"David Martin has turned a 19th-century Anderlecht brasserie into the most intellectually daring two-star in Belgium. Basque instinct, Japanese restraint, and 130 years of Brussels soul — it shouldn't work, but it absolutely does."
A Brussels Landmark Reborn
La Paix has existed since 1892 — a fact that becomes more startling as you sit beneath the flock of origami birds suspended from the ceiling and study a plate of something that looks and tastes like the product of a culinary intelligence formed on entirely different continents. The address is Anderlecht, a neighbourhood that does not trade on its reputation for luxury, which is precisely the point. David Martin chose this location deliberately, and the restaurant's identity is inseparable from it.
Chef Martin trained under Alain Passard at L'Arpège in Paris — three Michelin stars and one of the most influential kitchens in the history of contemporary French cuisine. He then brought that precision back to Brussels, layered it with the directness he inherited from the Basque country, and found in Japanese minimalism a visual and philosophical framework that allowed him to strip Belgian ingredients back to their essential truth. The result is a cooking style that is rigorously individual and immediately recognisable.
The dining room holds the tension between history and the present with genuine elegance. Belgian artworks sit alongside Japanese-influenced interiors. The origami installation catches the light throughout the meal. The service team moves with the quiet competence of people who understand that their job is to amplify the cooking, not compete with it. A full tasting menu with wine pairing runs to approximately €300–400 per person; the experience justifies the investment without reservation.
Best Occasion: Impress Clients
La Paix earns its place at the top of any serious Brussels business dinner shortlist for a reason that has nothing to do with celebrity: it requires genuine knowledge to choose it. The address alone signals to any well-travelled guest that you know the difference between a restaurant that is famous and a restaurant that is good. When your client walks in and sees the room, they understand immediately that they are in the hands of someone with taste.
The cooking provides continuous conversation throughout the meal — each course arrives with enough conceptual depth and sensory distinction that discussion comes naturally. For a proposal, request a corner table in advance; the intimacy of the room is well-suited to the moment, and the kitchen can accommodate special dietary requirements. For a business dinner, the tasting menu format eliminates the distraction of menu decisions and keeps attention where it belongs — on the table across from you.
What to Order
The menu changes seasonally, and Martin's compositions resist description in terms of their ingredient lists — the craft is in the balance and the temperature and the texture rather than in the accumulation of expensive components. Expect dishes built around Belgian produce handled with the simplicity that Passard taught and the boldness that the Basque tradition demands. The wine list is serious and thoughtfully organised, with a bias toward natural and biodynamic producers alongside a core of classical French references.
The chef's father gave his name to one of the set menus, a detail that says something useful about the register of the place — this is cooking with roots, not cooking designed for awards. The three-course option provides an accessible entry point; the full tasting menu is the complete statement. Allow approximately three hours.