The sky, the earth, and the water, Marius Bosmans' magnificent contrast.

As one takes the few steps leading to the heart of the estate, there's an impression of arriving in another world. Embraced by a unique light, the imposing building welcomes its guest from its majestic setting, as if escaped from the urban horizon and its tumult, a place where a blend of elegance, art, and luxurious modernity reigns. Looking up, one could linger over the beautiful rooms of the Château de Vignée. One could also lower them, thinking that three meters under this beautiful land lies one of the most exceptional wine cellars in the country.

And then there's Arden, Marius Bosmans' arena. The restaurant's dining room opens to another glow; between the sky, the forest, and a Lesse that seems to embrace the building, it feels like a caress, it would sound obvious.

Marius Bosmans' cuisine is another light, an absolute purity. It carries the character of its author: liberated, rooted in nature, connected to the terroir. It proves precise, of an absolute finesse, of a thoughtful creativity; the young chef expresses himself in plates that show meaning, freedom, and real virtuosity.

Having worked at Boury*** and Hertog Jan**, former sous chef of Thierry Theys at Nuance**, one experiences in Marius Bosmans' plates a splendid contrast. A beautiful mix of certainty and humility, of precision and spontaneity, of reason and freedom, with soul and identity. The young Chef signs more than just plates, we are here in absolute creations and fine compositions, and in flavors and textures. There is probably nothing more beautiful for this man than this spontaneity and freedom, found and beautifully translated in sometimes complex combinations where a mastery bordering on art is displayed. Marius Bosmans offers a cuisine of emotion, without unnecessary spectacle, like an invitation to a gentle balance and affirming harmony throughout the entire meal. With a special mention for the magnificent dessert trolley, which would gladly be mischievous but subtly adds a calm greediness to the moment.

The dining room, the domain of these craftsmen, moves between control and subtlety, between correctness and precision, led by the expertise of Victor Derks and a high-level team.

If some see the light and try in vain to capture it, Marius Bosmans already embodies a form of horizon, a written future. Such a cuisine, if it requires humility, invites to leave one's certainties outside, to reflect on the good that one can receive from the talent of others. And to keep the mind open and to feel happy about it.

LD