The story
Trente is a bistro at Kapucijnenvoer 48 in Leuven, rated 14.5 by Gault&Millau in 2026. Chef Bart Springael cooks here, and his partner David Daenens runs the dining room.
Springael works with seasonal produce and keeps the plates calm. There are no superfluous frills or contrived presentations, only carefully considered combinations. Gault&Millau praises the attentive service and the original, flavourful amuse-bouches that sharpen the appetite before the main sequence.
Le Fooding described a meal that moved from rainbow trout with carrot and mandarin vinaigrette to turbot with celeriac purée and champagne emulsion. Scallops came with homemade XO sauce, then honey-mirin guinea fowl. The seasonal menu on the restaurant's site lists kohlrabi with wasabi and apple ponzu, turbot with young cauliflower and Marcona almond, and duck with cherries and beetroot. Dessert is raspberry, lychee, rose and yoghurt, or cheese instead.
Bart and David opened Trente in 2006 and later moved into Trente 3.0, a minimalist space of blond wood tables, ombré curtains and a terracotta counter. It seats 14. A blurry blue-black painting by the chef hangs on the wall. Daenens pairs the menu with wines chosen to suit the restrained style of the bistro kitchen, and Le Fooding listed Trente in 2026. The entrance is via Grasmushof.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
It all began at De Oesterbar in Amsterdam, where Bart Springael crossed paths with David Daenens, who was washing dishes to pay his way through interior design school. Fast-forward to 2006, and the pair ditched the scrubbing sponges and opened their own restaurant, with Bart in the kitchen and David bringing the vibe to the dining room. Twenty years on, they unveiled the brand-new Trente 3.0, a minimalist space (blond wood tables, white-to-blue ombré curtains, a terracotta counter) designed exactly to their measure, seating just 14 lucky diners. On the wall, a painting by the chef himself, a blurry black-and-blue monochrome nodding to Barnett Newman, sets the tone for the meticulous choreography of the meal to come. After four amuse-bouches – including an excellent fresh fromage blanc fringed with herbs, cucumber and borage, topped with a yogurt whey vinaigrette with fines herbes oil – the procession unfolded: rainbow trout with Chantenay carrot in various textural forms, doused in a mandarin vinaigrette enhanced with fish roe and ponzu; turbot served with creamy celeriac purée and a champagne emulsion; gleaming scallops with homemade XO sauce, Hokkaido cream and a chilled beurre blanc infused with sea buckthorn; followed by honey-mirin-glazed guinea fowl studded with coriander seeds, plus parsnip, parsley root purée and a duo of sauces – including a superb black trumpet mushroom condiment. All before wrapping up the meal in style with camembert au Calvados (rind soaked in Calvados brandy) paired with roasted apple compote, pecan crumble and a smooth date cream. · Schannul
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