Resto: Tarzan

Think all wine bars are the same? Well, you're wrong. A new place, Tarzan, proves that they are still capable of surprising us – and impressing us.

It's a subject that wine-lovers love to tear each other apart over: natural wine. Though we agree that the word "natural" is out of place – it is hard to imagine something that is not, in a sense, "natural" – we also must confess that, to us, this category of wine embodies some exciting possibilities of the grape. Non-conformist possibilities, but with definite advantages over the tricks – manure, exogenous yeast, etc. – often used to cover up crudely made wine.

Tarzan, a new establishment in the Kastelein/Châtelain area, has built its entire business around natural wine. The place came about as a result of the meeting of an importer – Matthieu Vellut of "Vin naturel" – and Coralie Rutten, who was responsible for the restaurant dedicated to living food, in the ashes of which Tarzan has set up shop. With YAG, Rutten aimed to provide food that was both healthy and delicious.

This background continues to shine through in a range of imaginative snacks. While most wine bars content themselves with "knocking up" a plate of cheeses and cold meats, Tarzan uses more vegetables in its dishes, for example, thin slices of beetroot, black radish, or tarragon and cashew cream. There are genuine marvels like the cockles in a raw chilli and lemongrass sauce (€10) and a guacamole with the perfect texture. While the place clearly "thinks vegetable", it doesn't shy away from real, good-quality meat, as shown by the inclusion in the menu of the pork cheek and liver terrine (€8) by Arold Bourgeois of Little Paris.

Above all, one mustn't forget the "living" wines, which we recommend you order by the bottle (€20 > €40), by Puzelat, Mosse, Villemade, or even Chaffardon, for the most extravagant. The setting is like an old butcher's shop, with old tiles and pale wood, making Tarzan a very pleasant place to pass some time.

ma/lu/Mo > vr/ve/Fr: 17.00 > 23.00
za/sa/Sa: 15.00 > 23.00
zo/di/Su: 15.00 > 22.00