Cuines 33, The Jane earn two stars

Michelin stars are restaurant rankings, but they also work like power signals for a country’s food scene. Belgium and Luxembourg just got their 2026 verdict, and the headline is simple — two Belgian restaurants moved up into the two-star tier. Cuines 33 in Knokke-Heist and The Jane in Antwerp got promoted on May 4 at the guide ceremony in Antwerp’s Handelsbeurs, the city’s old stock exchange building. Michelin also handed out 10 new one-star awards, which makes this less like a reshuffle and more like a broad strengthening of the field. ### Why are these two promotions the real news? Because Michelin barely changes the upper tiers unless inspectors think something has genuinely clicked. A second star means a restaurant is no longer just excellent — it becomes a destination worth planning around. In this year’s Belgium-Luxembourg guide, the number of three-star restaurants stayed flat at two, so the real movement happened one rung below that. (guide.michelin.com) ### What changed at Cuines 33? Michelin’s inspectors pointed to a shift in both style and confidence. Chef Edwin Menue, working with partner Fleur, has pushed Cuines 33 toward a more immersive experience, but the bigger point is the food itself. Michelin described the cooking as calmer and more focused, with Asian finesse, spice, and seafood carrying more depth than before. Basically, this sounds like a restaurant that stopped trying to impress in every direction and started hitting harder with control. (guide.michelin.com) ### What changed at The Jane? The Jane is Nick Bril’s restaurant, and Michelin’s read is similar but not identical. The guide says Bril has taken the Antwerp restaurant in a new direction, with more serenity and a stronger focus on what lands on the plate. The room still matters — design and music are part of the identity — but Michelin’s point was that the cooking now feels more refined and profound. (guide.michelin.com) That is exactly the kind of wording Michelin uses when a flashy place proves it has deepened, not softened. ### How big is the starred map now? Pretty big for two small countries. The 2026 guide includes 764 restaurants in total, and 139 of them now hold at least one Michelin star. The breakdown is tight and revealing — 2 restaurants with three stars, 22 with two stars, and 115 with one star. That concentration is why Belgium keeps punching above its size in European fine dining. (guide.michelin.com) ### Who stayed at the very top? No drama there. Zilte in Antwerp and Boury in Roeselare both kept their three-star status. Michelin framed Viki Geunes and Tim Boury as the country’s benchmark figures — chefs whose restaurants are already operating at the “worth a special journey” level and stayed there this year. (guide.michelin.com) ### What about the 10 new one-stars? They matter because they show the pipeline is still active. Michelin said 10 establishments earned a first star this year, even while the top tier barely moved. That tells you the region is not just relying on famous legacy names. New contenders are still breaking through, which keeps the guide credible and keeps pressure on the middle of the pack. (guide.michelin.com) ### So what’s the bottom line? This wasn’t a year where Michelin rewrote the map. It was a year where Belgium deepened it. Cuines 33 and The Jane moved into the country’s elite bracket, the three-star summit held steady, and the one-star class kept growing. For diners, that means more choice. For chefs, it means the bar just got a little higher. (guide.michelin.com)