Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Indulge

Dine in style at two gourmet restaurants on the Brussels Airlines network

Maison Pic

VALENCE, LYON
285 Avenue Victor Hugo, tel. , www.pic-valence.com

If the old Route Nationale 7 was a Gallic Route 66, then many French gourmets undoubtedly got their kicks in Valence, 110km south of Lyon on the River Rhône. It was here that generations of car-borne foodies enjoyed the delights of the Pic family’s hotel-restaurant, just off the road near the centre of the town. Michelin-garlanded from an early age, today Maison Pic is the only restaurant in France with both three Michelin stars and a woman at the helm. Anne-Sophie Pic is the fourth generation of her family to be in the business and the third to preside over the present hotel-restaurant, arranged around a pretty patio.

If the pedigree is impeccable, Maison Pic’s appeal is nevertheless entirely contemporary, from Anne-Sophie’s assured cooking to the stylish modern setting in which it is presented. The restaurant itself is a calm sanctum of pale colours, fresh flowers and understated sophistication, flooded with light through its patio doors. In contrast, the vaulted bar and salons offer an altogether more striking series of interlinked spaces, furnished with an eclectic mélange of antiques, aged leather and contemporary furniture. The simpler and more affordable bistro, Le 7 – named in honour of the old Route Nationale – is a vibrant, modern canteen with a road theme, splashes of spicy red and funky plexiglass chairs.

Guestrooms have all the contemporary chic of a metropolitan loft apartment, and there’s a beautiful Mediterranean-style garden with a swimming pool in which to shrug off the heat of the southern French afternoon. The weekday lunch menu in the restaurant costs €85; Le 7’s simpler fare is available on a €28 menu. Neville Walker

Kwint

BRUSSELS
1 Mont des Arts, tel. , www.kwintbrussels.com

Kwint offers a harmonious combination of trophy food and statement interiors. With heavyweights such as foie gras, caviar or truffles featuring in nearly every dish, a meal here is a real treat – yet surprisingly affordable. And the decadence is matched by an incredible art installation by Belgian design hero Arne Quinze. A crushed creation of burnished gold and bronze twists and turns its way above the tables throughout the length of the restaurant, before ‘disappearing’ into the cellar (but not before creating the surround for the bar). This sculpture, made, bizarrely, from paper sprayed with metallic car paints, appears all the more extraordinary when juxtaposed with the restaurant’s orderly vaulted-brick ceilings and gently padded walls.

Having provided an eyeful on the inside, Kwint also boasts great views through its wide arched windows or from the terrace. Nearby are the recently spruced up ornamental gardens of the Monts des Arts and the sparkling facets of the vast glass cube of the Square congress centre. Looking further, you’ll spy the tower of the Grand’Place and the Koekelberg Basilica.

Kwint’s foie gras, truffles, caviar, Serrano ham, pata negra, smoked salmon et al are provided by Parisian delicatessens Caviar Kaspia and Maison de la Truffe (products from both establishments are available for purchase). If the baked potato with caviar and the truffle risotto sound too rich, you can opt one of several fish dishes; a trio of smoked fish, a salad of crab and crayfish, or a Norwegian salmon steak. Simply prepared, the quality of the produce is allowed to shine through. The lengthy French wine list has plenty of options around €25-€35 a bottle, while vodka is available by the carafe for caviar fiends. Finally, don’t miss Kwint’s take on dame blanche; the traditional Belgian dessert of vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate sauce. From €50 for two courses without wine. Guy Dittrich

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