The story
Just five minutes from Namur, in the village of Malonne, Yirmi is the expression of chef Jeremy Vandernoot’s culinary vision. The restaurant occupies a small, intimate space that seats only about twenty guests—a deliberate choice that allows Vandernoot and his small team to give each diner their full attention. The atmosphere is elegant yet relaxed, a setting where Vandernoot can both live and work, surrounded by his family and his craft.
The kitchen at Yirmi is firmly anchored in French cuisine, but Vandernoot draws inspiration from global flavours. The menu changes with the seasons, built entirely around locally sourced produce. The restaurant works with a network of regional producers—bakeries, farms, foragers, and breweries—to bring ingredients from just a few kilometres away onto the plate. The result is cooking that is sincere, generous, and refined, with a modern touch that lifts familiar tastes into something new.
There is no à la carte. Instead, diners choose from a few fixed-price menus: a lunch formula at €45, a “Petite balade” at €72, and a “Grande balade” at €92. Each meal begins with a box of amuse-bouches and unfolds in several courses. The kitchen is flexible, however—gluten-free, lactose-free, vegetarian, and vegan adaptations are available on request, and the team is happy to discuss preparations before booking.
Yirmi earned a Michelin Recommended distinction in 2026, a recognition that aligns with the restaurant’s quiet ambition. The guiding philosophy is to use every part of each ingredient, deconstructing a main element to highlight its different textures and flavours. The menu descriptions are deliberately concise, leaving room for surprise, but the intention is clear: to take guests on a genuine gastronomic adventure rooted in respect for the product and the land.
A sommelier selects pairings to accompany each menu, and there is also a non-alcoholic option. The wine list is interesting, and the team is happy to guide choices. With outdoor seating, parking, and the ability to host private parties, Yirmi is as suited to a special celebration as it is to a quiet weekday lunch. It is, above all, a place where the food speaks for itself—honest, seasonal, and made with care.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
Once a personal chef, always a personal chef. That’s still kind of the case for Jérémy Vandernoot (ex-L’Air du Temps in Éghezée, Bon-Bon in Brussels, L’Agathopède in Namur, and a contestant on Top Chef Belgium 2018), as he now welcomes no more than ten guests at a time into the ground floor of his own detached home in the village of Malonne. The whitewashed brick walls and open cellar capture the eye at Yirmi, baptized in 2021 after the boss (Yirmiyahu is Jérémy in Hebrew), and it’s here where the local terroir and the finest produce in its most natural state grace each plate. As for the menu, which is written out in just five words, it’s difficult to decipher what we’re actually going to sink our teeth into. The promise? A flavorful trip that rapturously reaches a high of flavors and textures. The robust four-course menu (€59) features three appetizers upon boarding (beet meringues, an endive, citrus fruit and coffee tartlet, carrot mousse), three mini desserts at the end of the cruise, plus brioche with a chicken skin crisp top coat as a tasty companion for the journey. Sandwiched in between all that? Some locally grown grilled leeks with nasturtium, samphire, leek butter and trout roe; plump monkfish in a miso sauce; a perfect fillet of Rouge de Famenne beef with smoked garlic hummus, sunchokes, sweet potatoes crisps and wild garlic with capers; and a pillowy soft brioche with Nuu Miso miso ice cream for dessert. // Jessica Fletcher
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