Meteor: pure gastronomy in a refined yet homely setting

Last year, chef Maarten Van Essche and his wife Tine Claerhout opened the restaurant Meteor. The restaurant is characterised by a sustainable and intuitive kitchen in a cozy setting, serving only the finest products from local producers.

Meteor is located in the former rectory of Heffen, a small, picturesque village on the left bank of the Zenne River, near Mechelen. The restaurant’s ambiance and design are both cinematic and homely, with an old staircase and original floors, candles, and flowers on unpressed white table linen. Meteor aims to be a place where guests feel comfortable and welcome. A stack of firewood against unfinished grey-washed walls, high ceilings with classical mouldings, a casually placed stereo with a carefully curated playlist, and the attentive yet subtle service highlight the charm of this place.

In the kitchen, Van Essche cooks in harmony with the interior and atmosphere of the restaurant: sober but elegant, modestly refined, personal, thoughtfully casual, honest, and pure, with respect for tradition and an openness to innovation.

The kitchen is a reflection of a geographical zeitgeist. Dishes are created based on the supply of local farmers. As a result, the fixed menu, like nature, is always in motion. Van Essche’s style glides between tradition and modernity, where different techniques enhance the layering of apparent simplicity. Fire remains a constant element in Van Essche's cooking.

A natural kitchen calls for natural wines. Much like his cooking, Van Essche has a clear vision for natural wines, resulting in a wine list featuring a selection of carefully chosen wines from European winemakers who work as naturally as possible, with minimal intervention or according to biodynamic principles. In addition to young and uncomplicated wines, Meteor also offers a unique selection of aged wines that Van Essche has been storing in his cellar for years.

Van Essche has been cooking at a high level for more than 15 years. He gained experience working with Alain Ducasse (Bar et Boeuf), Peter Goossens (Hof Van Cleve), Rene Redzepi (Noma), and Bart De Poorter (Pastorale) before cooking with his Meteor Food Truck at Paris Fashion Week in 2013.

Van Essche says about that time:
“It was a revelation to be able to cook for such an international audience with the Meteor Food Truck, but even more so, to go and eat in the best restaurants and gastro-bistros of the culinary capital. An unseen quality seemed standard there, and it is precisely this standard that I want to bring to Meteor. Together with the warm welcome and great hospitality that we were able to experience there.”

This was followed by projects and (temporary) restaurants such as De Zwaan, Wilder at the Villa, Les Petits Ruisseaux, and Magma, the restaurant that Van Essche kept open in Mechelen’s city center until April 2023.

Throughout all these adventures, the artisanal approach to honest cuisine, the love of natural wines, and the joy of sharing remained central.

Meteor
Sint-Amandusstraat 5,
2801 Heffen dorp
https://meteorrestaurant.be
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