Resto: Bozar Café Victor

Victor, the new café-restaurant at the Bozar arts centre, is a treat for the eyes. Before long, it should be one for the palate too.

We knew that the Robbrecht and Daem architects' studio was brilliant. But it seems they have made their biggest impact to date with the Bozar Café Victor, that has taken up residence in the former premises of the Bozar Bookshop.

The design is immaculately coherent, the colours and shapes juxtaposed perfectly to create a timeless space. We love the bottle-green benches, the Granito counter, and the circular light fittings which manage to evoke the Horta spirit without slavishly copying it. The most striking detail is the gorgeous black tables inlaid with segments of musical instruments in brass.

Against such a backdrop we anticipated that the food and the service would be irreproachable. This did not turn out to be the case. We'll begin with the service. Other waiters were good-humoured… Sadly, the contempt displayed by ours was just not acceptable. We tried not to allow this passive aggression to cloud our judgement.

The starter, a carpaccio of chicken (€14.80), lived up to its promise: thin slices of free-range chicken, probably cooked at a low temperature, judging by how tender it was, and flavoured with "tonnato" sauce. The dish was attractively presented, with capers, sorrel, and olive oil. The main course, on the other hand, was disappointing: "fish without chips" (€22.80) served in a fake newspaper. Based on the concept of the "fritto misto di pesce", the dish included lemon sole, squid, and scampi. Unfortunately, they arrived on the table lukewarm and limp, when we had been hoping they would be crisp and golden… This was an even greater pity seeing as how the tartare with little chunks of hard-boiled egg, the accompaniment of seasoned quinoa, and the Grüner Veltliner Nigl "Freiheit" (€44.20) were outstanding.

open: Tu > Su 10 > 22.00