La Buvette has been on my radar for quite some time. Nicolas Scheidt, the young French chef of this restaurant in St Gilles, Brussels, was nominated as "a future great chef" for Brussels and its surroundings in the Gault&Millau guide. That should be enough of an indication of the quality of the restaurant. For one reason or another, it was difficult to find the right time to visit this restaurant. I recall one time we tried to go on a Monday evening only to find out it was closed. On another occasion it was closed for holidays. An attempt for lunch also did not materialise because the restaurant was closed. It is always a risk when you go to a restaurant with high expectations but in this case, I walked out of the restaurant wondering how could it be possible that it took me so long to visit this restaurant. If you go to La Buvette you need to know that there is no a la carte menu. What they offer are two menus (one called Large and another XL). The difference between the … [Read more...]
Two Brussels food events on first weekend of October
Brussels foodies will be spoilt for choice on the first weekend of October with two food events which have become an annual fixture. Slow Food Brussels organises "Taste Walks" with a chance to visit some of the best artisan producers in the Brussels regions. On the other hand, Saveurs Toscanes celebrates its 10th anniversary during that weekend with an exposition of the best producers from Tuscany. "Fresh and local" are the basic pillars behind the concept of slow food. The weekend event inaugurates the Slow Food Brussels season. During this weekend, it is possible to participate in workshops organised by local artisans who are passionate about high-quality food and use local products. Some of the visits require advance registration. You can look at the list of events here. In particular I would highlight the presentation on authentic bread being held at Le Saint Aulaye in Rue Vanderkindere, an initiation to Belgian cheeses and beers with a tasting session at Julien Hazard, a … [Read more...]
Winehouse Osteria – a taste of Italy in the heart of Brussels
It is with a certain amount of trepidation that I recommend and then test a place with friends particularly if it is relatively new and has very little reviews. But like the best secrets in life, word of mouth is normally a sure bet even if there is always that expectation that something might go wrong. I came across Winehouse Osteria thanks to recommendations from some friends after I wrote about Caffe al Dente in Uccle. This place just off the Place St Gery area is quite a find. Part wine shop, part coffee shop, part Osteria, the restaurant is extremely small and cosy but worth a visit. If you are nostalgic about Italy or craving for an Italian experience, then this will not disappoint you. Forget for a while that you are in central Brussels and this osteria/enoteca could easily be in a small beautiful village somewhere in Italy. The wine list is interesting and reasonably priced. You will find many bottles below 20 Euros which is not common in Brussels with a great … [Read more...]
Le Fruit Defendu
Booking a restaurant for a night out in Brussels can be quite a challenge especially for the really sought-out places. First you need to make sure that the restaurant is open on the day you want to go. Believe it or not this is a non-trivial issue. On one Saturday evening a few months ago, out of a list of seven restaurants we wanted to visit, six were closed, the seventh was fully booked. Therefore planning ahead is of utmost importance. The same thing happened last Monday evening. Our first preference was closed, our second preference was fully booked, the third option was also closed so we opted for the tried and tested Le Fruit Defendu on Rue Tenbosch in Ixelles. We were not disappointed. This was our second visit to this cosy restaurant in the area between Lepoutre and Chatelain. The food remained consistent and so has the service. Chef Pascal Frénot retained the same formula of six starters and six main courses which practically change on a daily basis depending on what is … [Read more...]
Chateau de la Hulpe – a place for all seasons
Living in a city means that sometimes you feel the urge to get out and experience nature. It must have something to do with the fact that after 30 years living in Malta, even after nearly nine years in the Belgian capital, we still feel the urge to explore what Belgium and its neighbouring countries have to offer. But when we run out of ideas or are too lazy to think, there is a place we turn to time and time again. Whether its winter, spring, summer or autumn, Chateau de la Hulpe and its surrounding land is a fantastic place to relax and enjoy peace and quiet. The Domaine Solvay de la Hulpe extends across 227 hectares of greenery, woodland and ponds. It is a perfect place to go for a walk, to cycle, to take children for a picnic or to lose yourself in the serenity of this Natura 2000 side which is also considered as an important heritage site in Wallonia. The Chateau is imposing but the lands are also impressive with every kind of vegetation and natural environment that can be … [Read more...]
