Resto: La Bottegga della Pizza

A pioneer of the pizza revival in this country, Roberto Casula has just opened a new bottega in the Zavel/Sablon. Italy just the way we love it.

Before Roberto Casula, Brussels had only known pizza in its most mundane form. A globalised version which disregards all the culinary potential of this Sicilian dish. Then came Roberto. In his tiny restaurant in Sint-Gillis/Saint-Gilles, he opened our eyes and awoke our palates.

Here, we discovered rarities like the tonno e cipolla, a "white" pizza, in other words, with no tomato and a base of Fior di Latte, a pasta filata cheese, Calabrian red onions, and, best of all, fresh red tuna cut into sashimi. A revolution and a revelation; the only problem with the place was that, due to its limited size, it was open only to the happy few. Good news, the man with the Melanesian tattoos by Bruno Kéa has just opened a new, bigger restaurant, in the Zavel/Sablon.

Like him, the place has a rock 'n' roll vibe. The decor consists of a clever mix of waxed check tablecloths, bright lighting, wooden chairs, large mirrors, and pots of flowers scattered in the four corners of the room. For a starter, you need look no further than the excellent "antipasto bottega" (€12). It features a mixture of cheeses and cured meats, but it's the cold vegetables with vinegar, made on site, that really make the difference: courgettes, peppers, artichokes, and cime di rapa, a delicacy not unlike broccoli. All this is served with a perfect focaccia straight from the oven.

As a main course we opted for a pizza. As it happens, the "Siciliana" (€12.50) is fantastic. A combination of anchovies, black olives, capers, garlic, and basil combine to give it a distinctive flavour. The result is an elegant pizza with salty notes. We were also delighted by the fact that, the main course being modestly priced, you can treat yourself when it comes to the wine. For instance, a miracle from Trentino by Elisabetta Foradori (€49). Our only criticism is that it is not possible to pay by card.

di/ma/Tu > do/je/Th: 12.00 > 15.00 & 18.00 > 23.00
vr/ve/Fr > zo/di/Su: 12.00 > 23.00