The story
Neon in Lier shapes its sustainable seasonal cuisine around the exact rhythm of soil and sea. The kitchen divides the calendar into winter, spring, summer, Indian autumn and late autumn, letting micro seasons dictate every plate. Vegetables and fruit take center stage while North Sea fish and pasture raised meats play supporting roles. This constant recalibration earned the establishment five radishes from the We’re Smart Green Guide in 2026.
This vegetable focused gastronomy defines the current menu across seven dinner courses and four lunch bites. A starter of sweet pepper, strawberry and goat yogurt leads into river crayfish paired with rose and raspberry. Later plates shift toward grilled mussels with artichoke and beans, followed by veal sweetbread cooked with apricot and XO girolles. The finale closes with chocolate, cherries and summer herbs, proving how deeply the team respects each ingredient.
Guests step into a space designed to feel exactly like home. The staff prioritizes comfortable gatherings over rigid formality, making it straightforward to share long lunches or quiet dinners. Tables fill quickly during the Thursday and Friday midday service, yet the evening atmosphere remains equally grounded. Every detail supports a new balance between serious craft and everyday warmth.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
Forget lunch boxes with sad looking sandwiches… The old school refectory of the École Normale de Lierre has been transformed into a much more tempting canteen, thanks to Nils Proost and Annelies Tersago – classy AF. After 10 years running their restaurant, Petit Cuistot, the pair wanted something new with Scandi-chic vibes, brought to life by Lawrence Auwerx from dhulst’ architect studio. Here, old school becomes cool: the vintage desk sitting in the entrance belonged to Annelies’ great-grandfather, Louis Dos, the chairs come from the math department and the cutlery trolley has been glossed in terrazzo by Studio Beton in Heist Op Den Berg. After a few appetizers (sublime asparagus from Lierse Asperges, sliced and served with smoked egg custard and parsley oil), tender cod with morel mushrooms doused in a sauce made from last year’s (fermented) asparagus peelings and the first wild garlic shoots of the season; and for dessert, a rhubarb and beet jam with magnolia granita. // Kiko Zushi
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