The story
Pane & Olio is an Italian micro-restaurant at Chemin du chêne aux Haies 52 in Mons, Belgium, where chef Angelo Galasso earned a score of 13 from Gault&Millau in 2026. The room seats 14 guests, and the kitchen is in full view of the tables.
Galasso is self-taught and has lived in Belgium since 2005. He grew up in Basilicata, in southern Italy, and the region still shapes his cooking. He is a member of the Italian chefs federation FIC and of Euro-Toques, and he buys from small local producers and Italian artisans. Le Fooding notes that he sources products directly from Italy and works toward zero waste.
There is no à la carte. The kitchen serves one menu to every table, and it changes several times a month with the seasons. Le Fooding described one evening: smoked mozzarella with radicchio and grape must, a playful Milanese risotto, and beluga lentils with horseradish cream. Later courses included paccheri alla Vittorio in tomato, pecorino and basil, and slow-cooked Iberian pork tenderloin with celery purée and red wine sauce. The dessert, an amaretto crème brûlée, looked better on paper than it tasted, according to the same review.
The dining room is small and intimate, with a terrace for summer evings and an air-conditioned interior for the rest of the year. Dinner is a six-service menu, and reservations are required. Groups of six or more can book, and the restaurant can be reserved privately on request. The wine list is arranged as a tour through Italy, and a non-alcoholic botanical pairing is also offered.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
Is it a restaurant? A communal dining experience? Or a cooking show? This 45 m2 brick-walled UAP at the far end of a country lane has been enchanting Mons locals since 2015. Self-taught Angelo Galasso, originally from Basilicata in southern Italy, swapped working at Proximus for a chef’s apron. A believer in the Slow Food movement who sources products straight from Italy, he takes a zero-waste approach to his cuisine, which brings a large handful of guests on a six-step tour of the Boot, including the occasional celebrity. That evening: smoked mozzarella, radicchio and grape must; cheeky Milanese risotto; and beluga lentils boosted by a horseradish cream as appetizers; followed by a perfect œuf parfait, asparagus and guanciale camouflaged by a Parmesan mousse and citrus breadcrumbs; paccheri alla Vittorio in an incredible tomato, pecorino and basil sauce; slow-cooked Iberian pork tenderloin, crunchy vegetables, celery puree and a red wine sauce; before a wonderfully light chocolate ganache with a crème anglaise mousse; and an amaretto crème brûlée – which was unfortunately more tempting on paper than in taste. // Alain Maes
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