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Humus x Hortense Food Identity independently reviewed
Food Identity How restaurants source, cook and care. Independently reviewed

Humus x Hortense

A plant-based fine-dining tasting menu built around seasonal Belgian vegetables, grains, and fermentation in an intimate Brussels setting.

Food Identity How restaurants source, cook and care. Independently reviewed

Humus x Hortense

A plant-based fine-dining tasting menu built around seasonal Belgian vegetables, grains, and fermentation in an intimate Brussels setting.

The essentials, at a glance


Documented practices
Independently
reviewed
Local sourcing
Seasonal cooking
Low waste
Plant-forward menu
Health-intentional kitchen

Documented practices

Local sourcing Named Belgian farms and regional producers
Seasonal cooking Menu rebuilt entirely with each season
Low waste Every vegetable part used in cooking
Plant-forward menu Menu 100% plant-based, vegetables leading
Health-intentional kitchen Specific health practices named in at least one sub-area

Style
Cosy
Trendy
Cuisine
International
Good to know
Bar
Recognised by
We're Smart Green Guide 360 Eat Guide
Recognised by
We're Smart Green Guide·5 radishes 360 Eat Guide·Top 10 Belgium 2026

The delicious details

Humus x Hortense is a plant-based fine-dining restaurant in the Ixelles quarter of Brussels, led by chef Nicolas Decloedt. The multi-course tasting menu is shaped entirely by the seasons, drawing on vegetables, legumes, grains, and herbs sourced from regional Belgian producers.

The kitchen applies fine-dining technique to whole plants, using roots, stems, leaves, and seeds in ways that highlight the depth and variety of the vegetable world. Fermentation, pickling, and preservation are central to the cooking, extending the reach of each season's harvest and adding layers of flavour and texture to every course.

The dining room seats around 24 guests in a warm, understated space where the focus stays on the food. A dedicated non-alcoholic pairing sits alongside the wine list, and the bar offers cocktails rooted in the same seasonal, plant-based philosophy.

Menu
What's on the table, and what's left off

Humus x Hortense serves a plant-based fine-dining tasting menu that shifts entirely with the Belgian seasons. Every dish begins with whole vegetables, grains, and legumes sourced directly from regional farmers, with the kitchen preparing stocks, sauces, ferments, and breads in-house. Fermentation and preservation extend each harvest, whilst a non-alcoholic pairing mirrors the wine list.

The tasting menu at Humus x Hortense is entirely plant-based, composed of courses that follow the Belgian growing season from root vegetables and stored grains through spring greens and summer fruits. Each dish is built from whole ingredients, with the kitchen preparing stocks, sauces, ferments, breads, and desserts in house rather than relying on processed bases or convenience products.

The cooking draws on fermentation as both a flavour technique and a health-conscious practice, using lacto-fermented vegetables, grain-based preparations, and house-made infusions throughout the menu. The kitchen works with whole, unrefined ingredients and avoids processed substitutes, reflecting a considered approach to nutritional quality alongside culinary craft.

A non-alcoholic pairing is offered alongside the wine pairing, using house-made juices, fermented drinks, and botanical infusions that mirror the seasonal arc of the food.

Cuisine

International

Dietary options

Vegetarian options
Fully plant-based
Dairy-free options

Health-intentional kitchen

Specific health practices named in at least one sub-area
Self-declared

The kitchen demonstrates health-intentional practices through whole-plant cooking. Every part of each vegetable is used, roots, stems, leaves, seeds, maximising nutritional value. Fermentation serves both flavour and digestive health. The menu is built from whole ingredients with no processed substitutes or artificial additives.

Allergies & intolerances
How this kitchen handles the EU-14 allergens
Handled on request
Public sources point to a working level of allergen accommodation, but no dedicated preparation area. Treat this as a starting point and confirm directly.
Allergens named on public sources
ShellfishFishMolluscsMilkEggs
Ask about any allergen not shown. Kitchen separation isn't published. Ask directly if you need a trace-free dish.
Always confirm your allergy directly with the restaurant when booking.
Researched from public sources · exploretock.com · not yet confirmed by the restaurant
Impact score
How this restaurant rates
4 - Recognised

The kitchen sources directly from named Belgian farms and regional growers, maintaining short supply chains and close working relationships with producers. The menu changes continuously with the seasons, built around what is available at the time of service rather than relying on imported or out-of-season produce. Every part of each vegetable is used (roots, stems, leaves, and seeds), and seasonal ingredients are extended through fermentation and preservation. The restaurant serves an entirely plant-based menu, with no animal products in any course.

Humus x Hortense holds 5 radishes from the We're Smart Green Guide and is listed in the 360 Eat Guide Top 10 for Belgium. The restaurant has been awarded a Michelin Star and a Michelin Green Star, and is recognised by Gault & Millau (18.5/20) and 50 Best Discovery.

The impact dimensions

Local & direct sourcing✓

Seasonal cooking✓

Low waste & circular practices

Sustainable animal products

n/a

Social impact

Plant-forward menu✓

Works with named Belgian farms and regional growers for vegetables, herbs, and grains, with direct relationships discussed in interviews.

The restaurant sources vegetables, herbs, and grains from named Belgian farms and growers, with collaborations highlighted in editorial coverage. Nicolas Decloedt has spoken in interviews about direct relationships with regional farmers and foragers. The We're Smart Green Guide (5 radishes) and 360 Eat Guide (Top 10 Belgium) coverage confirm this sourcing philosophy.

