Restaurant La Source is the gastronomic restaurant of the domain Hostellerie La Butte aux Bois, located in Lanaken in the Limburg region of Belgium. Hostellerie La Butte aux Bois is a beautiful country estate located in a tranquil, wooded area. The luxury Relais & Châteaux hotel has recently being extended with a new modern wing, La Forêt. The complex boasts 59 rooms and suites now and a fully renovated Spa area. La Source is the gastronomic restaurant and offers high-end dining in a beautiful setting.

The premises where the hotel and the restaurant are located were originally built for the knight Sir Lagasse de Locht and his family. They are located on a premium location near the borders of Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, and are easily accessible. Today, much of the classic grandeur in the manor has been retained and complemented with modern, stylish accents. Upon entering the property, the beautiful garden with its avenues, ponds and idyllic spots welcomes the guests and offers an elegant decor in a tranquil and relaxing setting. Please, consult our separate hotel review for more information about this property. The restaurant itself is located at the backside of the building, offering great views of the beautiful garden and the woods.

Restaurant guests first enter through the hotel and pass the other restaurant, the Bistro. The newly refurbished gastronomic restaurant La Source is the setting for exquisite haute cuisine. The dining area is spacious and divided into two areas. The design is very bright, luxurious and elegant. White and grey colours are mixed with a dark wooden floor and a modern, minimalistic natural styled design. The small kitchen window brings the bustling atmosphere into the restaurant and the restaurant also features a big private terrace area with excellent views over the beautiful garden. The luxurious minimal ambience feeds all the senses and leaves maximum room for enjoyment.

Kevin Vondenhoff is in charge of the dining rooms and he and his enthusiastic team serve the guests in style and in a very friendly manner. Kevin is a highly experienced and extremely friendly maître, serving the guests with a comforting and professional flair. Sommelier Thijs van Sambeeck is responsible for the wines. Thijs is passionate about his precious bottles and offers very interesting wine pairing arrangements as well as a great selection on the wine menu. It is a pleasure to let him select a good wine and hear him tell about his favourite references.

In the kitchen, another dynamic and passionate team prepares the delicate, delicious dishes for La Source’s guests. Executive Chef Ralf Berendsen was educated in famous restaurants in Belgium and abroad. The ambitious Chef lives for gastronomy and creates contemporary dishes, based on the classic French kitchen.

From the appetisers to the mignardises, guests will enjoy tasteful, refined preparations that combine both Belgian ingredients and international influences. Dishes like a langoustine preparation with coconut, masala tandoori seasoning and a refined crab roll show delicate skills. Another example is the lukewarm Gillardeau oyster served with a tartar of oyster, apple tapioca, rettich, vin jaune and Persian caviar. It is clear that the chef and his team manage the art of combining delicate ingredients and have a preference for strong and sophisticated tastes. The chef uses the latest preparation techniques and the dishes are presented in a contemporary way with an eye for detail. Nothing is left to chance, and also the cheeses, the side dishes and the mignardises trolley demonstrate the quest for quality.

La Source is a surprising gastronomic restaurant that delivers nothing but quality – from the outstanding dishes, the beautiful location, the exquisite setting, to the great team. The combination of this high-end restaurant and the beautiful renovated hotel offers an excellent gastronomic getaway for all food lovers.

Gastronomy

Interior/exterior

The Team

Previous Visits

Written by Sven & Frank