Restaurant in Brussels, Belgium
Six Star Wine List rankings. Easy to book.

Racines Bruxelles is the most credentialed wine-program destination in Brussels's Italian register, holding the Star Wine List number-one ranking in Belgium for both 2024 and 2025. Easy to book by city standards, with a comptoir counter that works well for solo diners. Come for the wine list; the Flagey location suits a long, unhurried evening.
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.
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, and 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, and 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, and the wine list is the sharpest expression of it.
Six consecutive Star Wine List rankings across 2023, 2024, and 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, and 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.
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, and Racines fits that rhythm without requiring a firm reservation time.
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.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Racines Bruxelles | — | |
| Comme chez Soi | €€€€ | — |
| La Villa Lorraine by Yves Mattagne | €€€€ | — |
| senzanome | €€€€ | — |
| Au Vieux Saint Martin | €€€ | — |
| Aux Armes de Bruxelles | €€ | — |
What to weigh when choosing between Racines Bruxelles and alternatives.
A few days ahead is usually sufficient — booking difficulty here is low by Brussels standards. Unlike Comme chez Soi or senzanome, which require more planning, Racines is accessible without weeks of lead time. That said, weekend evenings in the Flagey area fill up, so don't leave it to the day if you have a fixed date.
The Flagey neighbourhood sets an informal tone, and the open kitchen and comptoir format at Racines reinforces that. Smart casual is a reasonable fit — think put-together without formality. This is not a black-tie room.
Yes — the open kitchen and comptoir setup makes Racines one of the better solo options in the Ixelles area. Counter seating at an Italian-leaning venue with a wine list ranked #1 by Star Wine List in both 2024 and 2025 is a good use of a solo evening. You're unlikely to feel out of place.
Specific dietary accommodation details are not available in the venue record. Given the Italian focus and the on-site negozio element, it's worth contacting the venue directly before booking if you have strict requirements — the menu composition may be less flexible than a larger kitchen.
Specific menu details aren't available here, but the wine list is the primary draw: six Star Wine List rankings, including back-to-back #1 positions in 2024 and 2025, suggest this is where you should focus your attention. Let the food follow the wine, not the other way around.
Racines sits on Chaussée d'Ixelles 353 in Flagey — away from the tourist-heavy Grand-Place circuit, which works in its favour. The venue has an open kitchen with a comptoir and a small Italian shop at the entrance. The wine list is the strongest credential here, with Star Wine List ranking it #1 in Belgium for two consecutive years.
The comptoir and open kitchen format suggests this is a venue built for smaller parties — solo diners and couples will find it a natural fit, while groups of four or more should check availability and seating configuration before booking. Larger groups wanting a private-room experience would be better served by La Villa Lorraine by Yves Mattagne or Comme chez Soi.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.