"One Michelin star suspended 120 metres above Brussels in a full-glass cube. The city spreads below like a map. Chef Alexandre Dionisio cooks as well as the view demands — which is saying something."
Brussels from Above
At the summit of the IT Tower on Avenue de la Toison d'Or — 120 metres above Brussels, the highest restaurant in Belgium — La Villa in the Sky occupies a steel and glass structure with floor-to-ceiling windows on every side. Every table has a panoramic view of the capital. On a clear evening, the Grand-Place's gilded rooftops are visible to the north, the forest of Soignes spreads to the south, and the Atomium catches the western light. The view is the room's first course, and it is exceptional.
Chef Alexandre Dionisio manages to prevent the view from becoming the restaurant's only argument. The one Michelin star is genuine recognition of a kitchen that operates with serious ambition. The contemporary cooking draws on French classical foundations with Mediterranean influences — compositions of technical precision and visual elegance appropriate to the setting. The menu changes seasonally and leans toward luxury ingredients: langoustine, truffle, premium fish — the kind of cooking that justifies the climb.
The contemporary interior design — steel, glass, minimal — works in concert with the architecture rather than competing with it. The service team navigates the elevated setting without theatrical excess; the focus remains on the food and on whoever you brought with you to the top of the city.
Best Occasion: Proposal
The most direct proposal restaurant in Brussels, and one of the most unambiguous in Europe. There is no competitor in the city for pure setting: the altitude, the 360-degree view, the enclosed glass room. Request a window table — specify the direction most meaningful to you, whether the city centre to the north or the forest to the south. Evening service, after sunset, when the city lights below create a new geometry. The kitchen will accommodate pre-arranged touches with appropriate advance notice.
For a first date, the setting removes the burden of conversation for the first twenty minutes — the view provides a shared focus that relieves any awkwardness while the room and cooking establish the evening's tone. For impressing clients from outside Belgium, the combination of architectural novelty and Michelin-starred cooking in a setting they have not encountered before is a reliable success.
What to Order
The dégustation tasting menu is the recommended choice for a proposal or special occasion — it allows the evening to unfold at the kitchen's pace and prevents the decision-making pressure of à la carte from interrupting the moment. The cooking throughout is precise and visually refined; the langoustine preparations and fish courses tend to represent the kitchen at its highest level.
The wine list is internationally sourced with particular strength in white Burgundy and Champagne — appropriate for the altitude and the occasion. Budget €200–350 per person with wine. The elevator ride to the top is part of the arrival experience; allow time to pause at the entry and take the view in before being seated.