Lac du Genval
I am always surprised at how few people know about or have been to Lac du Genval, just 20 minutes away from Brussels. In a way this is better since this scenic lake is not too crowded. The lake is part of the Rixensart and Overijse villages in Wallon Brabant and Flemish Brabant and is surrounded by beautiful turn-of-the century homes. There is also a hotel by the lake, the Chateau du Lac. For those looking for a day trip out of Brussels, then you could also visit the Chateau de la Hulpe which is not too far away. This small lake also has a number of restaurants and cafes and is therefore a perfect place to chill out either on a summer evening or during the weekend. The walk around the lake takes around 30 minutes and you will pass by a small yacht club, beautiful houses, fishermen enjoying the silence away from the hustle and bustle of central Brussels. You can just stroll and enjoy the scenery but many people also come here to jog or bike in this scenic environment. But the reason … [Read more...]
My top patisseries in Brussels
When you live just around the corner from Le Saint Aulaye it is extremely difficult to justify a detour to try other bakeries in Brussels given that this patisserie is one of the most well known in the Belgian capital. There is a risk of disappointment given that this bakery/patisserie sets the bar extremely high. There is a reason why there are queues every morning and especially on the weekends. Whatever you try here is of exceptional quality. Whether you buy bread (for which he is famous for), his pastries or cakes, you will not be disappointed. He uses bio ingredients but on top of it is is obvious that the ingredients used are excellent. I have yet to come across a pain au chocolat which is better than the one of Le St Aulaye. You can actually taste the quality of the butter used. A trip to Le Saint Aulaye is also worthwhile because of the other shops in this neighbourhood (more about that in a future post). So my recommendations for the patisseries are what the Michelin guide … [Read more...]
Five of the best ice-cream shops in Brussels
Brussels has its fair share of ice-cream parlours. And while the thought of ice-creams in Italy make you salivate even at the mere mention, there are a few ice-cream shops in the Belgian capital which are worth trying given they take their ice-cream very seriously. Some, like the Comus & Gasterea are even worthy of a trip to the centre just for the sake of trying new flavours. When we went for the first time to Comus & Gasterea I was trying to convince the children that they could try some exotic ice-creams like aubergine, basil, carrot, mustard or olive oil ice-cream. The eldest (5 years old) was tempted even though he still has a love hate relationship with vegetables. Nevertheless, on the day we visited there were no exotic flavours. Instead what he had were 8 different ice-creams including chocolate, speculoos, lemon, 'roasted coffee', salted caramel, cassis, strawberries and vanilla. The ice-cream maker is part of the Slow Food movement and there is no question as to … [Read more...]
Belgium day trips 2: Gaasbeek and the Waterhof farm shop
Amid the gently rolling hills of the Pajottenland just outside Brussels lies the beautiful village of Gaasbeek. This is one of our favourite spots just outside the Belgian capital and for a number of reasons. The first reason is a splendid medieval castle, the Gaasbeek castle which has evolved from a strategic stronghold into a spacious country house. One of its most famous owners was the Count of Egmond. While on the other side of Brussels you will find the Chateau de la Hulpe, Gaasbeek, to the West of Brussels makes for a great alternative. The castle lies within an extensive park which was already laid out in the 17th century. It has impressive avenues and narrow winding paths as well as beautiful beech trees. From the park you can see the beautiful countryside with numerous cows grazing in the fields. It is indeed impressive to think that this is just a few kilometres outside the city. You can visit the castle and the museum garden. Moreover, the lands also house the Graaf van … [Read more...]
Caffe al Dente – a wine lover’s den
Ask any Italian, and there are many in Belgium, what their favourite Italian restaurant would be and you are likely to get a very different answer from each and every one of them. Italians take their food very seriously but probably few as seriously as Federico of Caffe al Dente. A Roman who has settled in Brussels, he is obsessed with a simple rule "Il Pesce non si serve con il formaggio", i.e. it is a sin to serve cheese with fish. Now there are some who argue that the client is always right. At Caffe al Dente this is not necessarily the case. If you go there, you will notice that they take this rule extremely seriously. You will find an asterisk on the blackboard with the day's menu telling you that the pasta dish with fish or shellfish will not be served with cheese on top, and there will be other small blackboards hanging around in the restaurant telling you that you should not put cheese on your spaghetti alle vongole (with clams). Of course, there is no question that this … [Read more...]