what is this old bistro in Uccle with its one star worth?

We are 7 km from the Grand-Place as the crow flies, in Uccle, lower part, in this somewhat damp valley where cobbled streets, architect-designed buildings, old village houses and dreary bel-detached houses rub shoulders. This is where nestles The Black Pigeon, a former pigeon café.

In video, we take you to another Brussels restaurant, Sanzarù:

The place

A quasi-village street and, on one corner, the Pigeon Noir. Gentrification obliges, it has been a long time since the café became a restaurant. We went there a few years ago, when the father, Henri De Mol, was officiating, who since 2006 has made this place a cozy, neighborhood restaurant, in chic fashion, mixing nostalgic decor and local atmosphere, crowded tables. , precise bourgeois cuisine. Today, it is his son Benoît, a recently defrocked construction works director, who has taken over the business, with the same team, including the waiters Philippe and Philippe, it’s easier, they can exchange ideas the named aprons.

Interior day, a Friday noon. The clientele is mostly male, although there are also women, but not at the same tables. So, tables of guys, tables of girls, it’s lunch time, we tell ourselves that the mixing of genres occurs after 7 p.m. The customers could largely be Florence’s parents, or even grandparents, grandparents who like to have fun, enjoy life, even on Friday lunchtime. Few ties, but casual chic galore, white shirts, pocket squares and tweed for those who have forgotten that it’s spring. Informal, but professional welcome from Benoît and the two Philippes, we are here in an old café, but it has become something else, while keeping the decor. So, does this ring true? Yes, this setting works, because if we borrow here a scenography that is offset from the promise, the proposition is very (very) delicious, and very (very) tempting!

On the plate

I order a Picon-white wine, I am offered a Labiau-white wine (€12 anyway). A bitter aperitif so Walloon that almost no one knows it anymore. I’m already almost levitating. We order a ham mousse as an appetizer (€18). In fact, it’s a starter, but with its little toasts of white bread, this little touch of Madeira (or something else that would resemble Madeira), it’s soft, it’s soft, it’s good. That moment when the bread crisps and the foam melts (in your mouth) is just magical. We continue: cheese fondues (€18), real ones that “taste” cheese; We’ve been eating soft and vulgar croquettes for years, now it’s bingo! Parsley ham, celery remoulade, (€18) it’s meaty, it’s in jelly, not something one hundred percent Florence compatible, but with this celery, the Ghent Tierenteyn mustard, the treat in classic mode without false nostalgia continues. Veal chop (€42, yes).

Thick, perfectly seared, Maillard reactions in a crust of happiness, freshly whipped béarnaise sauce, meat juice. I am sending myself a kidney-mustard (€33) which Benoît De Mol will explain to me that it is cleaned and of course prepared to order, for greater freshness, the cooking point – rosé – absolutely perfect. The meats are accompanied by matchstick potatoes. Light, they do not play the stars here, but they resonate in harmony with the dish. For the rest, there are… watercress leaves. Florence, I follow you, I will regret the green timidity of our dishes (Benoît, do not hesitate to garnish), which was not the case with the saddle of lamb of our table neighbors, accompanied by vegetables, but without fries (which the aforementioned neighbors were quick to ask for!). We drink ? That Friday, the afternoon agenda had been carefully crossed out with a large cross. So, a Brouilly by Georges Descombes (yes, Florence, you see that bourgeois and natural are compatible) priced at €59. We’re having fun (quater). Desserts? Desserts! The local zabaglione, at Guignolet Kirsch from the same place that makes Labiau (€13), excellent, but very basic in its presentation, not even a little play of textures or whatever, and a magnificent crepe Suzette (€14) which makes me want to sing Dany Brillant. We would have dreamed of being flambéed in the dining room, the smallness of the place certainly prevents this.

Verdict

In the end, the bill adds up and it is clear that the customers (you have to book well in advance) have perfectly understood what the restaurant is about. I usually don’t take “guide” rewards into consideration. However, here we are going to do a little disclaimer. The restaurant has been awarded a Michelin star for years, which inevitably generates reactions like “For a star, there could be appetizers” and other errors caused by a lack of knowledge of the criteria of the red guide. If I tell you this, dear readers, it is because many knowledgeable people post this type of comments on (bad) Tripadvisor. Here, during our lunch, everything was good, very good. All this came at a high price. The price of indulgence, the price of a small establishment where you have to jostle for reservations, and a bit to get settled. The price of showing up? No, the price for feasting.