Le Longue Vie - Restaurant & Bar - Ixelles — Restaurant in Ixelles - Elsene

We came to this place on June 26 at 19:20 (I indicate the time and date so that the management could check who was working). We didn’t reserve a table in advance and sat down at a free one on the street, there were more than 6 free tables. After a couple minutes, a waitress with a very innocent face came up to us and said that all the tables were booked and we needed to ask in advance. For which we called and asked if we could stay or if we needed to change seats, but we received an answer - that one table was free and we could stay. All this was presented in a very rude manner, after which she came up to us and asked what we would order - we only chose drinks, she told us that we also need to order food and if we don’t order it, then we need to move to another table, because our table is reserved and people will come in 20 min, but before 5 min she told us that table if free. Everything was in a very crude and arrogant manner. I asked the girl’s name, but she did not say it, even though he works in the service sector. Digusting attitude. Served by a girl, height about 160-165, tight hair, and she has a scrunchy...

The place is simultaneously chill and fancy. The vibe is very cool. The stuff is kind and helpful (even in english for non french speakers). All the dishes were delicious but I have a very big complaint about the duck. Even though the sauce and the mushed potatoes were very tasty, the duck breast itself came uncut by the chef (which I have never seen in a restaurant before) and it was impossible to cut and, in some bites, to chew. It really gave us a hard time and for 24€ it is not what you expect. We also had some type of breaded fish (I can't provide the specific names because there was no english menu) which was nice but very obviously frozen, which, again, for 20€ you do not expect. We got 2 glasses of wine, both cost around 7€ and they were very small portions. Overall, it is a nice place to try. Some dishes, even though they are on the very expensive side but have small portions, are very well thought out and they have very nice combinations of flavours. Still, it is not a place to get full, even if you pay more...

The wine was excellent and the place/ambiance was very nice, but when it comes to food... guys, did you lose your mind? You propose a panzanella (normally 50% tomato and 50% bread) without bread inside and charge 15 eur (or 12, I don't remember exactly) for that? Basically I paid 15 euros for a cut tomato with some basil leaves and 2 small pieces of salicornia! I might be biased cause I'm Italian and I have been eating panzanella for 30 years, but that's really too much. I know there is this tendency in Ixelles to make EVERY single thing fancy and expensive, but please stop the trend. Plus, I didn't have the pleasure to taste my second dish cause the waiter refused to write down our big order and obviously forgot about my dish. When I solicited it, the dish was no longer available.. Guys, please, less fanciness and more...