Le Julien

Chefs still wear starched toques here, which tells you something about the tone. This Michelin-starred French fine dining restaurant occupies a restored farmstead in a small Flemish village, and the setting is genuinely lovely, all warm colors and countryside quiet. The cooking leans into classic French technique, rich sauces, top-drawer ingredients, with the occasional exotic note slipped in to keep things honest. The sommelier actually knows what they're talking about.

One honor, in evidence: