SIGNORA AVA — Restaurant in Brussels

No question, the food is extremely tasteful BUT... We will unfortunately rate this place 3 stars. Let me reassure you, the food is perfect, made with premium quality ingredients, it truly it is! This was an excellent discovery for my husband and I and we had hoped to come back and become regulars as we live in the area but after our last experience we will unfortunately not be going back.

So why the three stars, you ask?

The FIRST time we had lunch there, we really enjoyed ourselves and didn't pay much attention as to what we would order. The menu is delightfully short with not many items to choose from, which always means that everything is homemade and fresh! We ordered drinks, the menu of the day, dessert and coffee! La totale quoi ! We had meatballs as primi, with a tomato sauce that was so fine, full of flavours! In secondi we had a ragu pasta that was just like the one we had tasted in Bologna. For dessert, my husband had the trio dessert (tiramisu, strawberry panacotta, and lemon sherbet) and I had the vanilla panacotta. Everything was exquisite, staff was super friendly and we definitely enjoyed every single bite of what we had!

HOWEVER the second time... Being young parents on a budget and it being the end of the month, we decided to only have lunch this time. No drinks, no dessert or coffee.

When we ordered our two lunch menus, we had a remark from Enzo, the owner: "No drinks?!" "No, not today thank you!" "..."

Once our plates arrived, we realised we were served very differently than last time... We only got two pieces of bread, last time we had four. No biggie but still... We were not offered a plate of olive oil and crostinis to dip our bread into like last time, we had to ask for it instead.

Our primi plate arrived and it was very... Basic. Three roasted vegetables, one meager slice of prosciutto and a few leaves of salad... Our neighbours ordered the SAME dish: their plate was topped with mozzarella balls and had a HANDFUL OF OTHER ingredients! Yes, unbelievable…!

When our main dish arrived, we had another remark with regards to our "missing" drinks. We ignored it. And tried to enjoy the still very excellent pasta and seafood dish (again all of Italy's tastebuds in our plates, very tasteful!), probably with a few ingredients less again than our neighbours but at this point we didn’t really care anymore and just enjoyed what we had.

When we finished, we asked for the bill... And yes, you guessed it! Again! Another remark from the owner because we didn't buy drinks. Geez! "Ma’am, you don't have to buy drinks, you do whatever you want ma'am! ", he kept repeating, "but you know, I don't make money this way without you buying drinks". Okay sir, I understand that you are running a business. However if it is such a problem for you that a menu is bought without drinks perhaps you should inform the customers and write it under the menu somewhere... Or that 2€ extra should be added in case there are no drinks, whichever! But please do not ruin your customer's experience with unpleasant comments throughout the meal...! 😩

A real pity, the food is excellent, the quality is definitely there. We would have come almost every other week but this was not a nice experience for us. When one goes to a restaurant, it is to enjoy oneself. Being pressured into BUYING MORE than what one wants/needs is definitely not a nice feeling.

OUR SUGGESTION WHEN GOING THERE: Make sure you have a full wallet, are ready to splurge and order the ENTIRE menu ESPECIALLY THE DRINKS! Or else you’ll leave with an Enzo that is not happy and that will serve you only half of what you were supposed to get on...

As an Italian based in Bruxelles since some years, I have to admit this is the very first time I feel like at Home. When I have the pleasure to go eat at Nuova Signora Ava, Enzo and his lovely stuff make my time always precious. It’s like being surrounded by the love and the atmosphere I feel in Puglia, at my house. The menu is a perfect example of the “italianità” everyone eating Italian should try! Each plate is studied with exceptional attention and care by Marco, the chef. And all is fresh, delicious, seasonal. Please, get a treat, get a cuddle, enjoy the taste, smile back to the stuff. Enjoy a piece of real Italy in the heart of Bruxelles

Owner wouldn't let us dine unless we ordered something to drink. If you don't plan to drink, don't go just for food. Maybe they prefer folks that help the restaurants profits by ordering overpriced drinks.

Response: Your menu should have indicated min order requirement if below that amount is not profitable for you. We wasted time to find out your unwritten rules later. And we asked if there is a charge for tap water and only ordered after that. Again, should have put that on menu. Bottom line, felt like your restaurant didn't want to serve us. Good luck with your selective...