From His Grandfather’s Garden to a Two-Toque Restaurant in Antwerp
Of Moroccan origin, Adil Achahbar grew up in Spain before pursuing his cooking career in London and then Belgium. Today, he runs Harvest, an acclaimed fine-dining restaurant in Antwerp, with his partner Stephen Akejelu. Their success has roots in his grandfather’s garden.
“My grandfather had the greatest influence on me,” Adil Achahbar says in an interview with Belgian magazine Culinaire Ambiance. The chef remembers the days he spent as a child in the family’s large garden. Raised in Valencia, Spain, he grew up immersed in Moroccan and Spanish culinary traditions. This dual culture sparked his curiosity about ingredients, preparations and combinations of flavors.
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His first professional experiences were in Spain, mainly at venues hosting high-end events. In 2014, he moved to London to discover other culinary worlds. He worked in Italian and French kitchens, as well as in street food and fine dining. He has particularly fond memories of La Fromagerie, in the Bloomsbury district, where the attention paid to the quality of the ingredients left a lasting impression on him.
It was then in Antwerp that his career took a new direction. At The Jane restaurant, he met Stephen Akejelu, a chef of Nigerian origin. The two later crossed paths again in the kitchens of Hotel August. Their professional rapport and mutual trust gradually gave rise to the idea of opening their own restaurant.
The project took shape in 2024. The two chefs chose the name Harvest and built a culinary identity around seasonal produce, creativity and reducing food waste.
A four-hands cuisine earns recognition in Belgium
At Harvest, Adil and Stephen bring together their experience and influences. The former has a particular fondness for pastry, while the latter is passionate about fish preparations. Their cuisine changes with the ingredients available, using fermentation and preservation techniques, among others, to make fuller use of each product.
Their collaboration also extends to running the restaurant. Adil handles planning, accounting and supplier relations, among other things. Stephen takes charge of some of the communications, photography and reservations. The two chefs also want to offer a respectful working environment, with hours compatible with their team’s personal lives.
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The restaurant is now listed in the Gault&Millau Belgium guide, with a score of 13/20 and two toques. Inspectors praised its seasonal approach, local produce and efforts to reduce waste. Among the dishes singled out was seared scallop, served with a kohlrabi purée and a broth combining artichoke, Jerusalem artichoke and Earl Grey tea.
