The story
Va et Vient is a Modern French restaurant at Handboogstraat 20 in Kortrijk, Michelin Recommended in 2026. Chef Matthias Speybrouck cooks seasonal tasting menus here, close to the Leie and the Broeltorens.
Speybrouck trained with Piet Huysentruyt at Le Lutin Gourmand, Sergio Herman at Oud Sluis, and Kobe Desramaults at In de Wulf and De Vitrine. Over the years he settled on a style he calls "Rough and Refined". He also belongs to NorthSeaChefs, which promotes lesser-known fish and bycatch from Belgian and Dutch fishermen. His favourite North Sea fish is the vlaswijting.
The small menu is €89 and the larger one €105. On weekdays there is also a carte blanche of three or four dishes. Recent dishes include white asparagus with ricotta and lovage, and quail with a shellfish jus and salty herbs. Another is a catch of the day with mousseron and Parmesan. A guest report described haddock under nori and Menapian pork cooked sous-vide for 14 hours, then grilled. Veal sweetbread with Cevennes onion is the signature extra (€25). Desserts lean on coconut, lychee and kaffir lime.
The restaurant sits in a restored warehouse along the lowered Leie banks. Floor-to-ceiling windows face the river, and a glimpse into the kitchen lets you watch the brigade at work. The industrial-chic space draws a steady stream of guests, and Gault&Millau gave it 14 points in 2026.
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There are so many comings and goings between the dining room and the kitchen at Va et Vient! On one side of this cozy industrial-chic spot with floor-to-ceiling windows, diners are treated to a view of the banks of the River Lys, while the other offers a glimpse into the kitchen, where chef Matthias Speybrouck (who trained under none other than Piet Huysentruyt, Sergio Herman and even Kobe Desramaults) sends his brigade into the dining room to serve a natural, yet refined menu. That night, it featured: a light and airy fish brandade with a zhuzh of leek oil; a bite-sized morsel of the chef’s pâté – a nod to Café Paté (an amusing annual competition he launched with his chef buddy Felix from Het Vliegend Tapijts); extremely tender haddock fillet snuggled under a sheet of nori, with parsnip mousseline, herring roe and a drizzle of fromage blanc sprinkled with fennel pollen; a beautiful slice of Menapian pork pampered for 14 hours sous-vide before getting a grilling, pimped out with sweet potato puree, tender bok choi, and a bold hoisin sauce; for dessert, a crunchy shortbread tartlet topped with pistachio cream, buried under a sorrel and lemongrass granita, followed by a chocolate mousse hidden under a crispy hazelnut feuilletine and a quenelle of sunchoke ice cream, with a fleur de sel and cocoa crumble border. //Alba Nebbioli
At the popular restaurant Va et Vient, run by chef Matthias Speybrouck, there's a constant stream of guests. Alongside the carefully crafted seasonal cuisine, guests can also clearly enjoy the beautiful interior of the restored warehouse along the Leieboorden....
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