Menu descriptions name specific ingredients and their origins. The restaurant's Brussels location enables access to Belgian and northern French producers within short supply chains.

Strongest sourcehumushortense.be ↗

The menu changes continuously with the seasons, built around what is available from local producers at the time of service.

Seasonality is the defining principle of the kitchen. The multi-course tasting menu changes continuously, built around what is available from local producers at the time of service. Nicolas Decloedt has described the menu as being led entirely by the harvest calendar.

The We're Smart Green Guide (5 radishes) identifies seasonal approach as central to the restaurant's identity. Menu descriptions consistently reference seasonal vegetables, roots, and grains. The restaurant does not maintain a fixed menu; instead, dishes are adapted to what is in season.

Strongest sourceWe're Smart Green Guide ↗

Uses whole-vegetable cooking and fermentation to extend ingredients and minimise waste from the kitchen.

The kitchen applies a whole-vegetable approach, using roots, stems, leaves, and seeds. Nicolas Decloedt has described a nose-to-tail approach applied to vegetables, using every part of the plant.

Fermentation extends the life of seasonal produce and reduces waste. The small-format tasting menu with a set number of covers per service allows precise purchasing and minimal overproduction.

Strongest sourcehumushortense.be ↗

The restaurant is 100% plant-based; the dimension does not apply.

Humus x Hortense is a 100% plant-based restaurant. The entire menu is built from vegetables, grains, legumes, and plant-based ingredients, with no meat, poultry, fish, or seafood served. This dimension is not applicable to fully plant-based kitchens.

Strongest sourcehumushortense.be ↗

Small team in a dedicated setting, with Decloedt emphasising collaboration and the importance of kitchen staff.

The restaurant operates with a small, dedicated team in an understated dining setting. Nicolas Decloedt has spoken about the collaborative nature of the kitchen and the importance of the team in interviews.

The restaurant's commitment to plant-based fine dining represents a broader social and environmental stance. The Michelin Green Star recognises restaurants demonstrating social and environmental responsibility.

Strongest sourcehumushortense.be ↗

The entire menu is plant-based, with every course built from vegetables, grains, legumes, and plant-based ingredients.

Humus x Hortense is a fully plant-based fine-dining restaurant with every course built from vegetables, grains, legumes, and plant-based ingredients. The restaurant has earned 5 radishes from the We're Smart Green Guide, the highest tier for exceptional vegetable-led cuisine.

The 360 Eat Guide lists the restaurant in its Top 10 for Belgium, and the Michelin Green Star confirms the plant-forward identity. Every course on the tasting menu is plant-based, with creative approaches to vegetables, fermentation, and whole-plant use documented in editorial coverage.

Strongest sourceWe're Smart Green Guide ↗

Sourcing signals

✓
Direct named-farm sourcing
✓
In-house preparation
✓
Low-impact beverage program

Nicolas Decloedt has named specific local farms and growers as suppliers in interviews and editorial coverage, with confirmation from the We's Smart Green Guide and Michelin Green Star.

The restaurant prepares all components in house, using fermentation, pickling, and preservation as core techniques for breads, sauces, stocks, and desserts.

The restaurant offers a dedicated non-alcoholic pairing with house-made fermented drinks and juices, and a wine list featuring natural and biodynamic wines.

Visit & practical info
Address, price, and more
Address
Rue de Vergnies 2, 1050 Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium
Open in Google Maps ↗
Price
€€€€
Format
24 seats · tasting menu · advance notice for dietary needs
Hours
MondayClosed
TuesdayClosed
Wednesday18:00–23:30
Thursday18:00–23:30
Friday12:00–14:30, 18:00–23:30
Saturday12:00–14:30, 18:00–23:30
SundayClosed
Style
Cosy
Trendy
Good to know
Bar
Web
humushortense.be
Reviewed by My Treats
Last reviewed 19 Oct 2026
Reserve To website
Link copied
How we score
The My Treats impact scale

Every restaurant is assessed against SEERO, our six-dimension sustainability framework — covering sourcing, seasonality, waste, animal products, social impact, and plant-forward cooking. Each finding is weighted by how strongly it is corroborated. The combined result is translated into an impact score from 1 to 5.

The five levels

SEERO is an acronym for Starting, Engaged, Endorsed, Recognised, Outstanding:

Starting First verified signals of sustainable practice.
Engaged Credible practice across two dimensions.
Endorsed Meaningful practice across three or more dimensions.
Recognised Strong practice across four or more dimensions, with independent corroboration.
This place
Outstanding Top-tier practice, confirmed by recognised third-party audit.

How a level is reached. Each level needs two things together: a minimum number of dimensions covered, and a minimum overall strength of evidence across them. A dimension only counts once its evidence is specific and substantiated — a passing mention doesn't qualify. Meeting only one of the two keeps a restaurant a level lower.

Scores of four or five require human validation and, at the top tier, an external audit. Scores are based on publicly available evidence and restaurant submissions at the time of assessment.

Full methodology→
Impact dimension
—
How this dimension works
—
How evidence is weighted
Self-declared Stated by the restaurant on its website, menu or in a submission. Plausible, but not yet independently corroborated.
Researched Found through independent research; one credible third-party source backs the claim.
Vouched Corroborated across more than one independent source. Some gaps may remain.
Audited Fully corroborated across independent sources or by a recognised third-party certification.
What the sourcing checkmarks mean
✓ Full check — independently verified: corroborated across more than one source, or audited / third-party certified (vouched or audited).
✓ Light check — self-declared or from a single source. Not yet independently verified.
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