Elders

When we die, we dream of being reincarnated as Tom Pauwelyn’s Brussels waffle with langoustine, raw cream andshellfish jus. The chef behind Elders (ex-In De Wulf, Alberte), who has a slight air of Carmy Berzatto about him, and his sommelier partner Romy Deconinck, have swapped Alberte for this old pharmacy with a small garden on Van Beverenplein. With a blue-tiled facade and higgledy-piggledy letters as its sign, inside you’ll find Birkin on a record cover, a roast chicken-shaped vase, and a print declaring Let’s drink the sea and dance… Here, everything’s cool, but not forced – the dream spot! It’s the place to go for some all-day Sunday love: a poached egg drizzled in hollandaise sauce, served with leeks and brioche toast; dried/salted cod with sour blood orange and chili-spiced chard; and spring chicken with white asparagus and croquettes. And then there’s the lip-smacking lunchtime fare: chicory braised to perfection, breadcrumbed and doused in hollandaise sauce, pickled wild garlic blossoms and capers; an orgy of various roasted cabbages to make you go gaga for veg; masterful fresh pappardelle weaved with scallops and their coral; and the aforementioned langoustine waffle… ah! Goodbye, cruel world! // Romy Van Helden