Resto: L'Architecte

Above all, L’Architecte, the new restaurant on Flageyplein/Place Flagey, means cutting-edge decor. We owe this to Pablo Lohas, head of the faculty of architecture at the ULB, who designed the layout.

Roughly-hewn,crude concrete, a stripped-down counter, exposed technical fixtures: you will find nothing indulgent here, no ego trips. The setting is resolutely post-modern, a departure from all things utopian or nostalgic. As a result, the space resonates like never before. Deeply fascinating, and punctuated with custom-made furniture, it is surrounded by large bay windows which face out onto the street.

Also the food far exceeded our expectations. The menu is intended to be accessible, especially the cold buffet, with a formula consisting of four portions, starting at €8. There is also a special of the day – as it happened, tagliatelle, pancetta, spinach, and Parmesan shavings – on offer for €12.

To explore the chef’s talents, we browsed the various suggestions before choosing the fillet of pollock, cauliflower mousseline, and salsify with sorrel (€16). From the very first mouthful of this dish, it felt as though the blanket of grey sky, providing a bleak meteorological backdrop for our lunch, was lifted. Skilfully concealed beneath a slightly crisp pointed cabbage leaf, the fish was cooked to perfection, at once tender and compact. Roasted and juicy, the earthy tones of the salsify gave way to a subtle smoky flavour. The dish was sprinkled with sunflower seeds and rapeseed.

In short, a triumph for which chef Antoine Germain deserves a round of applause. Add to this a selection of natural wines (Fanny Sabre, Laurent Cazottes, and Mathieu Cosme, among others), cheeses by Julien Hazard, and ice creams by Frédéric Blondeel.

ma/lu/Mo > zo/di/Su: 11.30 > 14.30 & 19.00 > 21.30
Brunch zo/sa/Sa > zo/di/Su: 10.30 > 15.00