A new place with a beautiful terrasse has just opened in Vorst/Forest. It is called L'Altitude: the perfect name for an audiophile bar of the highest quality.
© Saskia Vanderstichele
| L’Altitude is housed in a former petrol station with a terrasse that stays sunny all day long.
Review
L'Altitude: good vibrations
The audiophile bar, a phenomenon that originated in Japan, is currently making its way around the world. The idea is to provide a sort of listening room, where having a drink is a pretext for musical contemplation. Across the globe, every country produces a variation on the genre that reflects its own values. The Land of the Rising Sun takes a particularly monastic approach. Their listening bars can be summed up as somewhere “to listen and…be quiet.”
In Brussels, Mamakis and Jérôme, both in their thirties, decided to present their vision of the “listening bar” in Vorst/Forest. In the Hoogte Honderd/Altitude 100 neighbourhood, the duo managed to procure a remarkable space: a former petrol station with a terrasse that stays sunny all day long. While waiting for the Covid situation to improve, lovers of the outdoors can enjoy fifty or so directly south-facing seats.
The audiophile bar is usually the preserve of a wealthy male clientele, but the Brussels version flouts convention: all music lovers are welcome to come and play whatever they like
Without a doubt, L'Altitude will really get into its stride once it is possible to access the interior, which can seat 30 people. There, in a setting that proudly displays a love of art deco design, with a superb bar made of Italian marble, sits the impressive sound equipment that explains the presence of the layers of grey felt. Tannoy Red speakers housed within a distressed vintage cabinet, the legendary Technics SL-1000MK2 turntable (one of the models used by radio stations), a Jean Hiraga amplifier…everything needed to break the sound barriers. The audiophile bar is usually the preserve of a wealthy male clientele, but the Brussels version flouts convention: all music lovers are welcome to come and play whatever they like.
When it comes to quality, their philosophy is a world away from that of the Spotify list; everything has been carefully considered. From the choice of wines (bottles from €21), many of which are natural and Italian, to the bread supplied by Hopla Geiss and the craft beer – the Jawa IPA by En Stoemelings (€4.50). On tap, however, it's Stella for €3 a glass. The cherry on the cake: the chef, Camille Jadoul, creates dishes that go above and beyond the simple snack. The highlights are the lunchtime sandwiches, such as the striking marinated beef option (€7) that is brought to life with a spicy sauce made by Swet, and the sharing dishes in the evening; a platter of homemade tacos (€14) served with pulled pork, burrata with dill and citrus fruit (€15), or asparagus stracciatella (€15).
L’ALTITUDE
avenue Molièrelaan 2 Vorst/Forest, 0472-57.53.51, laltitude.be
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