Garlic beer

This is wild garlic. There’s a fair amount of it on the Isle of Wight, which is why it’s no surprise that there’s also a Garlic Farm there, selling all manner of garlic-infused products and ingredients. Do you think you can guess which one I bought? Look, there’s even a clove of garlic nestling inside [...]

‘t Zilte

Restaurant ‘t Zilte (two Michelin stars) changed address almost a year ago, moving from the small Flemish town of Mol to its current position atop one of the newest and most striking additions to the Antwerp skyline: MAS (Museum Aan de Stroom). A clever mix of red Indian stone, rippling glass and signature “Antwerp hands”, [...]

Saudades do Brasil

I’d never tried Brazilian cuisine before last weekend, and it probably wouldn’t have occurred to me to seek it out were it not for the fact that I recently got talking to a Brazilian couple during our meal on the Brusselicious tram. Edi and Isa offered to show us what they considered to be the best [...]

Eau Vive

Eau Vive, 2 Michelin stars, is about an hour’s drive south of Brussels and sits halfway between Namur and Dinant. It’s partnered with a three-room mini hotel called Espace Medissey a few kilometres up the road, which is comfortable but very self-consciously designed with lots of stark, boxy, minimalist furniture, the better to set off [...]

The Brusselicious Tram Experience

As you are all no doubt aware, 2012 is “Brusselicious” year, meaning that a variety of gastronomic events are planned across the town and throughout the year. Perhaps in light of the fact that in any given year Brussels is full of foodie events, nosh festivals and more top restaurants than you could ever need, [...]

Sans Valentine at La Britannique

Initially we didn’t have any plans for last night. Then we saw the announcement for this event, and we pounced. La Britannique has been making waves in the Brussels catering scene recently, and they also hold regular weekend brunches. They’re due to open a shop/café later this year, but for the moment they host a [...]

Jedi Burger

Many of you will have seen news stories recently about French fast food chain Quick’s three themed burgers featuring on their menus in February to tie in with the 3D re-release of the Star Wars prequels. I make very occasional visits to Quick when I’m in the mood for a burger but not too fussy [...]

Machine mugging

I put my sixty cents in the machine and request a Snickers. (tangential rant: When I was a child this bar used to be called Marathon; a name which conjures up sport and stamina and maybe ancient Greece and war too. Then they changed the name to Snickers; which for me sound likes “sniggers”, or [...]

Le Chalet de la Foret

Last night we drove a long and winding road through the deep dark woods south of Brussels to get to Le Chalet de la Foret (two Michelin stars). It’s housed in a rather imposing building, and the interior is a familiar mix of blinding white walls, spotlights, modern art and elegantly minimalist floral arrangements. Inside [...]

Lunch and dinner in Piemonte

Every time we fly to Italy we pass over the lakes in Piemonte, and every time it looks pretty and enticing. This Christmas we finally got to spend a day there. We didn’t make it up to Lake Como where Anakin and Padmé first kissed in Attack of the Clones, but to the smaller Lake [...]