“We really fell in love with it.” In the small village of Arimont, the old farm from 1847 has continued to evolve since its purchase by Sabine and Olivier Sevrin 25 years ago. Completely renovated, it hosts a restaurant as well as a Bed & Breakfast, in a bucolic setting.
In the kitchen, Olivier, better known in the region by his nickname “Bouli”, offers French cuisine, rich in sauce, which gives pride of place to vegetables, with a menu that changes every month . “I cook the cuisine that I love, with seasonal products; a generous cuisine. In my vision of cooking, I am quite classic: meat/fish, vegetables and starchy foods, but I never make fries (except for children’s dishes)”, explains Bouli.
Land-sea cuckoo from Mechelen and langoustines
As a starter this month? Soft-boiled egg in brioche, truffle mouillettes; small vegetable scallop ravioli, saffron white butter or even frog leg and porcini mushroom croquettes. Main course: confit lamb pastilla, polenta, rosemary jus; “land and sea” of Malines cuckoo and langoustines in puff pastry, cod fillet, pan-fried wild mushrooms, champagne sauce…
The flagship seasonal products – today mushrooms, tomorrow autumn vegetables and soon game – obviously find a special place in its preparations, highlighted by a fine presentation. Want a little sweet? The Bordeaux cannelé and rum sabayon (find its recipe in video) has become the house’s flagship dessert, since confinement when it warmed hearts “to take away”. The drinks menu gives pride of place to regional beers and sodas; just like the cheese plate from the Grandes Fagnes farm.
Bouli draws his inspiration in the kitchen from his beautiful library of recipe books, enriched over the years, he says. “I have always loved cooking, it was my grandmother and my mother who gave me the desire and then I worked in the hotel industry in Spa.” And the virus continues to be transmitted within the family, via his children: Félicien, 16 years old, now apprenticed alongside him and Louis, 24 years old, who works for the renowned Mallory Gabsi!
In the dining room, we find Sabine, who after starting her career in a lab, reoriented herself towards catering and management of the Bed & Breakfast, which she decorates with flair, mixing modern pieces with pretty, more vintage flea market pieces. ; to create this chic country atmosphere which fits wonderfully into the old building, with the pretty terrace sheltered by trees and lanterns, whose view overlooks the valley.
While the green setting invites you to enjoy the present moment, the couple decided in 2016 to prioritize their health over the pressure of the job, with slightly more restricted opening hours; the restaurant is open from Thursday to Sunday (except Saturday lunchtime). A necessary balance, as their boutique hotel has grown in recent months, with the very recent opening of new rooms. Which, why not, prolong the experience…
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