Restaurant in Ixelles, Belgium
Accessible Michelin-noted cooking, book days out
Chou is a Michelin Plate-recognised farm-to-table kitchen in Ixelles that takes seasonal produce seriously and backs it with real technical skill. At €€€ with easy booking, it is one of the most accessible well-credentialed restaurants in the neighbourhood. The vegetable-forward cooking and extensive natural wine list make it a strong choice for food-focused diners.
Getting a table at Chou is easy by Ixelles standards, which makes it one of the more accessible Michelin Plate-recognised kitchens in Brussels. That accessibility is worth noting because the cooking here genuinely rewards attention: chef Merijn van Berlo runs a vegetable-forward, farm-to-table kitchen at Place de Londres that earns its €€€ price point through technical ambition rather than occasion-dining theatre. If you are in Ixelles and want cooking that takes seasonal produce seriously, book here without hesitation. If you want something more casual or cheaper, Le Tournant or Savage are stronger alternatives at the €€ tier.
The editorial angle for Chou is cuisine mastery, and the Michelin notes are specific enough to be useful here. Van Berlo's approach is to build intensity from plant-forward combinations rather than from fat or protein volume. The documented example is instructive: spelt risotto infused with chlorophyll, set in a smoked eel broth, finished with a horseradish emulsion and pike-perch gravlax. That is a technically demanding composition that asks chlorophyll to carry colour and a green, grassy bitterness against the smoke of eel and the sharp heat of horseradish. It is not vegetarian — the pike-perch gravlax confirms fish appears on the menu — but vegetables and their extractions are doing the structural work, which is a different culinary logic from most kitchens at this price point in Brussels.
The flavour profile the Michelin descriptor points to is floral and spicy with deliberate heat. That combination is relatively unusual in Belgian fine dining, where richness and depth tend to dominate. At Kamo nearby, precision is expressed through Japanese technique and umami depth. At Chou, precision is expressed through extraction, emulsification, and the layering of volatile, aromatic compounds. If you find many Brussels tasting menus too heavy, Chou is worth booking specifically for this reason.
Seasonal calendar is explicit in the venue record and it structures the entire menu. Cabbage in winter, peas in spring, tomatoes in summer, kale in autumn. Visiting in the current season means the kitchen is working with what is peaking right now, not warehoused ingredients. For food and wine enthusiasts who follow seasonal cooking closely, this is the correct time to book, as the menu will be calibrated to produce at its most expressive. This approach aligns Chou with a broader European movement toward ingredient-led cooking, and you can compare the farm-to-table commitment here against venues like Au Gré du Vent in Seneffe or Wein- und Tafelhaus in Trittenheim if the format interests you across different regions.
Venue record flags an extensive organic and natural wine selection, which is directly relevant if wine pairing matters to your decision. Natural wine lists in Brussels vary considerably in depth: some restaurants treat them as a marketing signal; others build genuine programmes around them. The Michelin description characterises Chou's selection as extensive, which at the €€€ price point suggests it is a real part of the offer rather than a token gesture. If organic and natural wine is a priority, this is one of the stronger arguments for Chou over peers at the same price tier.
Setting is described as trendy and industrial in style. In practical terms, that signals exposed materials, likely higher noise levels than a traditional restaurant room, and an atmosphere that skews younger and more casual than the cooking's ambition might suggest. This is not a white-tablecloth occasion venue. The mismatch between technically precise cooking and a relaxed, industrial room is common in this category of modern European restaurant and is neither a flaw nor a selling point in isolation. It depends on what you want from the evening.
Chou holds a Michelin Plate (2024), which is the guide's marker for good cooking without star designation. The Google rating sits at 4.3 from 248 reviews, which is a solid and reliable signal at that review volume. Together, these two data points position Chou as a consistently well-executed kitchen with professional-level recognition. For context on what Michelin Plate means in the Belgian market, the starred end of the spectrum in Belgium runs to venues like Hof van Cleve in Kruishoutem, Boury in Roeselare, and Zilte in Antwerp. Chou is not in that tier, but it is recognised as doing something worth the detour at its price level.
Booking difficulty is rated easy. At €€€ in Ixelles, that is a genuine advantage: you can plan a few days out rather than weeks in advance. No phone number or booking platform is listed in our data, so check the restaurant directly for reservations. The address is Place de Londres 4, 1050 Ixelles. Hours are not confirmed in our current data, so verify before visiting. For a broader view of dining options in the area, see our full Ixelles restaurants guide. If you are also planning where to stay, our Ixelles hotels guide and bars guide cover the neighbourhood fully.
Other Ixelles restaurants worth considering alongside Chou: Amen, Humus x Hortense, Amore, Pasta e Gioia, and Car Bon. For Brussels more broadly, Bozar Restaurant and d'Eugénie à Emilie in Baudour offer different points of comparison. You can also explore Ixelles wineries and Ixelles experiences to round out a visit.
Quick reference: Chou, Pl. de Londres 4, 1050 Ixelles , €€€ , Farm to table , Michelin Plate 2024 , 4.3 Google (248 reviews) , Booking: easy, book a few days ahead , Hours: confirm directly.
