La Grappe d'Or
Go!
I recommend making reservations and traveling up to an hour out of your way for this experience.
To be honest, Arlon was not on my list of places to visit. I had a couple days in Europe at the end of my Tomorrowland adventure and saw Luxembourg was fairly close to Brussels. I have always wanted to visit Lux as I have some family originally from there. Luckily, thanks to the efficient trains in Europe, I had just enough time for an overnight trip. I was looking for a nice restaurant for my dinner there but unfortunately all the fine dining options I could find in Luxembourg were either fully booked, closed on Tuesdays, or closed for the entire month of July! Expanding my search I found La Grappe d'Or just outside the Belgian town of Arlon, a cool 30 minutes from my Luxembourg hotel, and I am so glad I did.
Driving through plots of Belgian farmland, I arrived at a gravel parking lot in front of an unassuming home standing alone. I had to be in the right place, right? Walking along the front of the building toward what must be the entrance I saw the beautiful metal sign next to a simple front door walked in.
Wandering to the host stand I was greeted and shown to my table in their beautiful garden. The sunflowers had just passed but with the sun lowering in the sky the lighting was absolutely awesome. Everyone was well dressed and I felt a bit of a formal vibe but an extremely relaxed way. It was a 'We are dressed up for dinner but this is normal for us so relax and enjoy the experience' type of feeling. The welcome drink reflected this and was crisp and refreshing.
The first bite, a flower with local cheese and honey, was super simple, delicious, and an excellent way to start the evening.
I ordered the house cocktail which was made fresh tableside. It was fruity and sour and paired nicely with the first bites.
Each bite was gorgeous and had been meticulously assembled. The progressive richness was very enjoyable.
I was enjoying the sunset in the garden and one of the staff asked me if I was finished and wanted to move to my table. I was confused until i realized that this gorgeous garden setup was not where I was going to have my meal! I followed the staff inside and saw the gorgeous dining room. The lighting was perfect and table comfortable. The bread, wine and courses then began to come.
The bread was simple but the simple butter was to die for. I came to find out it was rated top butter in the world at some point. I believe I finished the entire patty on that bread.
The first courses were excellent. A delicious continuation of the bites from the garden. The wine paring was excellent the entire way through the meal. The magic of things appearing at your table at a fine dining restaurant never ceases to amaze me. The staff attention to your mood and comfort makes the experience very enjoyable.
After the absolutely perfect first few courses the main was underwelming. The legumes in both portions were underdone to my liking. The meat was good and perfectly cooked but the overall course was slightly disappointing. However, I'll never forget the cheese.
I'd seen this massive cart rolling around the restaurant to the other tables that were ahead of me and I wasn't sure what was going on. Then, after I had finished my main, it came to my table. The staff member described each and every cheese for me in great detail. I selected one from each category and a second from the category of my choice (blue of course!). She sliced off a piece of each and served them with a variety of accompaniments. Either I made the perfect choices or every cheese they had available was excellent.
Dessert is never my favorite part of a fine dining experience. I am often quite full, tipsy, and do not fully enjoy the courses. That said, the desserts were quite good, not too heavy, and I really enjoyed the orange wine pairing.
Overall the experience was amazing. This is one of my top experiences and I will definitely return next time I am in that part of Belgium. Thanks La Grappe D'or for a wonderful evening!
