Racines Bruxelles

Verdict: Book It for the Wine List, Stay for the Room

Getting a table at Racines Bruxelles is easy by Brussels fine-dining standards — this is not a venue you need to plan weeks ahead for. That accessibility makes it a practical first pick when you want something serious without the reservation anxiety of, say, Comme chez Soi. The real reason to come, though, is the wine program: Racines has held the leading Star Wine List ranking in Belgium in both 2024 and 2025, a credential that puts it in a different category from most Italian-leaning restaurants in the city. If you have been once and left without properly exploring the list, that is what to fix on your next visit.

What You're Walking Into

Racines sits on Chaussée d'Ixelles in the Flagey neighbourhood — a part of Brussels that moves at a different pace from the Grand-Place tourist circuit. The room centres on an open kitchen with a comptoir-style counter, there is a small negozio at the entrance displaying Italian provisions and bottles. Visually, it reads as a working Italian food shop that happens to seat you for dinner. The counter is the better seat in the house: you can see what is being prepared, it is the natural position for solo diners or pairs who want to eat without ceremony. If you are returning after a first visit, request the comptoir specifically.

The Italian character of the place is signalled immediately by the entrance display, not a vague Mediterranean nod but a deliberate editorial point of view about Italian food and drink. That specificity is worth noting because Brussels has no shortage of Italian restaurants that blur at the edges. Racines has a position, the wine list is the sharpest expression of it.

The Wine List: Why It Matters

Six consecutive Star Wine List rankings across 2023, 2024, 2025, including the number-one position in both 2024 and 2025, make this one of the most consistently recognised wine programs in Belgium. For context, Star Wine List evaluates wine programs on depth, range, the quality of the by-the-glass selection, not just cellar size. A sustained leading ranking across three years suggests this is a list that is actively managed, not a static collection. For a returning guest, the practical implication is direct: explore the list more deliberately than you did the first time. Ask what is open and available by the glass before you order a bottle, programs with this kind of recognition tend to have something worth drinking that way.

For wine-focused dining in Brussels, Racines is the most credentialed option in the Italian register. If you are comparing it against senzanome, which also works in the modern Italian space at the €€€€ tier, Racines currently carries a stronger wine-list argument. For Belgian and French wine contexts, Barge and Eliane offer different but equally deliberate programs worth considering.

Late Dining at Racines

Racines is worth considering as a later-evening option in the Flagey area, where the neighbourhood character suits a longer meal that extends past standard Brussels dinner hours. The negozio element at the entrance and the comptoir format both support a less structured pace, you can arrive for wine and move into food, rather than committing to a set dinner-first sequence. Hours are not confirmed in our current data, so call ahead or check directly before planning a late arrival. The Flagey area generally supports late eating better than the centre, Racines fits that rhythm without requiring a firm reservation time.

Practical Reference

Racines Bruxelles is at Chaussée d'Ixelles 353, 1050 Ixelles. Booking difficulty is low, direct to secure a table without the advance planning required at Brussels' top-tier formal restaurants. For the comptoir seats specifically, it is worth requesting at the time of booking rather than on arrival. Phone and website details are not currently listed in our data; the most reliable route is a direct visit to the venue or a search for current contact details. Price range is not confirmed, but the Italian-provisions character and neighbourhood positioning suggest a mid-to-upper range consistent with a serious but informal wine destination.

For more options in the city, see our full Brussels restaurants guide, our Brussels bars guide, and our Brussels hotels guide. If you are planning a wider Belgium wine trip, Hof van Cleve in Kruishoutem and Boury in Roeselare are the benchmark kitchen-and-cellar combinations outside Brussels. For international reference points in the same conversation about serious wine programs paired with focused cuisine, Le Bernardin in New York and Atomix represent the tier above in terms of formal recognition, though neither operates in the Italian register.

Quick reference: Chaussée d'Ixelles 353, 1050 Ixelles, easy to book, request the comptoir, verify hours before a late visit.