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What do you get when you have a Michelen starred chef (Sergio Herman) that wants to remake the "fast food" experience into a truly gourmet event? Well, you get this weird and wonderful "Frites Atelier". This is a place where you can get incredibly high quality chips, burgers and beer with a stunning attention to detail....

The Space

Already from the outside, you have the appearance of a place that seems like a gourmet restaurant, or perhaps a place of high fashion....

... and when you get inside, that idea is enhanced with specially designed decor that is supposed to ooze class and quality. Even the menu is written on a mirror on the wall, there is no paper menu here!

The kitchen is completely open to the public, and it is here where you can see the "ateliers" carefully assembling each burger and frites bowl. Actually, the attention to detail is all part of the experience, and you would be surprised, as it is as much detail as what would go into a good restaurant!

Finally, the seating space is limited. There are outdoor areas, but on this particular day it was too chilly to eat ourdoors. There was a much more roomy section on the second floor, which is where I was eating. You do get the impression that they limit the space (chairs/tables) on purpose to reduce the amount of crowding.

The Menu

... as I mentioned before, the menu was written on a mirror! Anyway, there were a selection of different types of burgers and frites (with a range of gourmet sauces!), as well as a wide selection of Belgian beers.

The Food

In the end, I ended up selecting the most basic burger and some chips with a Goulash sauce. As I had said, the amount of detail that the "ateliers" take in assembling each component of the meal was quite astounding to watch, and not what you would have expected! This chef really had clear ideas in mind when he wanted to "revolutionise" the "fast-food" experience!

I have to say, this was one of the better burgers that I've ever had... it is hard to describe, but it was the combination of some unusual ingredients (just like at a Michelin restaurant) that really made it completely different and a step up from a good old fashioned burger!

Of course, if you are selling yourself as having the best chips on the planet... well, you had better be doing a good job with these! ... and they did, these ARE the best chips that I've had (well, I did have some pretty awesome ones in Ireland in a tiny little pub....), and the sauce was spot on! Again, it was the combination of the small little things that really made it stand out. However, the chips were perfectly cooked crispy on the outside and with a great taste on the inside... I know it seems weird to rave about chips, but... it really was that good!

The Experience

Well, this has had to have been one of the weirder restaurant experiences that I've had. The food is great, the non-food experience is pretty good... however, it is incredibly expensive for what you are getting. If you consider that it essentially a burger and fries, it is pretty hefty at roughly 20 euros... but wow, it is a pretty awesome burger and fries!

It's worth dropping in for the experience and to try out some pretty great food, but it wouldn't be the place to go when you are drunk or hungover and wanting to get some salty goodness inside of you!