Restaurant in Ordingen, Belgium
One Michelin star, countryside pricing, no compromise.
Aurum by Gary Kirchens holds a Michelin star for 2024 and 2025 under the Cooking Classics designation, making it one of Belgian Limburg's most credentialed tables at the €€€ price tier — a full level below most starred Belgian competition. The village setting in Sint-Truiden requires a deliberate trip, but the value case for the quality on offer is clear. Book well ahead; demand consistently outpaces capacity.
The most common assumption about Aurum by Gary Kirchens is that its village location in Ordingen means a compromise on ambition. Correct that assumption before you book. Aurum has held a Michelin star consecutively in both 2024 and 2025, and Michelin's own designation of Cooking Classics signals a kitchen that executes with discipline rather than chasing novelty. For a first-time visitor, the clearest decision framework is this: if you want technically precise modern cuisine at the €€€ price point — a tier below the €€€€ restaurants dominating Belgium's fine dining scene — Aurum is one of the sharper choices in the Limburg province.
Aurum sits at Ordingen-Dorp 50 in Sint-Truiden, a small agricultural municipality in Belgium's Hageland region. The setting is not incidental. This part of Belgian Limburg is fruit-growing country , orchards, productive soil, short supply chains , and at a restaurant with Michelin recognition, that geography tends to matter at the plate level. The Cooking Classics designation from Michelin is telling here: it implies a menu built on technique and well-sourced primary ingredients rather than theatrical garnish. First-timers should expect a tasting format anchored in the seasons and the region rather than a kitchen chasing international trend cycles.
On atmosphere: the village location and the scale of the address suggest an intimate room, likely quiet enough for conversation throughout the meal. This is not a destination where the energy of a packed urban dining room drives the experience. The ambient feel skews composed and focused , appropriate for a meal where the food, rather than the scene, is the main event. If you are coming from Brussels or Antwerp, factor in the drive as part of the occasion rather than a deterrent; the separation from the city is part of what makes an evening here feel deliberate.
At €€€, Aurum sits one pricing tier below most of Belgium's starred competition. The Cooking Classics framing from Michelin implies a kitchen philosophy grounded in produce quality and classical preparation rather than supplemented by luxury ingredients for their own sake. In the Hageland and broader Limburg context, that means proximity to fruit producers, market gardens, and short-chain suppliers that larger city restaurants cannot access as efficiently. This is a material advantage: when sourcing distances are short and the kitchen has relationships with regional producers, the quality ceiling for primary ingredients rises without necessarily raising the price. For a first-time visitor assessing value, the €€€ tier with consistent Michelin recognition over two consecutive years is a stronger signal than a single award at a higher price point.
Google reviewer scores sit at 4.9 across 34 reviews , a small sample, but with no negative drag on what is a demanding scoring threshold. Early adopter consensus at high-end restaurants often skews positive, but a 4.9 average at a venue with Michelin validation is at minimum consistent with the kitchen's credentials.
Booking difficulty is rated Hard. A two-star village restaurant at the €€€ price tier with consecutive Michelin recognition and limited seating capacity draws a disproportionate amount of demand relative to its size. Expect to plan well ahead, particularly for Friday and Saturday evenings or around significant dates. If you are building a special occasion itinerary in Belgian Limburg, Aurum should be your first reservation to lock, not your last. Walk-in availability at this level is unlikely. Check the restaurant's own website or reservation system for current availability windows, as lead times can shift seasonally.
Address: Ordingen-Dorp 50, 3800 Sint-Truiden, Belgium. Cuisine: Modern Cuisine (Michelin: Cooking Classics). Price range: €€€. Awards: Michelin 1 Star (2024, 2025). Google rating: 4.9 (34 reviews). Booking difficulty: Hard , reserve well in advance. Dress code: not formally published, but Michelin-starred context in Belgium generally calls for smart casual at minimum. No confirmed bar seating, solo dining policy, or tasting menu pricing available at publication.
For more on dining in the region, see our full Ordingen restaurants guide, our full Ordingen hotels guide, and our full Ordingen bars guide. If you are planning a wider Belgian fine dining circuit, relevant comparisons include Hof van Cleve in Kruishoutem, Boury in Roeselare, Zilte in Antwerp, and Willem Hiele in Oudenburg. For context on modern cuisine at scale, Frantzén in Stockholm and FZN by Björn Frantzén in Dubai represent the international benchmark for the format. Further Belgian reference points worth considering: L'air du temps in Liernu, Bozar Restaurant in Brussels, Bartholomeus in Heist, d'Eugénie à Emilie in Baudour, Castor in Beveren, Cuchara in Lommel, and De Jonkman in Sint-Kruis. You can also browse our full Ordingen wineries guide and our full Ordingen experiences guide to complete the itinerary.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Aurum by Gary Kirchens | €€€ | — |
| Boury | €€€€ | — |
| Comme chez Soi | €€€€ | — |
| Castor | €€€€ | — |
| Cuchara | €€€€ | — |
| De Jonkman | €€€€ | — |
How Aurum by Gary Kirchens stacks up against the competition.
Yes, at the €€€ tier, Aurum sits one pricing level below most Belgian Michelin-starred competition while delivering consecutive star recognition in 2024 and 2025. That gap between price and credential is the clearest argument for booking. If you are comparing on value per cover, Aurum outperforms similarly awarded restaurants in Brussels or Ghent on cost alone.
Michelin classifies Aurum under its Cooking Classics descriptor, which signals a kitchen anchored in technique-driven, produce-led cooking rather than experimental format. If that register suits you, the tasting menu format here is the right vehicle for it. Diners who prefer à la carte flexibility should factor that in before booking.
A strong choice. Two consecutive Michelin stars, a village setting that feels deliberate rather than incidental, and a €€€ price point that avoids the sticker shock of Belgium's two-star tier make this a practical pick for celebrations where the meal should speak louder than the bill. Book well in advance given limited seating and high demand.
No dress code is documented for Aurum, but a Michelin-starred restaurant in rural Belgium operating at the €€€ tier generally expects neat, considered dress. Avoid overly casual clothing. If in doubt, err toward business casual — you will not be turned away for overdressing.
Seating configuration is not confirmed in available data, so solo diners should check the venue's official channels when booking to ask about counter or single-seat options. What is clear is that booking difficulty is rated Hard, so solo tables may be easier to secure than larger party requests — that is worth using to your advantage.
Bar seating is not documented for Aurum. Given its village restaurant format and Michelin-starred positioning, a traditional seated dining room is the more likely setup. Confirm directly with the restaurant before planning around bar access.
There are no direct Michelin-starred alternatives in Ordingen itself. For comparable Belgian fine dining, Boury in Roeselare and De Jonkman near Bruges both hold Michelin recognition and offer a useful benchmark. Comme chez Soi in Brussels is the reference point if you want starred dining with city convenience, though pricing runs higher. Castor and Cuchara serve different formats and do not compete on the same tasting-menu terms.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
