Nestled in the green heart of the Belgian Ardennes, in Sainte-Ode, Le Relais d’Orti has, in just a few months, established itself with quiet confidence. A place that does not seek to impress, but to welcome. Imagined by Lisa Driegelinck and Séraphin Boon, this long-term project goes far beyond the idea of a simple gastronomic hotel. It is a lived-in house, a sensitive refuge where nature, cuisine, and the art of living meet.

Here, everything begins with the landscape. Forests embrace, fields breathe, and silence settles like a presence. The Relais blends into it seamlessly, as if it had always been there.

Inside, the same feeling prevails: local wood, personal objects, soft light… every detail tells a story without ever insisting. Because Lisa and Séraphin didn’t just imagine this place, they built it, patiently, over nearly eight years, until it became an extension of themselves. And it shows immediately. Here, you are not received. You are invited.

Their journey explains this coherence. They met during a stage at Pastorale near Antwerp, then moved to Roeselare where they created Weinbeisserei, a vibrant and free-spirited table d’hôtes… before the desire for space, nature, and a more rooted project led them to Sainte-Ode. The land, found almost by chance, became the starting point of a larger story. Once again, an obvious step.

Le Relais d’Orti feels like a breath of air. Eleven rooms only, a bistro open to the village, a gastronomic restaurant overlooking the valley, and soon a wellness space. A human-scale composition, designed to slow down, linger, and reconnect with what matters.

But it is at the table that the place fully reveals itself.
The meal begins in the lounge, by the softly crackling fire, before gently moving into the dining room, where wood surrounds, breathes, and allows a quiet, almost imperceptible life to flow.
The rhythm settles in, naturally. Overlooking the valley and the kitchen garden, Séraphin Boon’s cuisine finds its balance. After experiences at Sea Grill and Bianchin, and shaped by his time abroad, he develops here a more grounded, direct approach. With a free spirit, he explores his universe. The product is central, treated in its entirety, without artifice. Nothing arrives pre-cut, everything is transformed on-site with precision and respect.

On the plate, this translates into a highly readable cuisine, guided by seasons and intuition: artichoke, oyster, potato, lavender; radish, verbena; red mullet, rapeseed, preserved lemon; morels, trout, beech; duck, rhubarb, chicory. Compositions that move quietly, yet leave a lasting impression.

Lisa’s pairings accompany with finesse and intelligence, whether wine-based, lighter, or alcohol-free. During our visit, teas and infusions subtly reshaped the experience.
Service strikes the perfect balance between precision and warmth: relaxed kindness, sincere attention, without formality.

Located at the entrance of the Orti reserve, in the heart of the Two Ourthes Natural Park, the Relais also becomes a gateway. To walks, trails, long journeys. But the real journey lies elsewhere. In this rare ability to create a place where you instantly feel at home. Where everything flows naturally. And where, quietly, everything becomes a little simpler.

Perhaps that is its true singularity: offering another form of luxury. More silent. More rooted. More human.
A place you come to eat, of course.
But above all, to slow down. To pause. And somehow, to reconnect.

LD · Eating · april 2026