Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp, the city’s leading hotel & spa set within a restored 15th-century monastery, is delighted to announce the opening of Sanctus and Hidden Garden, transforming the spaces at the heart of the hotel into two new restaurants under the direction of acclaimed chef, Yves Mattagne.
Following several celebrated decades at the helm of Sea Grill in Brussels – where he held two Michelin stars for over twenty-five years – and the subsequent reopening of La Villa Lorraine, chef Mattagne has moved his gastronomic headquarters to Antwerp. Working in close collaboration with chef Charles Broutard, who leads both kitchens on a day-to-day basis, Mattagne brings to Botanic Sanctuary a culinary vision forged across forty years of travel, craft, and creative reinvention.
The two openings join Hertog Jan (**), Fine Fleur (*), Bar Bulot, and the estate’s recently announced afternoon tea by Roger van Damme at The Gingerbread House – establishing Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp’s position as the only hotel in Belgium to host three Michelin stars on-site, and one of the most ambitious culinary addresses in Europe.
Two new restaurants
The new restaurants are designed as complementary expressions of Mattagne’s culinary outlook: one intimate and ceremonial, the other generous and worldly.
Sanctus – Destination dining
A gastronomic sanctuary in one of the hotel’s most historic and impressive spaces, Sanctus offers a single tasting menu that evolves monthly with seasonal produce and the chef’s inspiration. With only one sitting per evening, guests spend plenty of time with the restaurant team and chefs – who are present throughout the meal to guide their experience. Every detail – from the opening snacks through to tableside preparations completed in full view of guests – is designed to dissolve the boundary between kitchen and dining room. The evolving menu draws on Yves Mattagne’s love of traditional Belgian seafood dishes, presented in a novel format and is brought to life by chefs Charles Broutard and his team.
Hidden Garden – All-day restaurant and bar
Behind the menu at Hidden Garden lies 45 years of travel and cross-cultural encounters. Conceived as a space where locals and travellers meet, share, and linger, Hidden Garden offers an all-day menu featuring dishes that bring together an array of international flavours and techniques executed with an uncompromising approach to high quality ingredients. Chef Yves Mattagne has drawn upon influences from his extensive travels to Japan, Thailand and further afield. showcasing these cultures through Belgian produce. Throughout summer, the terrace and outdoor kitchen extend the experience beyond the dining room into the hotel’s central garden.
The opening menu spans an eclectic range, from Finger Food (crispy avocado with shichimi and ghoa cress; smoked eel and foie gras rice with miso and nori) to Reef standouts like Baby Lobster with dan-dan butter and fried garlic, and a Langoustine & Foie Gras Dumpling with lacquered duck consommé. Comfort Classics nod to Belgian tradition with White Asparagus à la Flamande and Grey Shrimp Croquettes, while showstoppers such as whole Royal Crab from the Bering Sea, Imperial Gold caviar service, and tableside beef and Balfegó bluefin tuna tartares bring the theatre chef Mattagne describes. A dedicated Sea Grill favourite, Roasted Turbot on the Bone, anchors the main courses.
“I want people to feel something — not just eat. The food is important, yes, but what makes a restaurant today is the service, the atmosphere, the conversation. I want every dish to have a history. I want guests to see the preparation, to be part of it. The experience is the whole thing.” – Chef Yves Mattagne
About Chef Yves Mattagne
Born in 1963, Yves Mattagne began his culinary career at the Hilton International in Brussels before relocating to London, where he rose swiftly to become head chef of a fine dining restaurant. On returning to Belgium, he completed a placement at Divellec in Paris before taking the helm at Sea Grill in January 1990. The restaurant received its first Michelin star in 1991 and its second in 1997, holding both for over two decades and establishing itself as one of Belgium’s most celebrated gastronomic addresses. In 2010, Mattagne acquired the restaurant, maintaining its distinction until its closure in December 2019 after thirty years.
He subsequently oversaw the reopening of La Villa Lorraine, which regained two Michelin stars immediately upon its return in June 2020. In 2023, he and his son Sébastien founded MELA – a consultancy and events group operating in Belgium and internationally.
A destination of unmatched culinary depth
With the arrival of Sanctus and Hidden Garden, Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp now hosts a culinary programme that spans the full arc of the guest experience: from the two-Michelin-starred precision of Hertog Jan and the Michelin-starred seasonal cuisine of Fine Fleur, to the all-day conviviality of Bar Bulot, the refined pastry ritual of afternoon tea at The Gingerbread House by Roger van Damme, and the twin new restaurants by Mattagne and Broutard.
The estate – a 15th-century monastery beside Antwerp’s botanical gardens – provides a setting of rare architectural and cultural weight. Antwerp itself holds the highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants in Belgium and amongst the top globally per capita; the Botanic Sanctuary culinary programme now stands as its most concentrated expression.
