Basta Cosí

Date of visit: August 2011, December 2011

Cuisine: Italian

Price range: $$ 

Rating: 3/5

Ambience: Basta Cosí is a charming and extremely busy Italian restaurant located in the  Châtelain area. On both our visits it was packed, but we managed to snatch a table despite not having a reservation. In the summer, it is possible to eat alfresco, overlooking Place du Châtelain; this would be quite charming if it wasn't for the fact that all the smokers opt for the same option, so you end up savouring your meal enveloped in cigarette smoke - not for me! The interior of the restaurant is tastefully decorated, with warm plum tones and funky glass lamps and chandeliers. 

Food: the menu offers a wide range of dishes prepared with traditional Italian ingredients, but with a modern twist - do not expect the usual spaghetti bolognaise. Whilst there are a few classic recipes such as lasagne, you can also find intriguing choices like pasta made with cocoa, in a gorgonzola and walnut sauce. The menu comprises meat, fish, pasta, risotto and pizza options, and a decent selection of vegetarian dishes. 

On our first visit, for starter my boyfriend had skewers of queen scallops and king prawns wrapped in streaky bacon, and black pudding: it had a good balance thanks to the saltiness of the meat and the sweetness of the fish, and he loved it. I had a pea and mint soup with prawns, which was creamy and tasty. For main, we both ordered monkfish, which was served in a deep bowl, surrounded by a potato broth and potato chunks: unusual but delicious, the fish was cooked to perfection and the portion was generous. The dessert of tiramisú did the job of finishing off the meal with a little sweetness but was not particularly remarkable. 

On our second visit, I ordered pizza; the restaurant offers the option of having half of your pizza scattered with one choice of toppings, and the other half with completely different toppings altogether, which I thought was brilliant! I decided to go with half a Romana (anchovies, capers and olives) and half a Prosciutto e Funghi (ham and mushrooms). My boyfriend picked a calzone stuffed with ham, porcini mushrooms, taleggio cheese and truffle cream. I was really impressed with the pizza dough; crispy, light and exactly how it should be. There was a generous amount of toppings and the tomato sauce was nicely seasoned, which does not always happen. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The calzone was less of a successful choice: the part with the stuffing was delicious to start with, but became rather overwhelming and rich halfway through, and the calzone itself was too doughy and bland around the edges. I believe these particular ingredients would work great as a pizza topping but proved to be too much for a calzone stuffing.  

Service: the staff were nice and helpful, doing their best to accommodate us when we did not have a reservation, swiftly fixing our wobbly outdoor table on our first visit and answering our questions about the menu. As soon as we were seated, on both occasions they brought us some bread and olives to nibble at while we were perusing the menu.

Drinks: great selection of Italian wines that goes beyond the usual Chianti and Pinot Grigio.

Damage: the final bill for our first visit was €105 (for the fish dinner) and about €40 the second time, when we had pizza.

 

Verdict: considered the plush area it is located in, this lovely looking restaurant charges a reasonable amount for the good quality of the food it offers. The dishes are creative, made fresh and tasty. I will definitely go again.  

Address: Basta Cosí, Rue du Châtelain 30-32, 1050 Ixelles, Brussels. www.bastacosi.com