The puzzlingly named Nightshop, a new place on Vlaamsesteenweg/Rue de Flandre, offers a vision of the restaurant of tomorrow with its free and unencumbered approach.
© Saskia Vanderstichele
| Nightshop is an unusual space with an enormous stone counter, a kitchen that opens out onto the dining area, a mezzanine in the back, and fridges bursting with high-quality products.
Review
Nightshop: a restaurant like no other
Also read: Culinair ontdekt: mok
She shares her name with a queen – Jocasta, mother of Oedipus – and we have every reason to believe that she is one. Jocasta Allwood moved to Brussels following in the footsteps of Jens Crabbé, the founder of MOK, an excellent establishment devoted to speciality coffee. She is a newcomer to the restaurant world. A graphic designer in her thirties, she previously lived in London and her family is of mixed origin, combining Greek, Italian, and Kenyan ancestry.
Is it that unique background that has enabled her to achieve such heights? To tell the truth, we have no idea, but one thing is certain: the new place she has opened is in a class of its own. It is an unusual space with an enormous stone counter, a kitchen that opens out onto the dining area, a mezzanine in the back, and fridges bursting with high-quality products (wines, juices, and beers, as well as honey, spreads and condiments, dried fruits, etc.).
Every second Sunday, a guest chef takes charge of the ovens for a festive and flavoursome meal
To avoid the pitfalls of the hospitality sector, Jocasta Allwood decided to open her “cave à manger” just two to three times a week. When we visited on a Thursday at midday, we enjoyed a small snack that was very simple but exceptional: a sandwich (€10) made with a soft sourdough bun, artisanal ham from the bone, and a chili jam that was to die for, served with some lactofermented carrot and a touch of vinegar. The short menu also included a toasted sandwich with Oud Roeselare cheese, Tierenteyn mustard, and OWA brown beer (€11), toasted bread with grilled sardines and roasted lemon (€8.50), and artichokes and beans served with green sauce (€15).
We were also thrilled to discover the selection of natural wines, including some full-bodied sparkling ones from the Kamm winery in Alsace (€33), and the fact that, every second Sunday, a chef – currently the Neapolitan pizzaiolo Luca Fabozzi – takes charge of the ovens for a festive and flavoursome meal.
NIGHTSHOP
Vlaamsesteenweg 167 Rue de Flandre, Brussel/Bruxelles, Instagram: @nightshop.brussels
do/je/Th 15 > 23.00, vr/ve/Fr & za/sa/Sa 11 > 23.00, zo/di/Su (one in two) 14 > 19.00
Read more about: Resto & Bar, Nightshop, MOK
