The Beautiful Promise

In the heart of Ath, where the stones still seem to echo the centuries, a new gem of gastronomy has taken root: L’Inattendu.
The name fits perfectly. After a few years just across the street, Benjamin Fontaine and Amélie Sakowskis have crossed over — and stepped into another realm. Their new home, nestled in a superb historic building, radiates serenity and elegance.

Behind the grand wooden door lies a space of balance and light. The interior has been redesigned with care: pale tones, soft illumination, wood warming the stone — everything wrapped in a quiet harmony. You don’t simply come here to dine; you come to slow down, to savour, to breathe.

In the kitchen, Benjamin Fontaine draws a clear, honest line — precise, sincere, and free of unnecessary flourish. Trained at Château du Mylord and long a loyal disciple of Benoît Neusy at L’Impératif, he has shaped, within his own walls, a true personal signature. His cuisine is refined yet generous, technical yet readable, sensitive without artifice. It’s not an exercise in style — it’s a conversation between product, fire, and guest.

From the very first bite, the tone is set: mackerel with ponzu, ricotta, citrus, and black olives; soft-shell crab in tempura, cauliflower, mango, and Vadouvan coconut milk; Iberian pork cheek with potato, granny smith, ginger, and Rodenbach Grand Cru; sweetbread in brown butter with celeriac, hay, and port; pheasant served two ways — the fillet slow-cooked and in vol-au-vent — with pumpkin waffle, quince, and blackcurrant; and to finish, a Colombian chocolate tartlet with whisky, caramel, and forest spices.

You leave L’Inattendu as after a gentle journey — the senses soothed, the heart light, carrying that rare impression of having experienced something true.
Together, Benjamin and Amélie embody the quiet strength of sincerity and the joy of genuine hospitality. Their house breathes honesty, and in its calm elegance, everything seems to fall naturally into place.

In the end, L’Inattendu only crossed the street — but its soul has soared. And that beautiful promise they carry — of time reclaimed and taste unadorned — we already know it’s been fulfilled.

LD