Ptitbeur

It’s March 2023 AD. All of Belgium is depressed because of the rain. Everyone? Well, not this old night shop that has become unrecognizable since it rediscovered its 1930s gildings. In the room lit by candles and lanterns, voices immediately drop to a whisper. On the walls, a striking bridal caftan, an old Davor beer ad, a large mirror… And behind the cauldron, no Gallic druid but a self-proclaimed « p’tit beur, » the North African Fouad Zabata. It looks like he’s found a new Kasbah on Rue Jean-Robie for his restaurant which closed too soon, where he continues to connect the Maghreb to the Belgian terroir: divine pigeon pastilla by Jérôme Demeyer, or smoked trout raised on the roofs of the Abattoir, energized by a rice vinegar chermoula sauce; before a rogue tagine of the day showcasing ginger (homemade candied and stem ginger in syrup for added depth), Gilbecq chicken and locally-grown vegetables – parsnips, pumpkin, black salsify. A truly magical potion! // Salty Lychee

FEELING THIRSTY? Fermentations from the nearby L’Annex (ginger beer, blueberry-timut pepper, €4.50) or beers from the Brasserie de la Senne (Jambe de Bois, €5), rather than the somewhat nondescript Italian and Spanish organic wines.
PRICE: Appetizers €8 to €13.50, mains €16-26.