Mangiavino

Simple, seasonal cuisine, as authentic as Nona’s cooking and the whole of Italy’s

A few meters from the Altitude 100 roundabout, nestled next to Picpoul (which we’re still eager to try), Mangiavino opened a few weeks ago.

This small Italian restaurant, opened by Ambre and Michele, is a masterful blend of a simple yet effective concept, both super accessible and highly qualitative. We enjoyed deceptively simple zucchini linguine, perfectly al dente, elegantly combined with their own cooking water and pecorino. Simply perfect, without any pretense.

At €15 for the starter-main course formula, it was exactly what we wanted and a total success. The parmigiana was equally impressive. Surprisingly light, not too greasy, simply delicious. This is what Mangiavino promises: simple, seasonal cuisine, as authentic as Nona’s cooking and the whole of Italy’s. “Poor man’s cuisine,” Michele explains, with good ingredients, which is the magic of Italy. In short, the pasta of the day and antipasti. And with that, superb Italian wines, mostly natural, and at all prices. There’s always buffalo mozzarella too, served without salt or olive oil because it’s so good (for €6). There’s always a daily starter, only available with the lunch formula. And that’s it.

Well, not quite. Mangiavino also promises a warm welcome, a terrace as flowered as a garden, and a generous counter that hosts aperitivo on Sunday evenings.

Before opening Mangiavino, Michele opened Caffe al Dente 20 years ago with Lakhdar. Italy has always been part of his life, due to his roots as well. Before returning to Brussels, Ambre and Michele lived for five years in Tuscany, where they discovered a passion for vegetable farming. The desire to be close to their families brought them back here. In their small grocery store, they sell the products they use in their kitchen, sourced from Lazio and within a 30-kilometer radius. For fresh produce, it’s Biovrac and Biofarm, to stay as local and seasonal as possible. “This allows us to shop daily,” Michele says. Yesterday, it was eggplant rigatoni, and the day before, pasta with zucchini and guanciale, a specialty of Rome, where he is originally from.

We love it, absolutely. Extremely happy with this first visit, we devoured the little amaretti that came with the Moka coffee. We will be back, and not just once.