Humus x Hortense

Brussels' most serious plant-based kitchen; and worth returning to

If you've been to Humus x Hortense before, the question on a second visit isn't whether the food holds up. It's whether the kitchen has pushed further. The answer, based on its trajectory through the rankings; Opinionated About Dining Top 461 in Europe for 2025, up from 552 in 2024, is yes. This is a restaurant that is getting sharper, not coasting. For anyone reconsidering a return visit, that upward movement is the clearest signal to book again.

The room on Rue de Vergnies in Ixelles is intimate and considered, not a showroom. The atmosphere runs quiet enough for conversation at dinner service, with an energy that feels focused rather than buzzing. It suits a special occasion better than a casual catch-up: this is a kitchen asking for attention, the room reflects that. For a celebration dinner, anniversary, or a meal where the food is meant to be the event, the setting delivers without demanding a formal register from the guest.

What makes this kitchen technically different

Humus x Hortense operates as a fully plant-based restaurant in the €€€€ tier, which immediately sets it apart from every other serious tasting-menu address in Ixelles. The distinction worth understanding is that this is not vegetarian cooking adapted from meat-led technique. The kitchen works with herbs, grains, flowers, fruit, vegetables sourced from local producers, using natural fermentations and organic or biodynamic wines as structural elements of the menu, not as afterthoughts. That approach has earned the restaurant 5 Radishes from We're Smart, placing it in the We're Smart global TOP10 for plant-based cooking, a Michelin star in 2025.

Those two credentials sit in different categories of validation. The Michelin star confirms technical execution at a level the guide considers worthy of a detour. The We're Smart TOP10 recognition positions Humus x Hortense not just as the leading plant-based restaurant in Brussels but as one of the ten most serious addresses of its kind anywhere in the world. For a diner whose reference point for creative, produce-driven cooking is something like Arpège in Paris, where Alain Passard built a reputation around vegetables at the highest level, Humus x Hortense is operating in that register, with the credentials to back it up.

The kitchen is led by chef Nicolas Decloedt alongside Caroline Baerten. The pairing matters here: the beverage direction, with natural fermentations and biodynamic wines as active components of the experience, is as considered as the food. For comparison, Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen has built part of its reputation on sauce and fermentation work in a similarly research-driven frame. At Humus x Hortense, fermentation is applied to plant materials in a way that adds depth without the protein anchors most kitchens rely on, technically harder to execute well, clearly being done well here.

Who should book, when

This is the right choice if you want a tasting-menu experience in Brussels that would hold its own against the leading plant-focused cooking in Europe. It is also the right choice for a special occasion where the person you're dining with either eats plant-based or is genuinely curious about whether vegetables can carry a serious menu. It is not the right choice if you need flexibility, a shorter format, or a casual drop-in option.

For broader context on serious Belgian cooking, Hof van Cleve in Kruishoutem and Boury in Roeselare represent the country's highest-tier cooking in a more classical mold. Zilte in Antwerp and Willem Hiele in Oudenburg work at a comparable level but with very different ingredient philosophies. Within Brussels itself, Bozar Restaurant offers creative cooking in a more accessible format. Humus x Hortense is distinct from all of them: none of the others are pursuing a fully plant-based menu at this level of ambition.

Practical details

Reservations: Book well in advance, this is a hard reservation to secure, particularly for dinner on weekends. Wednesday and Thursday evenings are your leading chance at shorter lead times. Hours: Wednesday and Thursday dinner only (18:00–23:30); Friday and Saturday lunch (12:00–14:30) and dinner (18:00–23:30); closed Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. Budget: €€€€, expect a tasting-menu price point consistent with a one-Michelin-star restaurant in Brussels. Dress: No stated dress code, but the experience and price point suggest smart casual at minimum. Address: Rue de Vergnies 2, 1050 Bruxelles.

Ratings at a glance

• Michelin: 1 Star (2025)
• We're Smart: 5 Radishes, Global TOP10 for plant-based cooking
• Opinionated About Dining: #461 in Europe (2025), up from #552 (2024)
• 4.4 / 5 (716 reviews)

Explore more in Ixelles

If you're planning a broader visit to the neighbourhood, see our guides: full Ixelles restaurants guide, Ixelles hotels, Ixelles bars, Ixelles wineries, and Ixelles experiences. For nearby dining options at different price points, Kamo, Amen, Chou, Amore, Pasta e Gioia, and Car Bon are all worth considering depending on your budget and format. Also note Bartholomeus in Heist for a day trip to one of Belgium's more celebrated coastal kitchens.