You don’t need a passport if you want to embark on a journey to the Far North, as Rosendal is bringing a touch of Scandinavia to Vennestraat. Calling the shots is Gilberte Claes, an interior designer (who used to work at Robbrecht en Daem), part-time gallery owner and a Scandinavian at heart, who has designed this space as a love letter to the region: pared-back, warm and seriously stylish. Think light-colored wood, raw marble, hand-crafted objects and an eco-friendly vibe, all mastered from start to finish. After selling organic vegetables at the farmers markets in a past life, she’s now swapped her crates for naturally leavened sourdough bread (brød), pastries, and, in particular, a selection of raw milk cheeses (ost), all sourced within a 100-kilometer radius, and served at lunch on thick rye tartines topped with homemade marinated fennel. Nordic simplicity at its chicest. // Lina Megalinia
THE HIDDEN GEM: The Picoleur, a creamy, washed-rind cow’s milk cheese rubbed with Anjou white wine (€43 per kilo).
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