Restaurant Vrijmoed
Brussels
Kort fortalt
Anmeldelser
Vrijmoed is unquestionably a serious two-star restaurant. The cooking is highly technical, precise and distinctive, with a strong personal language built around fermentation, acidity, herbs, vegetables and very controlled textures. The amuses were particularly impressive: delicate, light and fresh, yet extraordinarily concentrated in flavour. Several were tiny examples of genuine flavour engineering — complex combinations of acidity, creaminess, crunch, fermentation and herbal notes compressed into a single bite. The level of technique is extremely high, but importantly, the technique remains largely invisible on the plate. The first courses confirmed that level, with very fresh ingredients, elegant sauces and considerable complexity. There was, however, some repetition in both flavour and presentation: several dishes used a similar visual grammar of pale creamy sauces, green oils and central ingredient compositions, while fermentation repeatedly reinforced an already pronounced acidic profile. It was all very good, but the menu benefited from the later change of register. The meat course provided exactly that change. The cuisson was excellent, the flavours deep and complex, and the darker, more roasted and savoury profile brought welcome contrast. The dish was perhaps served a touch too lukewarm, but remained very good. The cheese course was refreshingly classical and product-focused, with a well-chosen selection and excellent fruit-and-nut bread. There were a few details that felt below the otherwise very high level. The regular bread was rather dry and not particularly pleasurable, which was surprising in a restaurant of this calibre, and no small butter knife had initially been provided. These are minor points, but at two-star level, details matter. Service was warm and professional, and it was a particularly nice touch that Michaël Vrijmoed himself came to the table to present the menu. Overall, this is highly accomplished, intelligent and personal cooking: fresh, complex, technically sophisticated and very clearly worthy of its two Michelin stars.
We visited the restaurant on June 12th, 2026, a party of two people. Although, initially, on the waiting list, we were lucky enough to have someone cancel. To this person: thank you! We had a fantastic evening with wonderful food, a perfect wine pairing and stellar service. The chef himself takes the time to visit every single table and seeks feedback. Overall, a place where I would definitely visit again!
The food was incredible, but what stood out most of all was the attention to detail from both the kitchen and the front of house. This is the best service we have ever received, and the non-alcoholic drink pairing was amazing. This not a restaurant to go weekly, but the Vrijmoed team made a special occasion that much better.
6 Valentines courses was fantastic last week, staffs are very attentive with a professional services. Food portion was generous and refined (Caviar, truffles and snacks) One thing I would recommend to improve it just the temperature in the restaurant to warm, I was a bit sweat during my dinner 🥹
We are gradually working our way around the world sampling different Michelin star restaurants across the globe. We were certainly not disappointed at Vrijmoed. Everyone has their own spin on different food types which was definitely the occasion here and every dish was delicious. The man himself presented the first few dishes with obvious pride and confidence the food said the rest. Would recommend to anybody.
