Restaurant Vrijmoed

What Restaurant Vrijmoed does

Restaurant Vrijmoed is a privately held, chef-owned fine dining establishment located in a historic townhouse on Vlaanderenstraat 22 in the center of Ghent, Belgium. Founded by chef Michaël Vrijmoed on March 1, 2013, the restaurant holds two Michelin stars (first earned eight months after opening, second in 2017), a Gault & Millau score of 17.5/20, and has been ranked among the world's top three vegetable-focused restaurants by the We're Smart Green Guide. It operates on a four-day workweek (Tuesday-Friday), serving a 3-7 course seasonal tasting menu at €99-€189 per person with optional wine and non-alcoholic pairings, alongside an à la carte selection and a dedicated Pure Vegetables menu. A small brigade of approximately eight employees executes the kitchen and front-of-house, with maître José Garcia Vidal and sommeliers Céline Dubois and Benjamin De Buck anchoring the service.

The business generates revenue across four primary streams: (1) on-premise fine dining covers, the dominant stream; (2) gift vouchers sold in-restaurant, by registered mail, and online via the Tablefever e-commerce platform; (3) branded spirits (Vrijmoed Gin launched 2017, Vrijmoed Jenever) co-developed with sommelier Benjamin De Buck and produced by The Bassets Craft Distillery using locally sourced organic ingredients; and (4) two cookbooks (the seasonal cookbook and 'Vrijmoed Eenvoud') sold at the restaurant and in bookstores. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the Resengo reservation system, with supplementary B2B exposure through collaborations such as Brussels Airlines' Belgian Star Chefs program (Business Class catering, 2023-2024) and referral partnerships with six Ghent hotels.

The restaurant is the operating entity of a single legal name (Vrijmoed, BTW BE 0501.644.705, registered in Gent), with no parent company, no external funding, and no disclosed subsidiaries. Its competitive positioning rests on a vegetable-forward culinary philosophy that rejects the traditional distinction between noble and inferior ingredients, supply-side moats from its O'de Flander ambassadorship (an EU geographically protected designation since 2014), and a tightly limited service capacity that constrains scalability by design.

Name

Restaurant Vrijmoed

Legal name

Vrijmoed

Website

https://vrijmoed.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Restaurant Vrijmoed is a two-Michelin-star fine dining restaurant in Ghent, Belgium, serving seasonal vegetable-forward 3-7 course tasting menus to individual diners and corporate guests, with ancillary revenue from branded gin, jenever, cookbooks, and gift vouchers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fine Dining Restaurants

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Malt Beverages (2082)

akta.pro primary industry

Chef’s Table & Tasting Menu Restaurants (THAFACAG)

Keywords

• Fine dining restaurant
• Vegetable-forward cuisine
• Michelin-starred tasting menu
• Artisanal gin distillery
• Seasonal Belgian gastronomy

Headquarters

HQ city

Gent (Ghent)

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Fine Dining Restaurant Service: Revenue from serving multi-course tasting menus (3-7 courses) and a la carte items. Lunch served 12:00-13:30, dinner 19:00-21:30. Closed Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.
2. Gift Vouchers: Sale of physical gift vouchers (valid 1 year, collectible at restaurant or sent by registered mail within Belgium for €10 fee) and online gift vouchers via Tablefever platform.
3. Vrijmoed Gin and Jenever: Sale of artisanal gin and jenever distilled in Flanders with locally sourced organic botanicals. Products available for purchase at the restaurant.
4. Cookbooks: Sale of cookbooks including the seasonal cookbook and 'Vrijmoed Eenvoud' (simple recipes) available at the restaurant and in bookstores.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Restaurant Vrijmoed is a two-Michelin-star fine dining restaurant in Ghent, Belgium, serving seasonal multi-course tasting menus (3-7 courses), a vegetable-forward Pure Vegetables menu, and an à la carte selection. Beyond dining, it sells artisanal Vrijmoed Gin and Jenever distilled with local organic botanicals, gift vouchers, and signature cookbooks featuring the chef's seasonal recipes.

Product overview

Restaurant Vrijmoed is a two-Michelin-star fine dining restaurant (founded March 2013) offering multiple dining experiences: the main Vrijmoed Tasting Menu (4-7 courses), the award-winning Pure Vegetables Menu, and an À la carte selection. Beyond dining, the restaurant has expanded into consumer products including its own Vrijmoed Gin and Vrijmoed Jenever spirits (distilled in Flemish territory with organic local ingredients), and has published two cookbooks. Gift vouchers are sold both in-restaurant and via Tablefever online platform. Reservations are processed through Resengo booking system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vrijmoed Gin: Gin distilled three times with care, generous in taste and soft in aftertaste. Launched in 2017.
• Vrijmoed Jenever

