At One with Nature

In Flobecq, at the heart of the Pays des Collines, some houses seem to have belonged to the landscape forever. Le Vieux Château is one of them. A few steps are all it takes to enter another world. From Rue du Docteur Degrave, a stone path and a passage between the trees create a journey of initiation. Slowly, the road falls away, the noise fades, and the estate appears.

The 17th-century building reveals a dual personality: a majestic and ancestral main body overlooking the ancient moats and the park, and a contemporary wing delicately leaning against it. This glass cube, housing the kitchen and a sun-drenched dining room, creates a striking contrast between memory and modernity. The overall effect is sumptuous yet never ostentatious—architecture that seems to blend naturally into the surrounding nature.

This setting is the playground of Tanguy De Turck. A sociologist by training, nothing predestined him for the kitchen except an intimate conviction: to fulfill a childhood dream. A dedicated and passionate self-taught chef, he discovered this then-abandoned castle in the early 2000s and saw it as a blank canvas. What began as a small tavern has become, over the years, a solid and structured establishment, now ranked among the country's Michelin-starred tables.

His cuisine reflects this journey. Tanguy De Turck’s plates offer a contemporary, clear, and enthusiastic interpretation of the product. Everything is legible: one central ingredient, supported by aromas and textures, with a precise but never boastful execution. Here, subtlety replaces flashiness, and mastery reveals itself through restraint.

The chef also embraces a deeply committed approach. In a world where the environment is becoming fragile, he chooses proximity and coherence. Local producers hold an essential place in his kitchen, vegetables often take a central role, and the seasons dictate the rhythm of the menus. Under his hands, the simple becomes noble and the natural becomes structured.

His vegetable menus are perhaps the finest illustration of this. Designed "in the spirit of the vegetables," they reveal a sensitivity deeply rooted in the earth and the seasons. The plates become almost pictorial: delicate and romantic, yet always guided by flavor.

But Le Vieux Château is more than just a setting or a star. It is a house brought to life by a close-knit team, from the gardener who grows the herbs to the sommelier who composes the pairings. In the dining room, Davina Declercq sets the tone with the precision and smile that bring a discreet warmth to the service.

One leaves this table with a rare feeling: that of a moment suspended in time. The sensation of having encountered what a great restaurant should be—sincere cuisine, a clear vision, and total attention paid to the guest. In this estate surrounded by nature, gastronomy simply takes the time to tell a story.

LD