Syrian tapas with a warm atmosphere in one of the most lively corners of Brussels
C’Chicounou holds a special place in our hearts. It’s not haute cuisine, the menu hasn’t changed in years, and the service can be a little chaotic. But it’s teeming with charm, which is presumably why its tables are full every weekend.
Like most good things in Brussels, it’s located away from the tourist centre in the buzzing southern suburb of Ixelles. Blink and you’ll miss it, but stumble upon it and we guarantee you’ll be back.
C’Chicounou doesn’t need to waste time on shiny advertising or selling itself; its reputation spreads by word of mouth – or in our case the delicious scents wafting across the street when we were lucky enough to be its neighbour in a previous life.
The personality behind C’Chicounou Inspired by Georges (the clue’s in the name) is chef Georges Baghdi Sar, who left his homeland of Syria at 11 years old to seek asylum in Brussels with his family.
Born to a Syrian father and Lebanese mother, Middle Eastern cuisine is in his blood. Georges spent his teenage years helping out in his parents’ restaurants before studying at hotelier school in Namur. He eventually opened C’Chicounou close to Flagey, following it up with successful venues My Tannour and Mine Madeh, which specialise in Syrian street food and also merit visiting.
When we said that the menu hasn’t changed in years, we didn’t mean it as a slight. In fact, we’ve ordered the exact same tapas on every visit since we first walked through the doors in 2015: the tasting menu for 2 people with chicken in sesame cream, artichoke, labneh, sautéed veal, lightly spiced beef and lamb sausages, grilled prawns, marinated grilled chicken, and fattoush salad, all accompanied by a portion or two of the restaurant’s speciality flatbread.
The drinks menu is fuss-free (a couple of wine and beer choices) but well matched. And this is Belgium, after all, so even the simple beer choice would be above-average. The Teta pomegranate pale ale is brewed exclusively for Georges’s restaurants by the l’Ermitage microbrewery in Brussels.
The open kitchen means that a visit to C’Chicounou is always loud and smoky and a bit frenzied. It’s always full of wonderful aromas and chatter from packed tables. You’re likely to see Georges, chatting animatedly with customers or expertly grilling bread like you’ve never seen bread being grilled before.
There’s a reason that this, of all the beautiful, fancy, delectable restaurants in Brussels, is the one we come back to every time.
Book a table here
We ate
La formule dégustation (for 2 people)
3 cold tapas, 2 hot tapas, 2 tapas from the grill, chef’s fattoush salad – 48EUR
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