4 - Recognised
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Fish is bought directly at the Ostend auction each week and the carte names the vessel that landed it, while beef is selected through a named specialist and dairy, fruit and vegetables come from small-scale growers close by. Menus turn over every six weeks and a market menu changes daily, so the kitchen follows what is in season on land and at sea.
Whole quarters of beef are broken down in house and fish is used from head to tail under a no-waste rule, and the kitchen's long-standing work on bycatch puts species on the table that were previously discarded at sea. Chef Filip Claeys founded the NorthSeaChefs collective in 2011, a non-commercial organisation working on behalf of Belgian fishermen that shares recipes and technical sheets so chefs, home cooks and shoppers can cook the less-familiar species.
The restaurant is listed in the We're Smart Green Guide, and Gault&Millau recognised the kitchen's philosophy with a Culinary Innovators Award in 2026.
The impact dimensions
Low waste & circular practices✓
Sustainable animal products✓
Fish bought at the Ostend auction each week with catching vessel named per dish; beef from a named specialist and local livestock farmer; dairy, fruit and vegetables from small-scale local growers.
The chef buys fish at the Ostend auction in person each week and the carte credits the catching vessel per dish, Z571 is named against the catch of the day and the turbot. The fisher of Dini O.62 supplies live brown shrimp on request, and local oysters come from the Ostend oyster pit. Michelin independently records that the menu always states the origin of the boats that caught the fish.
Beef is selected through Gino Vanhauwaert, with tenderloin carrying the Belgian Duroc d'Olives label, and the restaurant maintains close ties with a local livestock farmer. Dairy, fruit and vegetables come from small-scale local farmers, which the Bruges tourism board attributes to limiting transport impact.
The drinks list carries 140 local beers. Michelin tags the restaurant for local products.
Menu restructured every six weeks with daily changes on a market menu following the catch and seasonal produce availability.
De Jonkman changes its menu every six weeks, which is more frequent than the seasonal rotation most fine dining kitchens work to, and a four-course market menu changes daily on availability. The flagship tasting menu is named Het Seizoen volgens Filip Claeys (the season according to Filip Claeys).
The chef quotes fruit and vegetables as having their seasons just as fish do, including adaptation to shifts in North Sea species availability. Gault&Millau describes the menus as seasonal and market-driven, and the Bruges tourism board describes a philosophy of working locally and seasonally.
Whole beef quarters are butchered in house, fish is used head to tail, and bycatch that would otherwise be discarded at sea is brought deliberately onto the menu.
The Bruges tourism board states that the chef maintains close ties with a local livestock farmer and processes complete cuts of beef under a no-waste motto. The Flanders tourism board and editorial coverage describe fish being used from head to tail, and brown shrimp are bought live and prepared fresh rather than pre-cooked.
The kitchen's central commitment addresses waste at source: bycatch and lesser-known species that Belgian fishermen would otherwise return to the sea are brought onto the menu. Chef Filip Claeys founded the NorthSeaChefs collective in 2011 to build demand for these species, and both Michelin and Gault&Millau attribute this practice to the restaurant.
Fish is traced to named North Sea catching vessels per dish, beef is sourced from a named specialist and local livestock farmer, and bycatch is consciously brought onto the menu.
Fish carries vessel-level traceability on the carte, with Z571 credited against the catch of the day and the turbot, and the fisher of Dini O.62 supplies live brown shrimp on request. Michelin independently confirms that the menu always states the origin of the boats that caught the fish. The chef buys at the Ostend auction in person each week and sources oysters from the Ostend oyster pit.
On meat, Holstein beef is selected by Gino Vanhauwaert, tenderloin carries the Duroc d'Olives label, and the restaurant works closely with a local livestock farmer who supplies whole quarters for in-house butchery. The fishing method and species choice reflect a founding principle: as founder of NorthSeaChefs, the chef brings bycatch and unloved North Sea species onto the menu specifically to relieve pressure on overfished stocks, and the collective works with research teams on fishing practice.
Chef Filip Claeys founded the NorthSeaChefs collective in 2011, a non-commercial organisation with around 80 members working to build demand for lesser-known species and bycatch.
The chef founded the NorthSeaChefs collective in 2011 with Rudi Van Beylen of Hof ten Damme as a non-commercial organisation that works on behalf of Belgian fishermen to build demand for lesser-known species and bycatch. The initiative distributes creative recipes and technical sheets so that chefs, home cooks and consumers can prepare them. Around 80 members work across Belgium and the Netherlands, with four research teams and a monthly activity box for members.
Gault&Millau gave Filip Claeys a Culinary Innovators Award for restaurant philosophy in 2026, citing his years of work on lesser-known North Sea fish. Michelin, Gault&Millau and the Bruges and Flanders tourism boards all independently attribute the collective to him. The restaurant maintains close working relationships with local farmers and fishermen.
A vegetable starter in three preparations is served on the carte, and a full vegetarian menu is available on advance request.
The carte carries a vegetal starter in three preparations alongside North Sea crab, langoustine and caviar, and a fully vegetarian menu can be prepared on advance request. The We're Smart Green Guide listing confirms that vegetables have their place in the kitchen's creative cooking and praises the colour and balance of the dishes.
Sourcing signals
✓
Direct named-farm sourcing
Fishing vessels Z571 and Dini O.62 are named on the menu; beef is selected by specialist Gino Vanhauwaert and carries the Duroc d'Olives pedigree. Michelin independently confirms the menu states vessel origin for all fish.
Whole beef quarters are butchered in house, fish is used head to tail, and live brown shrimp are prepared fresh on the premises rather than bought pre-cooked.
