michelin Plate at the €€€ price tier in a quiet Flemish village, which puts it in territory where effort is appreciated but formality is not required. Avoid overly casual clothing, but you are not dressing for a grand-hotel dining room. A neat jacket or equivalent is the right level.
Yes, particularly for the price tier. Most Michelin-recognised Creative French kitchens in Belgium sit at €€€€. 't Sleutelgat delivers Michelin Plate recognition across both 2024 and 2025 at €€€, which makes it one of the better-value propositions in the category. If you are comparing it to Comme chez Soi or Boury, expect a quieter, more rural setting in exchange for meaningfully lower spend.
The menu format is not confirmed in available data, but Creative French kitchens at this award level and price point in Belgium almost always lead with a set or tasting structure. If that is the case here, the Michelin Plate recognition across two consecutive years suggests the kitchen earns the format. Check directly with the venue before booking if a la carte flexibility matters to you.
Yes. Two consecutive Michelin Plates, a 4.9 Google rating, and €€€ pricing make it a strong choice for an anniversary, birthday, or celebratory dinner where you want quality without the spend of a full Michelin-starred room. The rural Flemish setting adds a sense of occasion that city restaurants at this price rarely deliver.
Booking difficulty appears easier than you would expect for a Michelin-recognised venue, so a week or two of lead time is likely sufficient for most dates. Weekend evenings and holiday periods will fill faster. check the venue's official channels at Kasseide 78, 9400 Ninove to confirm current availability, as no online booking link is on record.
No confirmed policy data is available for this venue. Creative French kitchens operating at the Michelin Plate level in Belgium routinely accommodate dietary requirements when notified in advance, but you should contact 't Sleutelgat directly before booking to confirm what is possible and avoid assumptions.
Lieferinge is a small village with no direct local competition at this level. For Michelin-recognised Creative French in the broader region, Vrijmoed in Gent is the closest comparable with a starred profile and higher price point. If you are willing to travel further, Boury in Roeselare and Comme chez Soi in Brussels both operate in the same cuisine register but at higher spend and booking difficulty.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
