An Appetite for Wine: Restaurant De Vijf Seizoenen in Brakel, Belgium

by Kristel · January 29, 2022

Great food, great wines, great people – the best way to summarise dinner at the award-winning vegetable restaurant ‘De Vijf Seizoenen’ (The Five Seasons), owned and run by WSET Diploma student colleague Peter Haegeman and his family. Right off the bat, the atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming. Yet you can see their careful attention to detail everywhere, from the decor to the plating, and most definitely in their wine selection.

We started the evening with a glass of champagne Fleury’s Blanc de Noirs – always a great choice, and the appetisers were flavoursome and well matched.

Then came a Limousin beef tartare with smoked, fermented and pickled mushrooms, matched with a Catalonian claret-style dark rosé from Penedès, 50/50 Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. An excellent, surprising pairing, which really set the tone for the remainder of the evening.

We continued with a Weissburgunder from Pfalz, Germany, which accompanied our a leek/tarragon/goat’s cheese starter. Then scallops and celeriac on a wonderfully fragrant smoking thyme bed, paired with a Saint-Aubin white Burgundy. And after a zippy, refreshing palate cleanser, we enjoyed a well-seasoned main of cod, kale, oyster and horseradish, matched with an excellent Grosses Gewächs Würzburger Riesling.

Ending with cheese for Dr. K and a restrained pear and hay-infused cream dessert for me, followed by a well-made latte macchiato.

It was a good, good night, in a restaurant I’d happily recommend to a wide range of food and wine lovers. The dishes were delicious and well prepared; while the wine selection and pairings were interesting without being too ‘out there’.

The restaurant also serves a full vegetarian (or with minor adjustments vegan) menu, and they deserve a special mention for their elegant and clever use of home-made no-waste herb/spice/vegetable powders – close to my 💖!