Lyla Bangels cooks alone, behind a counter lined with the natural wines Titulus has been importing since 2013. The bar opened on the Chaussée de Wavre in Ixelles in 2011 as a wine shop first, and grew a kitchen around the cellar rather than the other way round. There are more than 350 references to drink in or take away, including the house "Têtes" cuvées the team vinifies itself, from €9.90 a bottle. The food is a short, seasonal run of small plates built to match what is open. It is a wine bar that takes both halves seriously.
The Kitchen
Titulus started in September 2011 as a natural-wine shop and importer, and the kitchen came later, shaped entirely around the cellar. Lyla Bangels runs that kitchen alone, which means the menu is short, seasonal and changes with what she finds and what is open to pour. The result is small plates designed as wine partners rather than the main event — though they hold up on their own.
The signature here is the wine itself: more than 350 natural references for drinking in or taking away, and the house "Têtes" cuvées the team has vinified since 2013, from €9.90 a bottle, with a €10 corkage on shop bottles opened in. Bangels' plates rotate too quickly to pin to a fixed list, but expect seasonal vegetables, charcuterie and a daily hot dish, all sized to share or to graze through solo at the counter. The address is Chaussée de Wavre 167a in Ixelles. Tell Bangels what you like and let her pour; the pairing is the whole point of the room.
The Room
Titulus is part shop, part bar: shelves of bottles, a counter you can sit at, and a handful of tables in a small, low-lit space that fills with regulars and an easy hum rather than music. It is intimate and unpretentious — the kind of room where eating alone at the counter feels normal rather than awkward. Lighting is warm and dim, tables sit close, and there is no dress code; this is a neighbourhood wine bar, not a dining room. Seating is limited, so a counter stool is often the best seat in the house.
Best for Solo Dining
Pull up a stool at Titulus for solo dining because the whole room is built for it: a counter that faces the cellar, a cook who pours and talks you through the bottles, and small plates sized for one. You are never stranded — there is always a wine to ask about and a regular to fall into conversation with. Go early in the evening, ask Bangels what is open, and graze through a few plates with two or three glasses. For more rooms that welcome a table for one, see Best for solo dining and the Brussels dining guide.
Not for a big, formal dinner or a fixed menu — the kitchen is one cook, the plates are small and changeable, and the room is a wine bar built around the cellar, not a restaurant.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Titulus worth it?
Yes, if you care about natural wine. Titulus has been an Ixelles importer and shop since 2011, with more than 350 references and its own "Têtes" cuvées from €9.90 a bottle. Lyla Bangels cooks a short, seasonal run of small plates to match. It is a wine bar first, so come for the bottle list and the counter, graze through a few plates, and let the prices stay friendly.
How hard is it to book Titulus?
Book a day or two ahead for a table on a weekend, since the room is small and well known to the neighbourhood. The counter is the easiest seat to grab on spec and the best one for a solo visit. The bar is at Chaussée de Wavre 167a in Ixelles, open Tuesday to Saturday from the early evening; call ahead for a group, as the kitchen is one person and seating is limited.
What should I order at Titulus?
Start with the wine and build the food around it. Ask Lyla Bangels what is open by the glass, or take one of the house "Têtes" cuvées from €9.90, then order three or four of the seasonal small plates to graze through. The plates change constantly, so trust the day's recommendations rather than hunting for a fixed signature. For a solo visit, sit at the counter and order as you go.
Is Titulus good for solo dining?
Yes — it is one of the easier rooms in Brussels to eat alone in. The counter faces the cellar, the cook pours and talks you through the bottles, and the small plates are sized for one. Go early, sit at the counter, and let the wine lead. It is sociable without being demanding. See our Best for solo dining guide for more.