Paul de Pierre

Is Paul de Pierre worth booking for a special dinner in the Flemish Ardennes?

Yes — if you want a restaurant that takes its kitchen garden as seriously as its wine list, Paul de Pierre is one of the more compelling reasons to make the drive into the hills around Maarkedal. The combination of a chef-cultivated organic garden, a wine program that has earned consecutive Star Wine List recognition across 2024 and 2025, and a setting that doubles as an event venue makes this a strong choice for a celebratory meal in the East Flanders countryside. First-timers should know what they are walking into: this is a destination restaurant, not a convenient city stop, and the experience is built around a deliberate, produce-led progression through the menu.

What to expect on your first visit

The kitchen at Paul de Pierre is anchored by a 68-variety kitchen garden grown organically on the property. Chef Fabian Bali works directly from that garden, and the menu reflects what is ready to harvest rather than a fixed repertoire. For a first-timer, this means the menu is seasonal by design — what you eat in spring will differ from what arrives in autumn, and that variability is the point. One documented example from the kitchen: hake with buttermilk, asparagus, spinach sprouts, and lemon thyme. That combination is a useful signal for the style , clean, produce-forward, technically composed, with acidity and herbs doing more work than heavy sauces.

The progression through courses at Paul de Pierre follows a logic shaped by the garden: vegetables and aromatics lead, proteins support, and the sourcing chain is short. Produce that is not grown on-site comes from farmers with whom the kitchen has established direct relationships. For a first-time visitor, this means the tasting arc will feel coherent rather than showy , each course exists to make the ingredients legible, not to demonstrate technique for its own sake.

Setting reinforces this. Paul de Pierre sits in Maarkedal, a village in the Flemish Ardennes, and the property includes a garden that is visible from the dining room. The building functions as both a restaurant and an event venue, which means the space is designed to handle a range of group sizes and occasions. Solo diners and couples will find it comfortable; groups booking for a celebration will find the infrastructure already in place.

The wine list

Wine program is a genuine reason to choose Paul de Pierre over comparable restaurants in the region. Star Wine List has recognised it seven times in 2025 alone (rankings #1 through #7 in the current cycle) and eight times in 2024. That level of repeated recognition across both years suggests a list that is actively maintained and curated, not a static cellar. For a diner pairing wine with a tasting menu, this matters: a strong wine program at a garden-led kitchen typically means the list skews toward bottles with enough acidity and freshness to work alongside vegetable-forward courses. Confirm the pairing menu option when you book.

Practical details

Reservations: Book directly , this is a destination restaurant in a rural village and walk-ins are unlikely to be viable, particularly for weekend dinners or private events. Booking a few weeks ahead is advisable. Getting there: Maarkedal is in the Flemish Ardennes, roughly between Oudenaarde and Ronse; a car is the most practical way to arrive. Dress: No dress code is published, but the combination of a serious wine list and a destination setting suggests smart-casual at minimum. Group size: The venue handles events as well as a la carte dining, so parties of 4 or more should ask about private arrangements when booking. Occasion fit: Anniversaries, milestone dinners, and corporate events are all supported by the format and the space.

How It Compares

See the comparison section below for how Paul de Pierre sits against other serious Belgian restaurants.

Worth the trip?

Paul de Pierre earns a clear yes for diners who prioritise provenance, a strong wine list, and a kitchen that builds its menu around what the garden is producing. The Star Wine List track record across 2024 and 2025 is the most verifiable signal of quality available, and it is a meaningful one. If you are already in the Flemish Ardennes or are willing to make the drive from Ghent or Brussels, this is a well-supported choice for a special meal. If you need a restaurant that is easy to reach by public transport, look elsewhere.

Frequently asked questions

• Is Paul de Pierre good for a special occasion? Yes. The combination of a garden-to-table tasting format, a wine list recognised by Star Wine List across 14 separate rankings in 2024 and 2025, and a venue that handles private events makes it well-suited to anniversaries, milestone birthdays, and celebratory dinners. The rural Flemish Ardennes setting adds to the occasion rather than working against it.
• What should I order at Paul de Pierre? The kitchen builds its menu around what chef Fabian Bali is harvesting from the 68-variety on-site garden, so the menu changes with the season. The documented approach , hake with buttermilk, asparagus, spinach sprouts, and lemon thyme , signals clean, produce-led cooking with herbal acidity. Trust the tasting menu progression rather than trying to order selectively, and ask about wine pairing when you book: the Star Wine List recognition is reason enough to let the kitchen guide the pairings.
• What should I wear to Paul de Pierre? No dress code is published, but the restaurant's positioning , Star Wine List recognised, destination dining in a formal-leaning setting , points toward smart-casual as a safe baseline. Overdressing slightly is unlikely to be a problem; turning up in hiking gear probably is.
• Can I eat at the bar at Paul de Pierre? There is no published information confirming a bar counter or bar dining option at Paul de Pierre. Contact the restaurant directly to ask before assuming informal seating is available.
• What are alternatives to Paul de Pierre in Maarkedal? Maarkedal itself has a limited dining scene, so the relevant comparison set is wider. In Flanders, Boury in Roeselare offers creative Flemish cooking at a comparable price tier. De Jonkman in Sint-Kruis is another modern Flemish option with strong credentials. For a broader Belgian comparison, Hof van Cleve in Kruishoutem is geographically close and operates at the leading of the regional fine-dining tier.
• Is Paul de Pierre good for solo dining? The setting and tasting format are workable for solo diners, and a garden-focused tasting menu is a reasonable choice for someone dining alone who wants a full experience. That said, the venue's dual function as an event space means the room may feel oriented toward groups on busier evenings. Call ahead to ask about seating options for one.
• How far ahead should I book Paul de Pierre? Given the rural location and the restaurant's award recognition, booking two to four weeks ahead for a weekend dinner is a practical minimum. For special occasions or private dining, book further out. The venue is not in a city where last-minute tables are common.
• What should a first-timer know about Paul de Pierre? Three things: first, it is a destination restaurant in the Flemish Ardennes countryside , plan your transport before you book. Second, the menu is built around a seasonal kitchen garden, so expect the tasting to reflect what is currently growing rather than a fixed list of dishes. Third, the wine list is a genuine asset here, not an afterthought , the Star Wine List recognition across 2024 and 2025 is the strongest independent signal of quality available, and pairing wine through the meal is worth the investment.

For more options in the area, see our full Maarkedal restaurants guide, our Maarkedal hotels guide, and our Maarkedal experiences guide. For serious Belgian restaurant comparisons, Zilte in Antwerp, Willem Hiele in Oudenburg, and Bartholomeus in Heist are all worth knowing about. If you are also considering L'air du temps in Liernu or Bozar Restaurant in Brussels, both represent different points on the Belgian fine-dining spectrum. For international reference points in tasting menu cooking, Le Bernardin in New York and Atomix in New York show what rigorous produce-led and progression-focused menus look like at the global tier.