Restaurant in Waterloo, Belgium
Two Michelin Plates, easy to book.
La Scarpetta holds a Michelin Plate for two consecutive years and carries a 4.7 Google rating from nearly 400 reviews — an unusually consistent track record for a mid-range Italian in Waterloo. At €€ pricing and with easy booking availability, it's the most credentialled option in town for a reliable Italian dinner without the friction of a hard-to-secure reservation.
La Scarpetta earns a Michelin Plate in both 2024 and 2025, which in Belgium's recognition-heavy dining scene is a meaningful signal: inspectors consider this kitchen worth your attention. The good news for first-timers is that getting a table here is direct. Unlike many Michelin-acknowledged addresses in Brussels or Antwerp where you're planning weeks in advance, La Scarpetta on the Chaussée de Bruxelles sits at a price point (€€) and booking difficulty that makes it a realistic weeknight option, not just a special-occasion gamble. If you're in Waterloo and want a credentialled Italian meal without the friction of a high-end reservation gauntlet, this is the right call.
The address — Chaussée de Bruxelles 178 — places La Scarpetta along one of Waterloo's main arteries, accessible from the town centre and direct to reach by car. For first-timers arriving without strong preconceptions, the €€ pricing tier signals a mid-range commitment: expect to spend meaningfully without the kind of per-head figures you'd see at a Michelin-starred tasting room. The cuisine is Italian, which in a Belgian context tends to mean a European-leaning kitchen rather than a strictly regional Italian one, though the Michelin recognition suggests the execution is taken seriously.
The atmosphere here leans warm rather than formal. At the €€ level with a Plate recognition, you're in territory where the room feels considered without being stiff , the kind of place where a conversation carries across the table without competing with a sound system. This matters if you're weighing La Scarpetta against louder, busier alternatives in the area. For a first visit, arriving without the pressure of a hard-to-secure reservation means you can assess the room on arrival and settle in at your own pace rather than treating the booking itself as an achievement.
Database record for La Scarpetta doesn't confirm specific counter or bar seating arrangements, so any claim about a chef's counter or bar programme would be speculative. What the Michelin Plate credential does imply is that the kitchen is operating with enough consistency to draw inspector attention, which in Italian restaurants of this format often correlates with a tighter, more focused dining room rather than a sprawling one. If counter or bar seating is a priority for your visit, the practical move is to call ahead or check at booking and request it directly , Italian restaurants at this level frequently have a handful of bar seats that go quickly but aren't always advertised online.
For solo diners, the €€ price point and Michelin Plate status make La Scarpetta one of the more compelling options in Waterloo for eating well alone without overspending. A mid-range Italian with inspector recognition is a better solo proposition than a grander tasting menu format where single supplements can distort the value calculation significantly.
Booking difficulty at La Scarpetta is rated easy, which is genuinely useful information in a country where respected restaurants can fill up well ahead of the weekend. For planning purposes: you're unlikely to need more than a few days' notice for a weeknight table, and weekends are probably manageable with a week's lead time. The Michelin Plate recognition hasn't pushed this into the category of venues where you need to set calendar reminders. That said, because hours and online booking details aren't confirmed in the current data, arriving with a reservation rather than walking in cold is still the sensible approach, particularly for groups of three or more.
For groups, the absence of a confirmed seat count means it's worth contacting the restaurant directly if you're planning a party of six or more. Mid-range Italian restaurants in Belgium at this size and profile tend to have private or semi-private arrangements available, but that's a question to settle before you arrive rather than on the night.
At €€ pricing with two consecutive Michelin Plate awards, La Scarpetta sits in a useful middle position: more credentialled than a neighbourhood trattoria, less expensive than a full Michelin-starred dinner in Brussels or the wider Belgian fine-dining circuit. For a birthday dinner, an anniversary that doesn't call for the full theatre of a starred room, or a business dinner where you want quality without the price conversation becoming awkward, it fits well. The dual-year Plate recognition is a trust signal that matters: it isn't a one-off mention, it's a pattern of inspector approval.
If you're comparing it to Italian options further afield, restaurants like 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana in Hong Kong or cenci in Kyoto represent what the leading of the Italian format looks like internationally , La Scarpetta isn't in that tier, but it's also a fraction of the commitment. Within Belgium, the benchmark shifts: against Boury in Roeselare or Zilte in Antwerp, La Scarpetta is the lower-stakes, lower-budget option, which is exactly what makes it the right choice when the occasion calls for quality without the formality of a full fine-dining evening.
A 4.7 from 387 Google reviews is a meaningfully high score at this volume. Ratings above 4.5 from more than 300 reviewers in a mid-sized Belgian town suggest consistent execution rather than a single wave of enthusiastic early visitors. It also tracks with the Michelin Plate consistency: kitchens that hold recognition across two years and maintain high public ratings are doing something right at the operational level, not just on the night an inspector happens to visit.
