Brussels Little Italy Part VIII – Oh, Carina

Oh, Carina. No, this article isn’t about a beautiful Italian woman, it’s about food. I’m not entirely sure why, but I only discovered (or was hinted towards) this place a few months ago. People told me about it several times and I never managed to go, although it’s less than three minutes away from my work. Maybe because it’s a bit pricey, with pasta dishes ranging between 16 and 19 Euros, not an amount I’m used to spend every day for my lunch. But if I want to go for a slightly more special lunch I drop by Carina.

It’s a place not very noticeable from outside, with a narrow room in front, leading to a bigger and lighter spacious room in the back, which is resembling a patio. It’s advised to reserve a table and I also advise you to not arrive too late, as last time when I had lunch here at 1.30pm they were out of all the good stuff already. The interior is nothing special, simple but nice with a semi-open kitchen and very, very friendly staff (very!). When they were out of all the dishes I wanted to order (story of my life), the lovely lady proposed a bunch of alternatives to meet my vision of the perfect lunch dish I wanted to have that day. So instead of cannelloni or tagliatelle with cherry tomatoes, I got tagliatelle with a veal and sage ragu, which is delicious, too and was a classic on their summer menu.

They change menu according to season and every day they have two different dishes, such as mixed mushroom lasagna or sardines stuffed with ricotta and fried in an almond crust, which were out of this world! Their ravioli are homemade and high up on my bucket list. I haven’t tried their desserts, but what I’ve looked at seemed delicious.

As the restaurant is located in the EU quarter, it only opens during the week at lunch time and is closed on weekends entirely (what a life!). It’s the perfect spot for a business lunch or a break with colleagues and I’m sure I’ll pay another visit to Carina a third, a fourth and maybe even more times.

Good to know:

• Website
• Address: Rue de la Science 10-12, 1000 Bruxelles