On March 27, 2024, La Maison Degand appeared in an article published by Le Vif Weekend, one of Belgium’s leading lifestyle and cultural publications. Written by journalist Michel Verlinden, the feature explores the growing return of the restaurant counter as a centerpiece of gastronomy, conviviality and immersive dining experiences. Among the establishments highlighted, Emily Restaurant — the exclusive table imagined by Pierre Degand — is presented as one of Brussels’ most refined interpretations of this new art de vivre.
English translation of the article
“Goodbye traditional tables, the counter now takes center stage in restaurants”
Reconciling a sense of celebration, egalitarian aspirations and a sharp understanding of new economic realities, the counter has become the gastronomic fantasy of chefs.
His right arm pays tribute to Dalí and Jean-Michel Basquiat. At its end, a hand is adorned with a drawing reproducing Michelangelo’s Pietà. A tear beneath his left eye recalls an event that left him inconsolable. On his fingers appears the name of his son. Not forgetting his ankles, marked with chain drawings, the kind once placed around the joints of convicts. His knees? Decorated with two compass roses. Several quotations can also be observed across the vast parchment of his skin, including Pink Floyd’s “Wish you were here”. Filippo La Vecchia’s tattooed body reflects his image as an exceptional storyteller. A storyteller certainly, but also a first-class stage director. This Roman born-and-bred has perfectly understood that people no longer come to restaurants solely in search of satiety. Eating elsewhere means taking part in a spectacle, in the human comedy itself. At once seeing and being seen in an intoxicating hall of mirrors. The décor of his Osteria Romana bears witness to this, a somewhat baroque, somewhat eccentric speakeasy.
The vibrant heart of this glamorous Brussels den? A prized 1900s marble and wood counter, reconstructed from various pieces of bistro furniture sourced from an antique dealer, capable of seating six people. The result is a creation worthy of appearing in the credits of Midnight in Paris, Woody Allen’s film from which the owner openly admits taking inspiration. “It’s a sort of observation post appreciated equally by couples and solitary guests. People love leaning against the edge of this accelerator of conviviality. You never know what kind of evening or conversation may result from it. Adventure lies at the end of the fork,” explains Filippo La Vecchia.
This chef, who initially attempted his luck in the United States before failing to secure the coveted Green Card, makes no secret of it: the imagery of the counter has always fascinated him. To better establish its atmosphere, he evokes another reference, the Japanese Netflix series Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories, adapted from Yaro Abe’s manga Shinya Shokudo. The premise? A Tokyo izakaya open from midnight until 7 a.m., where a chef receives the confidences of a highly eclectic clientele seated at the counter. “This model of the introspective restaurant is the dream of many chefs. The arrangement allows them to remain close to their guests, attentive to them, while benefiting from culinary carte blanche, what is known as ‘omakase’ in the Land of the Rising Sun,” analyses this carbonara specialist.
The counter under control
What initially appeared as an ideal in the mind of this atmosphere-loving restaurateur bathed in dim lighting has taken on another dimension in the new restaurant landscape shaped by the health crisis. La Vecchia comments: “The counter has become an economic necessity. Staffing issues, particularly regarding competence and availability, have become central. It is a major source of tension. Terrible as it may sound, a counter allows one to eliminate traditional table service and thus offer some breathing space to owners. Not to mention the wall of misunderstanding between the kitchen and front-of-house teams: cooks and waitstaff simply do not speak the same language.”
Taking back control over human resources was also one of Christophe Hardiquest’s concerns during the spectacular transformation of his restaurant Bon-Bon, the capital’s two-Michelin-starred establishment, into Menssa, an experience dominated by a counter seating 24 guests. A project recently rewarded with a Michelin star. Of course, this transformation did not emerge from nowhere — one thinks notably of Kobe Desramaults’ former Chambre Séparée in Ghent or Joël Robuchon’s Atelier in Paris. Yet the Liège-born chef has elevated the “fine dining × counter” concept to an unprecedented level in French-speaking Belgium.
Still, this paradigm shift cannot solely be attributed to profitability calculations. An ultra-sensitive chef, Christophe Hardiquest admits feeling a pressing need to “reconnect with the customer”, to “observe attitudes and non-verbal signals in order to sense desires and respond with tailor-made solutions”. Crafted from Belgian walnut, stainless steel and wrought iron, the Menssa counter bears the signature of architect Anne-Catherine Lalmand. This organically shaped bar possesses an essential virtue: encouraging cooking precision thanks to the short distance between heat sources and diners. This redistribution of space has also led to the creation of “new table choreographies”, such as the “neifu”, a ceremony consisting of cleaning the guest’s knife so that it may accompany them throughout the meal.
