Certo — Restaurant in Ixelles - Elsene

This atmospheric and popular bistrot exploits three fundamental flaws in the minds of Brussels citizens and tourists. One, that Italian food is the same as pasta. Two, that young people in Brussels don't know how to cook, are affluent and willing to pay just about any price, even if boiling a pot of water, some practice and using fresh ingredients would easily lead to same if not better results. Three, that poor design and lack of comfort - wobbly tables, non fitting chairs, unclean floor, poorly cleaned glassware, the occasional swarm of small flies coming from the kitchen, noisy music and cramped seating - are the true hallmarks of Italian authenticity.

Nobody is better than me at overestimating Italian food culture, but this place offers very poor value for money.

I won't discuss their focus on natural and low intervention wines. That would be like trying to have a rational conversation about Padre Pio being a saint, Pippo Inzaghi never having been off side or Elvis still...

Horrible experience. We were six and had 6 filled pommodori dal forno as a starter. Easy for the kitchen you would say, but it was all cold... but honestly, that was the least of our worries. The meat was tasteless, no salt & pepper, and the cheese sauce poured over the tomato in a fancy manner while the dish was served, wasn't there to cheer us up either. The entrecôte was ok, but for €38 you would expect a better deal. Not 8 strips of meat. (where does the rest of the entrecôte go?!) The only thing they serve well is their wine, and luckily they don't make it themselves too or it would probably taste like cork. After reporting our disappointment to the maitre, he said: 'Ca arrive' ('it happens'). No apology, no grappa or limoncello on the house, not a single cent reduction given. Well let me give you my honest review: è uno scandalo, indegno dell'...

I’ve been here twice now but I remain unconvinced. The starter with burrata and zucchini is excellent, I ate it twice and there is nothing to complain about. However, the main dishes leave much to be desired. The first time I went I tried their famous cacio e pepe. The shape of the pasta was something unique (very thick noodles) but the sauce I found to be too salty. The second time I had some penne pasta cooked al dente accompanied by a very underwhelming simple ragu sauce. I also tried the calamarata pasta from my compagnon but also here the dish tastes like something you can make better at home. When you ask €23 for a pasta dish, you expect more value. It’s nice to be able to sit outside on a terrace and the waitress was kind but other than that I see no reason to come...