Humus x Hortense

The story

Humus x Hortense: Plant-Based Michelin-Starred Dining in Brussels

A Botanical Kitchen in Ixelles

In Brussels’ Ixelles district, Humus x Hortense has earned a Michelin star for its precise, plant-based cuisine. The restaurant’s name signals its ethos: humus for the earth, hortense for the garden. Here, cooking is guided by botanical research through 24 microseasons, each reflecting the terroir and the moment. The result is a tasting menu that changes with the rhythm of the year, rooted in regenerative agriculture and a zero-waste approach.

The Team Behind the Plate

Chef Nicolas Decloedt, now one of Belgium’s Mastercooks, trained at the renowned Ter Duinen culinary institute and has lived an ethical, plant-based lifestyle for more than 25 years. His eye for detail comes from a past as an art photographer. Caroline Baerten, his partner in both life and the kitchen, is a WSET-certified sommelière and mixologist, as well as a former art historian. She designs the interior and crafts the ceramic tableware used in the restaurant. Together with botanist-wild farmer Dries Delanote and Alexandra Swenden, they form a collective that extends beyond the dining room through the Soilmates movement, an annual gathering uniting farmers, artists, scientists, and chefs.

The Botanical Tasting Menu

The menu is a single tasting experience, offered in several formats. Highlights include Buckwheat Crackers with Belgian chickpea houmous, a Celeriac “Paris Brest” with quince and horseradish, and a Wild Mushroom gyoza with pumpkin. The Kairos Menu, served at evening arrivals, pairs eight courses with five drink pairings—either wine, botanical cocktails, or zero-waste homemade mocktails. The ingredients are sourced from small producers and wild farmers, and the kitchen operates on a circular, zero-waste model.

A Decade of Celebration

2025 marks ten years since Humus x Hortense first opened its doors. To celebrate, the restaurant hosts three special dinners in July, August, and October, each in the presence of the farmers and producers who make the cuisine possible. It is a fitting milestone for a restaurant that has long placed the relationship between land and table at the centre of its work.