Gault&Millau Belgium: Karen Torosyan named Chef of the Year 2026
The 23ᵉ edition of the Gault&Millau Belgium guide crowns Karen Torosyan (Bozar Restaurant, Brussels) Chef of the Year 2026 and salutes a promising generation of talent.
Emilie Lesur
At Brussels Expo, on November 3, 2025, in front of over 2,000 guests, Gault&Millau unveiled its annual prize list. The title of Chef of the Year 2026 went to Karen Torosyan, of the Bozar Restaurant in Brussels. Of Armenian origin, in love with Belgium, the chef has made a name for himself through his rigor and quest for perfection. at Bozar, he sublimates the classics with the precision of a goldsmith and a profound humanity. " Year after year, Karen Torosyan establishes himself as one of the great artisans of taste ", emphasizes the guide's editorial team.
Up-and-comers to watch
The future of Belgian gastronomy looks bright. Three Young Chefs of the Year embody this renewal: Kevin Graf (De Bakermat, Ninove) for Flanders, Basile De Wulf (Basile Cuisine Gourmande, Perwez) for Wallonia, and David-Alexandre Bruno (Quartz, Ixelles) for Brussels. Three different profiles, but the same desire: to revisit terroir with audacity and sincerity.
New products and awards
This 23ᵉ edition of Gault&Millau Belgium and Luxembourg brings together over 1,340 addresses, including 153 new entrants and 166 up-and-comers. Among the pleasant surprises: Est in Leuven (15/20), Coquo in Bierwart (13.5/20) and Eliane in Brussels (17/20). The guide also singles out Inge Waeles (Hostess of the Year), Steven Wullaert (Sommelier of the Year) and Le Julien (Dessert of the Year). The Jane (Antwerp, 18.5/20) and Maison Colette (Westerlo, 17.5/20) confirm their excellence.
A guide to the future
In addition to its awards, Gault&Millau creates the Horeca Student Fund, designed to support student hoteliers from modest backgrounds. And with over 250,000 visitors a month, the gaultmillau.be website has established itself as the Belgian culinary reference.
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