The story
Humus x Hortense, at rue de Vergnies 2 in Ixelles, Brussels, is a vegan fine dining restaurant that earned one Michelin star in 2026. Gault&Millau gave it 16.5 the same year, praising plant-based cooking of exceptionally high and refined quality.
Nicolas Decloedt trained at the Ter Duinen culinary institute and has lived an ethical, plant-based life for more than 25 years. His menus follow 24 microseasons and draw on botanical research. Caroline Baerten trained at the same institute and works alongside him as a WSET certified sommelière and mixologist. As a former art photographer, Nicolas brings a close eye for detail to each plate.
Early courses include buckwheat crackers with Belgian chickpea houmous and a potato waffle with gherkin. Later, celeriac appears as a "Paris Brest" with quince and horseradish, and a Belgian saffron broth arrives with ravioli. Botanical cocktails and zero-waste mocktails are served along the tasting menu, and guests who prefer no alcohol can choose home-made non-alcoholic pairings.
The restaurant occupies an Art Nouveau building, and Caroline's home-made ceramic tableware is part of the table setting. Botanist Dries Delanote and an international team of young chefs work with the founders on a zero-waste approach and regenerative agriculture. Nicolas, Caroline, Dries and Alexandra Swenden also started Soilmates, an annual gathering that brings together farmers, artists, scientists and chefs.
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High quality cooking
This exceptional restaurant, housed in an elegant Art Nouveau building, serves a plant-based cuisine of exceptionally high and refined quality. From the appetizers, including a buckwheat cracker with Belgian chickpeas, the tone is set: ...
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