Van Damme, like Herman, was born in Sluis, but trained at the celebrated Ter Groene Poorte chef school in Bruges. His speciality is pastries, and he has become known as one of Europe’s top dessert chefs. He took over Het Gebaar, housed in the lodge of the Antwerp botanical gardens, in 1994. It was serving sandwiches and cakes, but Van Damme saw a demand for more substantial food and adapted the menu accordingly. One thing he didn’t change, however: the restaurant is only open at lunch time. “Customers can have lunch until 16.00,” he said. “Then that’s enough. I have a wife and children, and I want to be home in the evening.”

Some consolation for Goossens came from the editor of the Belgian section of Gault Millau, who declared he would never give a 20 to a Belgian restaurant, and that Goossens had no reason to feel inferior to Herman. Herman himself, whose restaurant in Sluis is so close to the Belgian border that his clientele is often more Flemish than Dutch, was said to be unhappy with the perfect score, which a psychologist consulted by Het Nieuwsblad described as “pure torture for a perfectionist”.

Elsewhere, Goossens was joined in the top three by two Brussels restaurants, Comme Chez Soi and the Sea Grill of the Radisson SAS Hotel.