Two go-ahead Brussels-based restaurateurs have cooked up a particularly creative new concept.
The business plan served up by Filippo La Vecchia and Cedric Gilot is, possibly, unique in the city and is already going down a treat.
It is a highly unusual idea: you make a meal reservation (that’s the conventional bit)… but you do not know where the meal will take place or what you will eat.
What you are guaranteed, though, is a wonderful 10-course meal which is cooked directly in front of you by Filippo.
Filippo and Cedric already run a successful Italian restaurant called Osteria Romana which has just celebrated its tenth anniversary.
Having survived the ravages of the coronavirus pandemic which put paid to so many in the horeca trade, the intrepid pair needed to come up with ideas for the future.
The result is “Karma Club” which started as something of an experiment when it was launched last October but has now really taken off.
There is no menu and diners don’t even know where the venue will be for the meal until being notified on the day itself.
Previous venues include a penthouse in the European Quarter and an art gallery in Antwerp.
But the surprises don’t end there. You do not get to choose what you eat as this is left to the particularly fertile and creative imagination of Filippo, an acclaimed Italian chef.
The concept is highly different for those lucky enough to experience it but it also gives Filippo a chance to experiment with new dishes which may not be offered at their restaurant.
So, for example, you might find things like salmon and caviar featured on the 10-course offering – or even risotto served in a can. The motto is: “You get what you deserve.”
It is a single table for a maximum of eight people and bookings are usually for a Saturday evening but they might also be for midweek if necessary.
These “private dinners” are particularly intimate and try to replicate the relaxed ambience of eating, say, in Filippo’s (or your own) home.
At first, there were just a couple of them per month but, as word spread about how good they are, this has now risen to four a month with Filippo fully booked now for April and May. As there will be a pause in the summer, he’s now taking bookings (via the restaurant’s Instagram page) for later in the year but, if there’s any interest, you are advised to book early as Filippo and Cedric’s Karma Club concept is really taking off.
Cedric explained, “It gives Filippo a chance to have a bit of fun with his cooking and the element of surprise is of course important. It has proved a success and this is something we are now focusing on a lot.”
He and Filippo will usually decide on the venue for the meal and all the dishes are prepared by Filippo who also does the cooking directly in front of diners on a central island. This gives diners a chance to interact with the chef and, maybe, ask him about his techniques and products he uses.
Cedric adds, “In the past, people used to eat out mostly just for the food but things have changed and many are now looking for a ‘whole’ dining experience and we think this fits the bill ideally.”
Of course, the restaurant business is still vital to the two business partners and this, too, is a success despite the continuing pressures on the horeca trade generally.
At Osteria Romana a highly recommended dish is the carbonara, probably the signature dish here. It is a relatively simple meal but standards can vary widely. You won’t find any better than that produced by Filippo, though.There’s some great Italian wines here and Fabio Russotto is a brilliant expert if you need guidance.
In fact, the resto represents something of a “love affair” for Fabio – it was here that he met Martina, who is Filippo’s very talented sous chef, and she and Fabio actually had their civil wedding this month.
· For bookings/queries; @karmaclubbxl; @filippolv; [email protected]
