Hop

Light, brutalist decor, countertop seating overlooking the bar and kitchen, and floor-to-ceiling windows offering views of Leuven canal… This is where chef Bream Verbeken celebrates local producers in his incredible dishes, showcased on the mind-blowing Friday lunch menu. Out of the gate, appetizers of beer yeast and burrata; crawfish croquettes with a yuzu dip; followed by Label Rouge Scottish salmon served raw with a rhubarb escabeche and yellow beet cream; or toasted brioche with wild garlic, sunchoke and pistachio – or with lightly grilled sardine for the non-vegetarian option; awesome roasted sprouting cauliflower with a buttermilk sauce, Vadouvan-spiced mousseline, Iranian dried lime and parsnip hummus – like something straight out of Ottolenghi’s own kitchens; or tender supreme of free-range chicken prepared in a leek ballotine with a punchy chervil green sauce, ijskegel (white icicle radish) and sautéed leeks; and for a sweet finish, sorrel ice cream, rhubarb, white chocolate cream and crumble. // Pat Net

FEELING THIRSTY? A serious drinks selection that covers all corners: beers from German farmhouse brewery Kemker Kultur, or Framblij from the small local brewery Man & Brouw (€6 a glass on tap) and an excellent selection of natural wines – Plat Du Jour, a Moselle riesling from Drap (€9 a glass), Mistione, a Latium red from Il Vinco (€7.50), or Slatnik, a skin-contact white from Radikon in Venezia Giulia (€65 a bottle)… Plus alcohol-free options (Zest with sea buckthorn and shiso at €7.50 a glass) and a Sourmouth cocktail, a tangy mix of oude geuze and red vermouth (€8.50).

PRICE: Menus €35 (lunch) and €65 (dinner).