The story
Il Divino di Milano in Wuustwezel operates as a dedicated Italian kitchen where Chef Johan De Jaegher applies lessons learned at his father’s Antwerp trattoria. He took over that family counter at nineteen after completing formal training at the Ter Duinen hotel school. Working alongside visiting Italian chefs during those early years forged a lasting appreciation for authentic Italian cuisine. Sylvie Aernouts now guides daily service, while the Gault & Millau 13 score awarded this year reflects their sustained commitment to that original ambition.
The former 1866 pastorie required a complete overhaul, yet the renovation preserved its structural bones while introducing cozy alcoves and subtle metallic accents. Bronze fittings and copper details catch the carefully positioned lighting throughout the dining room. Sylvie now steers the daily operations, maintaining the exact atmosphere she and Johan designed from the ground up. Guests settle into these intimate settings before the Morello Forni wood oven begins its work in the adjacent kitchen.
This Italian cooking relies on ingredients sourced directly from Italy, including Piedmont olive oil and Chianti aged balsamic vinegar. Fresh pasta sheets are rolled à la minute in-house, yielding dishes like linguine with lobster and bottarga or tagliatelle dressed in black truffle. Grilled octopus appears alongside ginger cream, while ossobuco simmers until it falls from the bone. A summer terrace overlooking a private garden extends the dining space when the weather turns warm.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
Location
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