Kolya — Restaurant in Saint-Gilles - Sint-Gillis

It started as a work event. You know the kind; a crowd of high-flying professionals who normally would never eat together get thrown into a taxi, and 30 minutes later they are poured into a restaurant. I had no high expectations when we hit the corporate dinner trail that evening, but like all the best "boy meets restaurant" stories, I fell in love with Kolya the minute I walked in the door. Decor: Imagine a plush landscape of high ceilings and dark walls in an old-fashioned club with the coziness of carefully engineered intimacy. Old portraits hang from the walls like the Flemish ghosts of satisfied diners who chose never to leave. Kolya is darkly elegant, and touches of light bring out its suffused tones and hushed elegance. No chintz and no noise are heard as the staff glide from table to table. Service: Best in Brussels? It might be. Our waitress was exceptional in both knowledge and attention. In all my years of service, I never came close to being that good. The team offered the highest quality of care. Attentive, careful, discreet, and always on point. I asked our waitress for a wine recommendation, and she instantly knew what to point me towards. As a diner, you can expect proper silver service; competent, confident, professional, with light-hearted friendly touches. Nothing is left to chance in Kolya; the staff are humorous when needed but never familiar or off-putting. Free from drama and tonally perfect, warm and welcoming, always just the right side of formal, I wondered if they offered a babysitting service. That's how much I wanted to trust them. Wine: Like everything else about Kolya, the wine list was 'just right' for the place, with a wide choice of price points, recognizable classics from France and beyond, but no compromise made on quality. I spotted some cheeky new world choices too. Whoever put the list together knows the business. Food: There was no menu and no choice (and I loved that). Kolya's staff easily and immediately adapted to special dietary requirements and offered a choice to anyone who wanted something else. The food was prepared to a high standard. The amuse-bouche of gravadlax was tasty and satisfying. The tuna tataki starter was beautifully put together and perfectly executed. Our main course of steak (onglet, I think) was very tender (not easy with that cut of meat) and presented in a 'deconstructed carbonade' style, topped with mushrooms and parsnip crisps. It was simple and oh so satisfying, served with chips and real mayo. Dessert was yogurt, honey, nuts, and fruit. Sounds disappointing or unexciting? Wrong. Again, dessert was simple and perfect. You can’t feel cheated by simplicity when it comes with such dedication to quality, wholesomeness, and authenticity. Dinner tasted of comfort. As dinner progressed, we relaxed, and the conversation flowed. We had all gently sloped into our cushioned chairs as we giggled away. Eventually, coffee, teas, homemade truffles and treats were served. We left replete with a glowing sense of satisfaction. Having said all this, what would I change? Can it be better? If I really had to get out my nitpicking comb to find a problem, I might say the lighting over our table was slightly harsh, and the white wine was not quite chilled enough to my liking. But these are piddling matters. However, there is one thing I would immediately upgrade: the bread and butter. The only false note in the entire dinner was the supermarket bread (clearly a last-minute purchase that must be replaced by an artisan loaf). And secondly, the presence of salted butter. It was good quality Isigny butter but why salted? It spoils the flavor of everything it touches; I would ban it from the table. And that is literally the only thing I can find wrong with Kolya. Everything else was fabulous. Kolya succeeds effortlessly where so many aspire and fail miserably, by bringing together great service and good unpretentious food in a voluptuous decor. Other restaurants should take note; Kolya is how it’s done when...

I was there to celebrate me and my brother 30th birthday. It was such a well picked place to celebrate it.

To get there you’ll have to go through the hotel through the hall. Walking through the hall you’ll see the other dining rooms inside and outside. Very beautiful place with the decoration that doesn’t distract you but is beautiful enough to have you look twice.

The room we were in was very cozy, with the big table for 9 for us. The waitresses greeted us and didn’t waste any time asking us if we were comfortable and what we wanted to drink. We then got a full explanation on the food suggestions of the cook. They made sure our friend who had to leave earlier got his food first which was very much appreciated. The waitress was always alert and busy making sure everybody had a glass or was being served. Since we were 9, it took a bit long for the food to come. But it was not noticed as the ambience in the room was very cozy, people were having a good time. The food came and it was the most delicious food I’ve eaten in a while. It was a sauce I hadn’t had the pleasure of tasting before. I took the duck with lemon and honey sauce. They asked us if we wanted desserts, but everybody had eaten their bellies full.

We were wondering what was taking them so long to have us pay and leave. They went and gave us free drinks and a little cake to blow out candles!! It may have been a small gesture for them, but it meant a lot to me and my brother. I am very thankful for them making our birthday such a success.

I am definitely recommending this to friends and family. Hope to see you...

We had dinner at this amazing restaurant on February 3rd. This was our last meal before leaving Belgium, and everything was perfect:

Every dish was delicious and exquisite. The environment was super cozy and classy. Most importantly, the service was absolutely top-notch.

The serving staff was well-mannered, professional, attentive, and very hospitable. They had a large table tonight, so we didn’t want to disturb them - we didn’t manage to ask their names or say goodbye. However, if they are reading this, I’d like to say, thank you for such an amazing night. I’ll highly recommend this restaurant to everyone, and I’ll definitely come back again when I visit...