Matto
On a quiet Tuesday night in January, you ring a doorbell near Place Flagey and wait to be buzzed in. No sign shouting for attention, just a maison de maître that keeps its secrets well. Once the door opens, you step into Matto, a calm, elegant space that instantly slows you down.
The interior is warm and cozy, with soft lighting and exceptionally comfortable seating, the kind that invites you to settle in and stay longer than planned. It’s intimate without feeling stiff, refined without losing its sense of ease. On that winter Tuesday, the room felt peaceful, almost hushed, in the best possible way.
If Matto feels familiar, it’s because it shares both a building and an owner with Ciccio, which I wrote about last year. But where Ciccio leans playful and speakeasy-like, Matto is clearly the more polished sibling. Same generosity, different attitude.
The menu is built around sharing dishes, and everything we tried was balanced, thoughtful, and deeply comforting. Painza also . plays an important role here. Those lovely oval shaped sourdough flatbreads, that are crunchy and soft in all the right places. The toppings are light and don’t overload the base.
That evening, there was a temporary 45€ menu offer, which gave a great overview of the kitchen’s style. It’s not something that will be around much longer, and I’m so glad we got to try it.
The menu started strong with generous meatballs paired with olives, smoked provola, and confit onions, followed by a painza topped with octopus, tomato passata, Leccino olives, and green oil, simple, and full of flavour. A cooler course of artichokes with a carbonara-style cream, pecorino, and hazelnuts brought balance, before finishing on a richer note with slow-cooked pork cheek, ’nduja sauce, and a silky celeriac mousseline. The full menu was priced at €45 per person, water included, and felt both generous and very well judged for the quality and setting.
The cocktails deserve a mention too: genuinely inventive, with combinations that go beyond the obvious and pair beautifully with the food.
On a regular night, expect dishes that sit comfortably in the €12–18 range for sharing plates, with heartier options a bit higher. All in all, you’re looking at around €40–50 per person for a full, generous meal—very fair for the setting, the comfort, and the level of cooking.
Matto is the kind of address you choose when you want a calm evening, good conversation, and food that quietly delivers. No rush, no fuss—just ring the bell and let the night unfold.
Matto
Chau. de Vleurgat 52, 1050 Ixelles
Reserve Here
Open
Tuesday to Saturday from 18h30 to 23h30
