📷 2
Photos
Shot by a City Insiders curator.
Humus x Hortense
★ 4.0(1 review)Restaurant
artisticintimateexperimental
About the Vibe
Humus x Hortense isn't just a restaurant—it's a botanical laboratory where chef Nicolas Decloedt and partner Caroline Baerten turn vegetables into high art. Forget everything you think you know about vegan dining: here, foraged ingredients and fermentation create tasting menus that rival any Michelin-starred establishment. The 24 micro-seasonal menu changes constantly, so every visit is a surprise. Skip the regular dinner and go for the full tasting experience with the botanical pairings—it's expensive (€235 for dinner) but worth every euro if you appreciate food as performance art.
Known For
- •zero-waste roots-to-leaves cooking
- •botanical cocktails with fermentation
- •24 micro-seasonal tasting menu
- •foraged ingredients
Best For
special occasion dinnersfoodie adventuresplant-based fine dining
1 review
City InsidersEditorialApril 11, 2026
Botanical fine dining that redefines vegan cuisine
Humus x Hortense is Brussels' most ambitious plant-based restaurant, and it shows. Chef Nicolas Decloedt trained at Mugaritz and brings that Basque precision to his botanical explorations, but with a uniquely Belgian twist. The tasting menu changes with 24 micro-seasons, meaning you're never eating the same thing twice. Every dish is a visual masterpiece—think fermented vegetables arranged like sculptures, cocktails made from foraged botanicals that taste like nothing you've had before.
The experience is intimate and theatrical. You're seated at tables that Caroline Baerten (a former art historian) has personally curated, complete with custom ceramics. The service is knowledgeable but not pretentious—they'll explain the science behind each dish without making you feel like you need a degree to understand it. The zero-waste philosophy means nothing goes to waste, and you can taste the care in every bite.
It's expensive, no question. At €235 for dinner with pairings, you're paying for an experience, not just food. But if you're into experimental cuisine, botanical gastronomy, or just want to see what plant-based fine dining can actually achieve, this is Brussels' best shot at it. Just book well in advance—their pop-up in Antwerp sold out in minutes.