Make way for friends (and celebration)
Another phenomenon encouraging the proliferation of counters is the gentrification of nightlife — a trend linked to the return inward that has occurred over recent years in response to an anxiety-ridden global context. Perceived as a zone resisting productivity, the nighttime hours are struggling to survive, as demonstrated by the gradual disappearance of clubs. Tempted by this opportunity, certain restaurateurs have stepped into the breach. Imagined by Tatiana and Vladimir Litvine, Lily’s embodies this movement in the heart of Brussels. Nothing has been left to chance, neither the sexy décor designed by Israeli designer Saar Zafrir, nor the calibrated cocktails, nor the unstuffy fusion menu — delicate grazing dishes including truffle croque-monsieur, crispy nobashi shrimp and lobster ravioli. The best place to enjoy these plates? Without hesitation, the light marble counter seating three pairs of guests. Fully visible, this ostentatious epicenter also serves as a perch for a DJ performing Thursday through Saturday from 9:30 p.m. onwards. Their role? Gradually raising the temperature and propelling up to 260 people toward a second clubbing-oriented space.
While the bar sets the rhythm at Lily’s through fiery DJ sets, some places use the counter as a form of cadence. Such is the case at CoinCoin by Matthieu Léonard. Designed by interior architect Nicolas Léonard (Inside Concept), the owner’s brother, this Brussels establishment subtitled “Pasta like over there!” operates on two levels. Léonard explains: “There is a first counter with eleven seats facing the kitchen, plus two last-minute places we call the ‘back-up’… Usually occupied by friends, it’s very tight. The other counter is nicknamed ‘the island’. Located in the center of the restaurant, it can accommodate up to five guests. Sometimes two couples find themselves dining together there. My request was to create distinct zones in order to generate different atmospheres. But there was also a desire to hide nothing, to embrace transparency and remind our teams that knowing how to cook is wonderful, but being clean, organized and respectful of one’s working environment is indispensable. Customers who sit at the counter once always return.” It must be said that CoinCoin unfolds a décor of striking beauty. The killer detail? Above the island, on the discs of the lighting fixtures designed by Nicolas Léonard’s own hand: koi fish painted by artist Bénédicte Gastout.
At Emily Restaurant, the highly exclusive table created by tailor Pierre Degand, the twelve-seat counter acts as the centerpiece of the show. Behind this marvel lies a meeting with a craftsman. “I feel nostalgic for the past, among other things for the counter at L’Ecailler du Palais Royal where I used to go after performances. I was able to satisfy this longing for lost time thanks to Dominique Desimpel, this tireless stone hunter based in Knokke. He introduced me to Saint-Laurent black marble veined with gold, which I immediately fell in love with. Everything else in the décor followed from there, from the imposing crystal chandelier to the golden ceiling,” notes Pierre Degand. Few people know this, but the counter conceals a well-kept secret. At both ends, thanks to a sort of “pull mechanism”, it is possible to release an embedded section of marble in order to dine face-to-face. “Couples have formed here,” boasts the master of the house, who recently hired a new chef, Luca Gaviglio.
All equal at the restaurant
Far removed from any desire for distinction, the counter — whose origins gastronomic historian Patrick Rambourg traces back to the 19th century — also carries another aspiration: egalitarianism. “At the counter, everyone experiences the same thing. Nobody is privileged, there is no better seat. Moreover, under favorable economic conditions, the true counter cannot be reserved, thereby giving everyone the opportunity to arrive spontaneously,” comments Eric Lecuyer. This native of Liège knows a thing or two about it, being responsible for the exemplary layout of the Maccheroni restaurant on Rue Féronstrée. The concept? A 14-meter counter, an unsurpassable model of conviviality. “I established this restaurant in what used to be an auction room,” explains Lecuyer. “The space needed dressing. Having a passion for Parisian counters, I traced the source.” Final destination? Nectoux, a name found in mythical places such as Le Brébant and Le Dôme. Incorrectly referred to as zinc counters, Nectoux counters are actually made of pewter. Today they can be found all around the world. The icing on the cake is that, ever since Yves Camdeborde, they have become closely associated with the bistronomy movement, which originally sought to make gastronomy accessible to every budget. In the collective imagination, the zinc counter is perceived as a “conductor of friendship”, as journalist Aurélia Bloch once wrote in the French magazine 180°C. Eric Lecuyer certainly would not disagree, having repeated the concept in his Brussels restaurant Frasca. Naturally, an eight-seat marble counter there warmly welcomes epicureans.
About Le Vif Weekend
Le Vif Weekend is the lifestyle and culture supplement of the Belgian magazine Le Vif/L’Express, one of the country’s most established French-speaking news publications. Known for its refined editorial line, the magazine covers fashion, gastronomy, travel, design, architecture and contemporary culture with a distinctly Belgian and international perspective. Its culinary and lifestyle features frequently spotlight influential personalities, emerging trends and exceptional addresses across Belgium and beyond.
