Away from the hustle and bustle, just a stone’s throw from Louvain-la-Neuve, in an almost unexpected part of Mont-Saint-Guibert, Comptoir Chouchou cultivates a form of contemporary gentleness that turns a simple meal into a moment to breathe. A bright restaurant, designed as much as a counter of pleasures as a place to live, where people come to lunch, share, but also simply slow down for a while.

The place cleverly combines the spirit of a restaurant with that of a carefully curated delicatessen. A few fine products, thoughtfully selected objects, take-away offerings, an inviting terrace, a clean yet warm interior: everything seems designed to give guests a feeling of calm, almost familiar comfort. Nothing here is about making an impression. The place favours sincerity over showmanship.

The soul of the house also lies with the people who bring it to life. Yasmina, the radiant owner, welcomes her guests with open arms and a natural warmth that instantly dissolves any distance. At her side, chef Xavier Catoul, who has worked in several fine establishments in the Brussels region, displays a complete mastery of the classics, revealing them through impeccable seasoning and perfectly judged cooking. Together, they give the place its human, attentive and spontaneous character, one that stays with you.

In the kitchen, the food follows the same philosophy: a clear, refined cuisine without rigidity, driven by the quality of the ingredients and genuine generosity. Lunch changes every week, inspiration evolves with the seasons, but one constant remains: generous, colourful and precise compositions in which flavour is always at the heart of things.

The current menu immediately sets the tone. It begins with vintage sardines, toasted bread and lemon, or beef carpaccio with Cipriani sauce and pickled red onion. The grilled prawn salad with Asian flavours brings a more exotic touch, while the perfect egg with pea gazpacho and Parmesan tuile plays on freshness and indulgence. And then there is that grilled brioche with black garlic butter, bufala and tomato granita, which sums up the Chouchou spirit perfectly: generous, contemporary and genuinely delicious.

The main courses become more substantial without losing their freshness. Beef with marchand de vin sauce, Provençal tomato and chickpea waffle; Indian Makhani chicken with mint and coriander yoghurt and spiced rice; cod loin with a saffron sauce vierge, Provençal tomato and plain potato; or linguine with black summer truffle: four dishes, four different worlds, but always the same desire to make pleasure immediately accessible.

And because Chouchou also enjoys playing with the rules, the pulled-pork burger with Alabama sauce offers a little detour into street food.

Dessert continues this idea of uncomplicated indulgence: vanilla-poached peach with sabayon gratin, a fine tartlet of ginger-poached pears with chiboust cream and tonka bean, or a light dark chocolate mousse with raspberry gel and caramelised hazelnuts. Not forgetting the cheese selection from the excellent Maître Corbeau, for those who prefer to extend the pleasure a little longer.

In our often deafening culinary landscape, Comptoir Chouchou does not try to shout. It prefers to welcome and to look after its guests. And this measured simplicity, embodied by the duo of Yasmina Koeune and Xavier Catoul, becomes almost a luxury.

LD · Eating · September 2026