Ember

The story

Ember Mechelen: Wood-Fire Grill Restaurant at Guldenstraat 9

Ember is a grill restaurant at Guldenstraat 9 in Mechelen, where Belgian seasonal produce meets open-fire cooking. Gault&Millau gave it 13 points in 2026, after the team moved into a new building in the city centre in September 2024.

Chef and cooking style

Zino Jacobs leads the kitchen. He trained at Hotelschool Ter Duinen, rose quickly to chef at KV Mechelen, and later built Zcatering, a caterer built around wood-fire grilling. The kitchen works with local producers and changes its menu with the market and the season. Meat is cooked over wood, and the restaurant aims to use as little electricity and gas as possible.

Menu and dining room

The restaurant offers a tasting menu and a vegetable menu, both priced at €119, and a Discover Ember menu on Wednesdays and Thursdays at €90. Vegetarian and gluten-free versions need to be requested at booking. The dining room is dark and atmospheric, with a view into the open kitchen. Upstairs, a private meeting room seats groups of up to 25 people and can serve the full menu.