L'essentiel — Restaurant in Koekelberg

I hardly have an experience so outstanding that I need to write a review about, but unfortunately, this one was quite unique.

We were a party of 4 with a baby in a stroller. The restaurant was busy but had enough space to accommodate us if, perhaps, another party of 4 could scoot over by a good 10 cm. When I asked, the staff absolutely rejected the idea. Apparently, politely requesting someone to move slightly will be considered rude and is “foreign behavior” (so foreign, in fact, that two staff members separately asked where I was from). It felt a little cold, but I thought fine, maybe customer satisfaction here is just defined differently.

Come to the time we actually placed our orders, turns out customer satisfaction is a little closely coupled with how much said customer will pay at the establishment. Our party of 4 with a baby wanted just two dishes and two drinks. According to the staff, that was not acceptable and every person needed to order a main.

The tone of every conversation from entering to ordering was cold and unwelcoming and made us want to leave, so that we did. We left and drove to another place where, the warmth of the staff was so refreshing that I genuinely wanted to hug the employee serving us (which she absolutely welcomed after hearing about our previous experience).

Sometimes, the difference between a frustrating experience and a memorable one is surprisingly small. Hopefully, the next time someone offers you a little patience, a small adjustment, or a simple smile on a random Tuesday morning you would realize how easy it would have been for you to make our encounter a way better one. Until then, this place is a...

I had a fantastic dining experience at Baba Brunch! (L’essential) The food was delicious, well-portioned, and beautifully presented. Everything on the plate complemented each other perfectly.

The Florentine toast was especially impressive—the creamy chicken and spinach were rich and flavourful, and the balsamic-dressed salad added the perfect tangy contrast to balance it out. The burger toast was also incredible—so filling that we had to take one to go, just as the owner had kindly warned us. It was served with the right amount of crispy fries and a delicious complementary sauce.

Beyond the amazing food, the hospitality was just as great. The owners were very welcoming and made us feel comfortable throughout our visit. Plus, the prices were affordable, making this an even better experience. I would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for great halal food, a warm atmosphere, and...

Service is so bad we started questioning our life choices. From the moment we walked in, the staff made it feel like we were bothering them just by showing up. They didnt want to make place for us even though it was possible to ask some customers to move a good 10cm. Apparently that was rude. When we did get a place, we placed orders for 2 mains and 2 drinks, the waitress came back because we were still unsure if we needed anything else. When we said we’re happy with what we’ve chosen shes’s like ummm but thats just 2 mains. Turns out if you dont order a main (in a cafe) you’re not welcome to stay. Hospitality means you dont bother customers to shift a little their seats, but not extended to customers if they wont pay what you decide is enough. We said we didn’t want and we walked away. If i’d recommend anything, it would be to save your time, your money, and your sanity.. go literally...