Smala

Can happiness be found in a field? Either way, it’s easier said than done, especially when said field is located in Anderlecht, and Smala, the locally-sourced, organic neo-eatery run by Anaïs Verrijdt, Arth Alvarez and Zofia Zaniewski (the project’s market gardener alongside Fiona Bluëtte) is located in the shadowy depths of the Chaussée de Waterloo, near the Porte de Hal. But once you’ve stepped inside, the naked brick walls, hanging light bulbs and big open kitchen will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside: the smala (French slang for “family”) behind Smala knows how to make you feel right at home. And the plates are even better, made with plenty of gourmet ingredients pulled from the earth just three kilometers away: onion tempura to bite into after a dip through some wild garlic mayonnaise; pork in a speculoos and hazelnut crust dancing a jig with its accompanying squash mousse and cherry sauce; or a deliciously contemporary dessert of slow-cooked parsnip, pear with spirulina and lemon mousse. During the summer months, the owners, who are anything but selfish, share their little corner of paradise with the world at large by opening up a guinguette-style bar in the middle of their field. Pure happiness in our book. // Toni Negroni

FEELING THIRSTY? A reasonably-priced selection of very personal organic and natural wines: a solaris white from the Liège producer Dalaheim Castellum (€46 a bottle), Cocolythe, a skin-contact blend of merlot and sémillon from Le Pré Vert in the Périgord (€44) and wines of the moment served by the glass (starting at €8).

PRICE: Set menu €48 (3 courses), appetizers €15.50 to €16.50, mains €24-27, cheese course €12.80, desserts €9.