Hau Restaurant

Hau, Brussels

This discreet and far too little-known address is a true UFO in the Brussels sky. Because Vietnamese restaurants that have the confidence and audacity to offer only a single set menu are few and far between, and the wine list is one of the best-stocked and yet one of the most reasonably priced in the capital. Because we really love Ixelles, Saint-Gilles and Uccle… but it's also quite nice to go eat elsewhere from time to time, especially since you can sit down there on Sundays and Mondays (and spot a few "mugs" from the professional restaurant scene enjoying their day off, that's a dead giveaway). Because the setting is a reflection of the neighborhood, as comfortable as an old chesterfield, a touch bourgeois and reassuring all at once… perfectly matched by the dining room team, with irreproachable courtesy and a kindness you rarely come across these days. Finally and most importantly because chef Van Hau N'Gguyen has been playing with the fire of his stove for more than 30 years, because he carefully sources his ingredients, because he harbors a genuine passion for the bottles sleeping in his cellar, and because he takes the trouble, at the end of the meal, to ensure that all his efforts aren't in vain and that everyone has had a pleasant time. A restaurant that should feature in the address book of any self-respecting epicurean in the area.