For a directly comparable price tier, Kamo (€€€, Japanese) is the strongest alternative if you want technical precision in a different culinary tradition. If you want to spend more and push further into creative territory, Humus x Hortense (€€€€) is a fully plant-based kitchen with more ambition but harder booking and a higher price. For a cheaper evening that still delivers quality, Le Tournant (€€, home cooking) and Savage (€€, organic) are the practical alternatives. See our full Ixelles guide for the complete picture.
Booking difficulty is rated easy, so a few days in advance should be sufficient in most cases. That said, the Michelin Plate recognition and strong Google rating mean the room will fill on weekend evenings. If you have a fixed date in mind, booking 3 to 5 days out is a reasonable baseline. There is no confirmed online booking platform in our data, so contact the restaurant directly to reserve.
The menu is vegetable-led and seasonally structured, which gives the kitchen a natural flexibility for plant-forward diets. However, the documented cooking includes fish (smoked eel broth, pike-perch gravlax), so the menu is not vegetarian or vegan by default. No confirmed dietary restriction policy is in our data. Contact Chou directly before booking if you have specific requirements, particularly for strict vegetarian, vegan, or allergen needs. The extensive organic and natural wine list is relevant if you are avoiding conventional wines for dietary or ethical reasons.
Yes, at €€€ with easy booking and an industrial-style room, Chou is a reasonable choice for solo dining. The setting is casual enough not to make a solo visit feel awkward, and the technically focused cooking rewards the kind of attention a solo diner can give it. No counter or bar seating is confirmed in our data, but the room's relaxed character makes it more solo-friendly than a formal occasion restaurant at the same price point. If solo counter dining specifically appeals to you, verify seating options when booking.
Partially. The Michelin Plate recognition and €€€ pricing make Chou a credible choice for a considered celebration dinner, and the technical ambition of the cooking justifies the occasion. The industrial-style room, however, does not deliver the formal atmosphere that some people associate with special occasions. If the evening is about the food, Chou works well. If the occasion calls for a more traditionally formal setting, look at Bozar Restaurant in Brussels or consider stepping up to Humus x Hortense at €€€€ for more occasion weight.
Based on available data, yes , with a specific caveat. The Michelin Plate confirms the kitchen is cooking at a level that justifies a structured tasting format, and the seasonal, ingredient-driven approach is well suited to a multi-course progression where flavour layering can build across dishes. At €€€, you are in a price tier where the technical work on display should outperform a la carte alternatives at lower price points. The caveat: no confirmed tasting menu format, pricing, or course count is in our current data. Verify the current menu format directly before booking if a tasting format is your expectation.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chou | Farm to table | €€€ | Cabbage in winter, peas in spring, tomatoes in summer, kale in autumn: in this trendy, industrial-style restaurant, seasonal produce takes centre stage. Embracing sustainable practices, this restaurant places the emphasis on vegetables and boasts an extensive selection of organic and natural wines. Merijn van Berlo uses his creativity to bring intensity to the plate. For instance, he infuses spelt risotto with chlorophyll in a smoked eel broth and combines it with an emulsion of horseradish and pike-perch gravlax. This cuisine bursts with floral and spicy notes and just the right amount of kick to bring the seasons to life. A captivating ode to nature's rich bounty!; Michelin Plate (2024) | Easy | — |
| Kamo | Japanese | €€€ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Humus x Hortense | Creative | €€€€ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Le Tournant | Home Cooking | €€ | Unknown | — | |
| Osteria Bolognese | Italian | €€ | Unknown | — | |
| Savage | Organic | €€ | Unknown | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Humus x Hortense is the stronger pick if vegetables are the priority and you want a fully plant-based format with comparable seasonal rigour. Le Tournant is worth considering if you want a looser, wine-bar feel at a lower price point. Chou sits between those two in terms of formality and ambition, with the Michelin Plate (2024) as its clearest credential.
Booking difficulty is rated easy, which means a few days out is typically sufficient rather than the weeks required at starred Brussels addresses. At €€€, that accessibility is a genuine advantage: you are not competing with the same volume of advance planners. Weekend evenings may tighten availability, so booking three to five days out is a reasonable buffer.
The kitchen is vegetable-forward by design, so plant-heavy or vegetarian diets fit the format naturally. The Michelin notes reference fish preparations including smoked eel and pike-perch gravlax, so pescatarians are well-served, but strict vegans or those avoiding fish should confirm directly with the restaurant before booking.
The industrial-style room and Ixelles neighbourhood positioning make Chou a reasonable solo option, particularly if you are interested in the natural wine programme as a throughline for the meal. Booking difficulty is rated easy, so a solo cover is unlikely to be a problem. Counter or bar seating availability is not confirmed in the venue data, so worth checking at the time of reservation.
Yes, with the right expectations: this is a Michelin Plate kitchen with a seasonal, vegetable-led format and a €€€ price point, not a full-tasting-menu production. The room is industrial in style rather than formal, so if the occasion calls for white-tablecloth atmosphere, look elsewhere. For a dinner that feels considered without being stiff, Chou works well.
The Michelin notes highlight technically specific cooking: chlorophyll-infused spelt risotto in smoked eel broth, horseradish emulsion, pike-perch gravlax. That level of composition at €€€ with easy booking availability is a strong value case by Brussels standards. If you are comparing against Kamo or a starred alternative, the format is less theatrical, but the ingredient logic is coherent and the seasonal commitment is genuine.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
