In this vibrant warehouse tucked away between two fields in a village near Leuven, coffee is a-brewing! After 20 years of combined experience in the food-o-sphere, Jasper De Elerck and Ester Visker opened up this treasure trove of a coffee shop to fully express their passion for roasting coffee beans, in eight-kilogram batches tossed into their Stronghold S9X. A top-of-the-line machine that really renders the best aromas from all these good beans, meticulously presented by the team. Seated on one of the wooden barstools the day we went, we sipped a delicate Ethiopian variety prepared as a cup of pour-over, which we could have almost confused with a cup of jasmine tea… before slipping a bag of catucaí Sítio Bateia beans from Brazil into our bag for espressos at home. In addition to all that, Jasper shares his knowledge during “cuppings” – more information on his Instagram page! // Aline Flamme

The hidden gem: A Horizon coffee from Rwanda, with notes of peach and black tea (€5 for a cup of pour-over in-house, €13 for a 250-gram bag to go).