Products and services

• Vrijmoed Tasting Menu Multi-course fine dining tasting menu of 4 to 7 courses with optional wine pairings and non-alcoholic pairings; the daily-changing menu changes seasonally and is aimed at food enthusiasts seeking a Michelin-level experience.
• Pure Vegetables Menu Dedicated vegetarian/vegetable-focused tasting menu featuring plant-based dishes such as Rocket salad, Spinach Ravioli (Signature Vrijmoed), and New Potato confit; recognized by Gault & Millau as Best Veggie Menu Benelux.
• À la carte Menu Individual à la carte dishes including starters (Langoustine tartare, Pork tail terrine), main courses (Turbot, Veal sweetbread, Lamb), and desserts, served at lunch and dinner.
• Gift Vouchers Stylishly packaged gift vouchers valid for 1 year, available for collection at the restaurant, sent by registered mail within Belgium, or purchased online via the Tablefever platform.
• Vrijmoed Gin Artisanal gin distilled three times with locally cultivated organic raw materials and unique botanicals including kefir and lemongrass; available for purchase at the restaurant.
• Vrijmoed Jenever Traditional jenever distilled four times in a pot still for ultimate softness and a wide range of flavors; revives the family's historical 1850 distilling heritage from Schiedam; available for purchase at the restaurant.
• Vrijmoed Seasonal Cookbook Seasonal cookbook featuring three products per season with three easy-to-make recipes each, plus tasting notes explaining Chef Michaël Vrijmoed's culinary philosophy; sold at the restaurant and in bookstores.
• Vrijmoed Eenvoud Cookbook Second cookbook containing over 50 simple recipes inspired by the chef's youth, environment, and travels; marketed as an accessible cookbook for home cooks; sold at the restaurant and in bookstores.

Named customers3 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• The Bassets Craft DistillerycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Artisanal distillery that craft-distills Vrijmoed's signature gin (triple distilled) and jenever (quadruple distilled) according to their ultimate recipe developed with sommelier Benjamin De Buck. The distillery creates unique botanicals incorporating culinary elements like kefir and lemongrass.
• O'de FlanderflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014O'de Flander is a geographically protected (by European Union) designation for Flemish products. Restaurant Vrijmoed serves as ambassador of O'de Flander since 2014, using locally cultivated organic raw materials for their gin and jenever production.
• ResengocoreTechnology or IntegrationResengo is the reservation and gift voucher processing partner for Restaurant Vrijmoed. They handle reservation data (name and GSM number) and gift voucher purchases (name, address, and email). The partnership enables online booking functionality and gift voucher transactions.
• TablefeverminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOnline platform partner for purchasing digital gift vouchers. Customers can order, pay, and print gift vouchers online through Tablefever's platform.
• Mastercooks of BelgiumminorOthersProfessional association of master cooks in Belgium. Michaël Vrijmoed is a member.
• North Sea ChefsminorOthersNetwork of North Sea region chefs. Vrijmoed participates in this culinary network.
• Benjamin De BuckcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSommelier who collaborated with Chef Michaël Vrijmoed to develop the Vrijmoed gin and jenever recipes through joint tastings and experimentation with botanicals.
• Hotel Partners (Recommended Accommodations)minorOthersRecommended hotels near the restaurant for guests: 1898 THE POST, B&B Hotel Verhaegen, Pillows Grand Hotel Reylof, Marriott Ghent, Ghent River Hotel, and Hotel Yalo. These partnerships help accommodate out-of-town guests.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Jane: Two-Michelin-star fine dining restaurant in Antwerp led by chef Nick Bril. Closest same-tier peer in Belgium with similar tasting-menu structure and contemporary culinary positioning.
• Mugaritz: Two-Michelin-star restaurant in San Sebastián, Spain, led by Andoni Luis Aduriz. Internationally recognized for vegetable-forward innovation and tasting menu experimentation - closely aligned with Vrijmoed's R&D-driven vegetable cuisine and category-defining approach.
• Zilte: Three-Michelin-star restaurant in Antwerp by chef Viki Geunes. Comparable Belgian tasting-menu operation with premium positioning and similar coastal/regional ingredient sourcing philosophy.
• Septime: One-Michelin-star Paris restaurant led by Bertrand Grébaut. Highly regarded French vegetable-forward fine dining with comparable tasting menu structure, chef-driven philosophy, and similar cover capacity.
• Bon Bon: One-Michelin-star restaurant in Brussels led by chef Christophe Hardiquest. Comparable Brussels/Belgium fine dining peer with similar modern Belgian tasting menu approach and premium pricing.
• Mirazur: Three-Michelin-star restaurant in Menton, France, led by Mauro Colagreco. Globally recognized vegetable- and nature-forward fine dining restaurant - the most relevant international peer given the shared vegetable-forward philosophy.
• Hof van Cleve: Three-Michelin-star restaurant in Puurs, Belgium, led by chef Peter Goossens - the direct mentor where Michaël Vrijmoed served as sous-chef. The most directly comparable Belgian fine dining peer and the lineage connection is explicit.
• De Librije: Three-Michelin-star restaurant in Zwolle, Netherlands, led by Jonnie and Thérèse Boer. Comparable Dutch fine dining peer with tasting menu format and similar seasonal, ingredient-driven philosophy.
• Boury: Two-Michelin-star restaurant in Roeselare, Belgium, led by chef Tim Boury. Directly comparable Belgian fine dining peer at the same Michelin tier with similar modern tasting menu approach.
• Oud Sluis: Former three-Michelin-star Dutch fine dining institution in Sluis led by Sergio Herman. Comparable Northern European vegetable and seafood-focused tasting menu restaurant in the Belgium/Netherlands fine dining orbit with chef-driven identity.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/restaurantvrijmoed
• Instagraminstagram.com/restaurant_vrijmoed
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/restaurant-vrijmoed

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Restaurant Vrijmoed