Resto: Bel Mundo

A delicious and well-balanced lunch for €9? It really exists at Bel Mundo, situated on the ground floor of an imposing stone building.

Inside, the space is shaped like a big “L”, light and stripped back. The decor has an aesthetic which leaves nothing to the imagination; utility ducts, pipes, etc. Punctuated by pale wooden furniture built using old transport pallets. The place was packed, but the service was no less considerate.

Getting straight to the point, we ordered soup and the special of the day. The soup was remarkably fresh: good seasonal Belgian endive, spiced up with a hint of curry. Delicious. Best of all, the soup was even served in a tureen, just like at home. The price was absurd: €1.50.

Then came the main course. It consisted of a thick puree served with a generous portion of shrimps. For €7.50, the dish – of which our only criticism is that it could have been slightly warmer – was garnished with fromage frais and aromatic herbs: sorrel, rocket, lamb’s lettuce, and even a bit of curly kale. Our verdict: to die for! Every mouthful melted on our tongues, combining the liveliness of the shrimp, the sharpness of the cheese, the bitterness of the herbs, and the full-bodied flavour of the potato.

We left the place feeling replenished, warmed by a hearty handshake from the waiter. Later, we discovered that Bel Mundo grow their own produce behind the building in a vegetable patch comprising 1,500 square metres, and that the establishment practices a “zero-waste” policy, social reintegration, and sustainable economics. That is exactly what we hope this place will be: sustainable. It provides us with a vision of how all cooking will be done in the future: collectively.

ma/lu/Mo > vr/ve/Fr: 12.00 > 14.30
do/je/Th > vr/ve/Fr: 18.00 > 21.00