Barge

Exceptional ingredients from committed suppliers, staff well-being and the belief that our actions impact the lives of our peers: such are some of the topics that are regularly discussed by Grégoire Gillard and his team. In their suitably untreated, trendy street corner establishment, near the fish market, they conjure up their vision of sustainable gastronomy. The surprise menu shines the limelight on the excellent produce of Brussels and its region, with an underlying commitment to respecting the seasons, however short. Nature is what inspires chef Gillard’s creativity, although he isn’t averse to the odd exotic twist. For example, he may thinly slice oysters, then coat them in finely chopped crunchy celeriac, grated iced goat’s cheese and a stunning sorbet of wasabi and East Indian cherry, in a whirlwind of flavours and nuances. Rather than showy demonstrations, he wins us over with insightful, intense combinations in which each ingredient has a role to play and is designed to interact with the others to create fascinating dishes from the first to the last bite. The enticing wine and non-alcoholic beverage list is perfectly in tune with the establishment’s philosophy. Each decision is taken after weighing the impact on the community and the individual, without forgetting an overriding quest for taste. We take our hats off!