See the comparison section below for how La Scarpetta stacks up against other Waterloo dining options. For a broader view of where to eat, drink, and stay in the area, the full Waterloo restaurants guide covers the complete picture, alongside guides to Waterloo bars, hotels, wineries, and experiences. For Belgian fine dining with higher ambitions, Hof van Cleve in Kruishoutem, Willem Hiele in Oudenburg, and Bozar Restaurant in Brussels represent the next tier up, while Bartholomeus in Heist, Castor in Beveren, and Cuchara in Lommel are worth knowing for regional comparisons elsewhere in the country.
The closest direct alternatives in Waterloo depend on what you're optimising for. La Cuisine du Côté Vert matches La Scarpetta on price (€€) and offers classic Belgian-French cuisine if you want a different kitchen style at a similar spend. Parf'Inde epices is the pick for something more flavour-forward and different in register. Masters Super Fish is the call for something casual and quick rather than a sit-down meal.
Bar or counter seating isn't confirmed in the available data for La Scarpetta. If bar seating matters to your visit , particularly for solo dining or a quick early dinner , call ahead and ask. Italian restaurants at this level frequently have a small number of bar seats that aren't flagged on booking platforms but are available on request.
Yes, it's one of the better solo dining options in Waterloo at this price tier. A €€ Italian with a 4.7 Google rating and consecutive Michelin Plate recognition gives you a credentialled meal without the solo supplement pressure of a tasting-menu format. For a solo diner who wants to eat well without overspending or feeling awkward in a formal room, La Scarpetta fits well.
The seat count isn't confirmed in the current data, so for groups of six or more, contact the restaurant directly before booking. Mid-range Italian restaurants in Belgium at this profile often have semi-private areas or can configure tables for larger parties, but it needs to be arranged in advance rather than assumed on arrival.
Yes, within its tier. Two consecutive Michelin Plate awards and a 4.7 rating at nearly 400 reviews make it a solid choice for a birthday, anniversary, or business dinner where quality matters but you're not looking for the full theatre of a starred tasting room. At €€, you get a credentialled meal without the price point becoming the story of the evening.
Specific menu formats and pricing aren't confirmed in the available data, so a direct verdict on a tasting menu isn't possible here. What the Michelin Plate recognition does indicate is that the kitchen is cooking at a level where a tasting format, if offered, is likely to be executed with care. At €€ pricing, even a multi-course format should stay within a range that doesn't distort the value calculation. Check the current menu directly with the restaurant before booking around a specific format.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Scarpetta | Italian | €€ | Easy |
| Masters Super Fish | Fish & Chips | Unknown | |
| La Cuisine du Côté Vert | Classic Cuisine | €€ | Unknown |
| Parf’Inde epices | Unknown |
What to weigh when choosing between La Scarpetta and alternatives.
La Cuisine du Côté Vert is the closest like-for-like alternative if you want sit-down dining with a different cuisine angle. Masters Super Fish is worth considering if you want something more casual and fish-focused. Parf'Inde Épices suits anyone who wants spice-forward cooking at a lower price point. La Scarpetta is the only Michelin Plate-recognised option of the three, which matters if credentials are part of the decision.
The available data for La Scarpetta doesn't confirm bar or counter seating. check the venue's official channels via the Chaussée de Bruxelles 178 address before assuming walk-in bar dining is an option.
At €€ pricing with a Michelin Plate, La Scarpetta is a reasonable solo choice if you want a credentialled meal without the commitment of a high-end tasting menu. Booking difficulty is rated easy, so last-minute solo reservations are more realistic here than at heavily-booked comparables. Whether counter or table seating is available for one is not confirmed in the data, so it's worth flagging when you book.
Nothing in the available data confirms private dining rooms or large-group capacity at La Scarpetta. For groups of four or more, contact the restaurant in advance to confirm table configurations — Chaussée de Bruxelles 178, Waterloo. Booking lead time is rated easy, which suggests flexibility, but group-specific arrangements are unconfirmed.
Yes, it fits the occasion well at €€ pricing. Two consecutive Michelin Plate awards (2024 and 2025) give it enough credential to feel considered without the pressure or spend of a starred restaurant. If you want something more formal or prix-fixe in structure, check whether La Cuisine du Côté Vert better matches the format you have in mind.
Specific menu formats are not confirmed in the available data, so whether La Scarpetta offers a tasting menu is unverified. What is confirmed: two Michelin Plate awards and €€ pricing, which suggests the kitchen is operating at a level worth the spend even for a standard à la carte meal. Confirm the menu format directly before booking if a set tasting structure is a priority.
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