| 4 min read
Cospaia
Cospaia, situated in a side street of Avenue de la Toison d’Or and steps away from the metro stop Louisa, is a very unique rooftop bar and restaurant. The terrace offers a beautiful view over the imposing Palace of Justice whereas the indoor rooftop restaurant has been designed in a chic eclectic style. Thanks to these features, Cospaia is able to please guests looking for a fancy cocktail as well as those hungry for some Belgian-French cuisine.
Cocktails on the rooftop terrace
As we arrived, we installed in the heated veranda and ordered a cocktail. It was a bit too cold to sit in the open-air seating area, but thanks to the large windows we were still able to enjoy an impressive view. As we were discussing trivial things in life while sipping from a fancy cocktail, I was expecting Carrie from Sex and the City to pop up any moment and join us around the table. Actually, thanks to Cospaia's large selection of original cocktails and coupled with the exceptional rooftop view, I really enjoy this place for after-work drinks.
The eclectic interior design
When we felt ready to eat, we moved inside as they don’t do catering outside. We followed the waiter through three large halls, each designed with a very different vibe and decoration style. The first one is a lounge facing the bar, with dimmed lights and large comfy couches.
The second room has an oriental vibe and stands out thanks to the two bare iron trees standing in the middle of the room. Adorning the walls, multiple lamps with an identical curvy jug-like shape stand in sharp contrast with the black paint.
We were seated in the third room which has a more classical style, a high ceiling and white walls embellished with large portraits. As the characters depicted are all veiled, it’s impossible to determine whether they're male or female, which makes them very intriguing to stare at. The question will definitely keep you busy for a while when you’re waiting for your food.
About the food
We were ready to kick off our three-course meal. For starters, Bart had the goose liver with candied pear and amaretto jelly whereas I tried the unilaterally cooked blue-fin tuna belly with a cauliflower salad. For the main dish, as usually, I went for fish (monkfish in nut butter with grilled squid, an ink emulsion and young vegetables) and Bart for meat (Simmenthal filet pur à la plancha). To top things off, we finished with a French toast with vanilla ice cream for him and a parfait with red fruits for me.
We missed a little bit of seasoning to give the dishes that extra touch, but we enjoyed the original selection of ingredients and the beautiful presentation.
To sum up
The venue is quite large as it can host up to 150 covers, which makes it ideal for business meetings. As a matter of fact, a large group was just celebrating the achievements of their top employees during our visit. Despite the exclusive setting, Cospaia remains relatively down to earth. Anyone is welcome as long as you don’t show up in undecent beachwear. So check out their Facebook page to stay tuned about their events and join one of their “jeudredi” afterwork drinks on the rooftop terrace.
Practical information
- Address: Rue Crespelstraat 1, 1050 Brussels
- All afterwork events are announced on the Cospaia Facebook page
- More information on the Cospaia website
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