Originally, Il Viticolo was a restaurant located in the heart of the European district. Run by Giuseppe Scichilone and his wife Aurore, the restaurant is a delight for European officials who come in large numbers to dine there at lunchtime. The pace is hectic, but changes in the evening, giving way to a clientele of regulars and a more measured service. For 11 years, Il Viticolo held firm and made a name for itself in the capital… then came the health crisis.
The pandemic was, as for many restaurateurs, an opportunity to rethink the profession, to develop or simply to change scenery. “We asked ourselves because we were a non-essential sector. With Aurore we realized we were bored in Brussels. Then we found this gem”, confides Giuseppe. So for a year and a half, Giuseppe and Aurore rebuilt Viticolo. Moving from the city to the country. They settled not far from home, in Oisquercq (Tubize), in an old house that looked like a farmhouse.
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18 months were needed to shape the place to their liking with a lot of elbow grease, Giuseppe even discovered the soul of a master carpenter. The place was previously a recognized restaurant in the region, but here the desire was to start from scratch.”to enable our identity and we utilized every square inch of the house“But it’s not just the change in the surroundings, the cuisine is also changing. The dishes are more elaborate, the cooking is sometimes slower and the flavors are more refined.”The pace is slower here, continues Giuseppe, a meal is 2:30-3 hours. The goal is to take time to feel good“. All the while offering local products whenever possible, with a tendency towards zero waste and with a menu adapted to seasonal products and menus for different budgets.
When Giuseppe started cooking, he didn’t think he would one day make it his career. From small job to small job, he ended up falling into it. Self-taught, and while working, he trained continuously. Especially during the pandemic, he says. What emerges is Italian cuisine, inspired by its origins but also by French and world cuisines, a testament to its adventurous side. So we find spaghetti with truffles, carbonara-style risotto but also fish and lots of seafood, with the specialty: squid. “I have tasted squid in several countries and the best I found was in Portugal. Then I found the supplier. To be able to serve it, it took 6 months to find the ideal recipe.” explains Giuseppe, proud of this research and a recipe where cooking is done to the tenth of a degree and to the nearest second.
Finally, there is the Il Viticolo team. If Giuseppe is in the kitchen, Aurore runs the room, from reception to wine service. And to support them there is the young team with Giuseppe, an important part of its success. “To run a business, you have to surround yourself with people who are smarter than you.” he announces with humor, but not without some truth. Everyone thus has their own specialty, and the work in the kitchen is complementary. If Giuseppe handles the taste and flavor, Kylian takes care of the assembly and the visual aspect of the plate, with Baptiste managing the appetizers, helping with the heating and not hesitating to go in the dining room. The kitchen at Viticolo is therefore a team effort, where everyone has their role, because “every dish is a challenge“.
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