International Special Awards 2023EstablishmentInternational selection

Restaurant Willem Hiele

Willem Hiele

Koksijde, Belgium

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“Flemish Viking” Willem Hiele started simple, serving dinner from his parents’ former fisherman’s cottage in Ostend on the coast of Belgium, in 2015. After a short break last year he’s back for 2022, with a new eponymous restaurant in a Brutalist building in the Keignaert nature reserve. Hiele comes from a family of fishermen and says he is led by the “rhythm of the sea, the unpredictability of nature, and the individuality of the region”. This means he serves one tasting menu, taking diners through sea, earth, grass, and fire, interpreting the land through food.