Only a few months after the closure of their three-star restaurant Hertog Jan at the end of December 2018, Gert De Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens open their first new restaurant. L.E.S.S. by Hertog Jan (an acronym for ‘Love. Eat. Share. Smile.’) is a modern interpretation of the duo’s work at their now-shuttered eatery, combined with the concept of their sharing restaurant L.E.S.S.. Moreover, Gert De Mangeleer and Joachim Boudens have created a stylish and surprising interior in collaboration with Another Office.
L.E.S.S. by Hertog Jan is a worldly inspired eatery where you can satisfy small and large culinary cravings, focusing on the well-known L.E.S.S. formula of sharing. The L.E.S.S. kitchen team under the daily management of chef Ruige Vermeire cooks delicious dishes inspired by flavors from around the world. On the menu, you’ll find things Gert eats at home with friends and family, from a Marrakech burger to ceviche from Peru and dim sum from Hong Kong. Joachim provides an exquisite selection of wines and beers. He leaves the well-trodden paths and presents new discoveries from all over the world.
L.E.S.S. by Hertog Jan guarantees surprising worldly flavors in a warm and atmospheric interior, accompanied by the eclectic playlists of the Belgian DJ and producer Buscemi. People who want to dine a bit earlier and who still have plans afterward can order a delicious and quick ‘pre-theatre menu’ between 6 pm and 6.45 pm.
Gert and Joachim provide the new L.E.S.S. by Hertog Jan with an attractive interior in collaboration with Tommy Van den Brandt of Another Office. Van den Brandt creates a brutalist interior in which there is room for warm materials, with lived through wooden tables, textured walls, a nubuck leather sofa and refined textiles by textile designer Nathalie Van der Massen. At the same time, the visible techniques in the ceiling and the use of patinated metal create a fascinating contrast and an international-looking result, in which guests are invited for an extensive breakfast, lunch or dinner experience.
Eye-catchers are certainly the oxblood-colored cement floor, the low seating kitchen counter with room for 17 people and the chunky leather sofa you would expect in a living room, rather than at a dining table. But also the terrace and the veranda will not go unnoticed. There Gert and Joachim choose a solid wooden construction in dark stained paddock and special glass that provides the ideal temperature in all weather types. The iconic ‘TBA chair’, designed in 1959 by Belgian designer Christophe Gevers, was brought back into production exclusively for L.E.S.S..
The L.E.S.S. kitchen is open from 12.00am to 14.30pm and from 8.00pm to 10.00pm.
Closed on Wednesdays and Sundays. The restaurant can accommodate 65 guests.
L.E.S.S. by Hertog Jan
‘t Zand 21
8000 Bruges