Sometimes all it takes is crossing the street to find your next business partner. In Schaerbeek, Nocturlabe is located at 2 Rue Josse Impens and Fox Den at number 3, directly across the street. After months of meeting up for a drink after closing time, their teams decided to bring their worlds together. On Sunday, September 20, the two establishments will become one for the duration of an exclusive lunch… With only 40 seats around the table.
A friendship forged during construction
The story begins in the simplest way possible. While preparing for the opening of Nocturlabe, Chef Benoît Bodivit and his team had gotten into the habit of stopping by for a drink at the restaurant across the street. The construction work may be over, but the habits remain! Since then, the two teams have been meeting regularly after their shifts for a meal and a few drinks. A friendship was born, and with it, the desire to do something together.
A Breton chef and a master bartender
At the helm of Nocturlabe, Benoît Bodivit offers a contemporary, plant-based, and seafood-inspired bistronomy. His cuisine is guided by raw ingredients and the seasons, with a particular focus on zero waste and using the whole product. Originally from Brittany, he has worked at restaurants that speak for themselves: Le Comme Chez Soi, La Villa Lorraine, and La Winery.
Right across the street, Fox Den cultivates a taste for intimate settings. Co-founded by Harouna Saou, a renowned master bartender on the Brussels scene, the bar offers signature cocktails with bold flavor combinations and small plates to share, all in a deliberately intimate atmosphere.
On September 20, each will bring his own signature touch. Benoît Bodivit will create an original three-course menu, while Harouna Saou will offer three cocktails that reflect his style. Neither will take precedence over the other: that’s the principle behind this first collaboration—and the word “first” holds out hope for more to come.
A secret menu, two terraces, and 40 seats
The menu remains deliberately a mystery, but that’s part of the event’s charm. Guests won’t be confined to a single dining room, either. Both restaurants will open their doors and terraces—if the Brussels weather decides to cooperate.
Lunch runs from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. and includes three courses, three cocktails, and water, for €69 per person. Only 40 seats available, by reservation via foxdenbar.be. Needless to say, you’ll want to act fast.
A particularly well-chosen Sunday
One detail the organizers may not have anticipated? September 20 is also Car-Free Sunday. From 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., the Region becomes the largest car-free zone in Europe. So crossing Schaerbeek on foot or by bike to go to lunch has never been more enjoyable. But plan your route accordingly! On that day, take the metro, the tram, or ride a bike.
📍 Locations: Nocturlabe × Fox Den, Rue Josse Impens 2 & 3, 1030 Schaerbeek.
📆 Date: Sunday, September 20, from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. €69 per person; reservations at foxdenbar.be.
