Alexandre is a concept, named after a famous Burgundian of the same name who enjoyed the odd decadent meal and his fair share of drinks. For the past 10 years, owners Tamara and Tim Ritserveldt (Tim is also the chef) have been spoiling clients with outstanding dishes in a classy atmosphere, minus the haughty attitude of similarly chic places.
My willing dining companion and I enter the stately 18th-century mansion and are immediately made to feel welcome by our smiling server. She shows us to our candlelit table in one of the two dining rooms with high ceilings and soothing fern-green walls.
We order two house aperitifs and they come with long spoons, to scoop out the fresh peaches at the bottom of the Champagne flute. Soon after, we are presented with a teaser plate on the house: a miniature bowl of fresh tomato soup and one crunchy fried croquette with a velvety pork belly filling and green peas.
The set menus offer three courses at €40 or four courses at €45, so naturally we opt for the latter. The Menu Alexandre comes with paired wines for an additional €18, but we forgo this option in favour of a Tripel Karmeliet and a Geuze Boon. The beers prove to be a good match, at least for the first two courses.
First up is a painstakingly arranged work of art consisting of seared scallops, cream of red cabbage, duck liver pâté and green affila cress. The cress is a lovely herb with its decorative curly shoots and delicate sweet-pea flavour. It lends itself perfectly to the strong – but not overpowering – duck liver. The circles of pâté have a mousse-like texture and a lavish meaty taste. Atop each circle, one little red raspberry provides an explosive fruity burst to the pâté, almost as if the two were made for each other. The red cabbage cream contributes a slightly bitter, earthy bite to the dish, while the scallops run away with first prize for their buttery soft flavour and texture.
Completely dumbfounded by the first dish, we can hardly wait to see what’s next. It’s a giant slab of cod, skin-on and barely grilled on both sides in a mixture of spices. A thick and crispy slice of bacon adds some salty smokiness to the dish, while silky sweet potatoes bring a hint of sweetness. Next to this is a carpaccio of Brussels lof, thinly sliced leaves of witloof cooked in loads of butter and sprinkled with lightly fried pieces of garlic and sea salt. We both agree that the garlic is too full-on and unnecessary, only taking away from the subtlety of the rest of the dish.
Just when I thought it couldn’t possibly get any better, the main dish arrives. A thick chunk of springbok (a type of gazelle or antelope) is sliced up into several pieces revealing a rosy centre. The outside is lightly grilled and coated in coarsely ground black pepper, while the inside is tender and juicy and brimming with beefy flavour. It’s propped up against a pile of tender baby carrots, green asparagus tips and sweet-pea puree. I love it when one ingredient appears in different forms throughout a meal, the way sweet peas are the recurring theme on this particular evening.
Thankfully, however, the peas don’t resurface during dessert. Instead, we get a scoop of pistachio ice-cream, a white, orange peel-infused bavarois and fluffy vanilla cream. The attention to detail is once again astounding, with one candied peanut standing straight up in the vanilla cream as if it were made out of glass, and super-thin strands of bright red candy spun into a nest that melts on your tongue.
As the last ones to leave, we have a chance to peek at the back patio, a walled garden with ponds and plants and a view of the church tower, idyllic for warmer months.
We’re almost as baffled by the bill as by the quality of the food itself, as we pay only €57 each.
Kloosterberg 31, Steenhuize (Herzele, East Flanders); 054.50.03.44
Mon, Fri & Sun, 12.00-15.00 & 18.00-22.00; Thu & Sat, 18.00-22.00
Mains: €40-€45
Mansion restaurant serving up refined seasonal dishes in a classy, relaxed setting
Contact Bite at flandersbite@gmail.com
Flanders Today is a 
11°C / 22°C
