Where to eat with your hands in Brussels : Kokob restaurant

Kokob restaurant

Do you want to forget all social constructs and codes about “the right and polite” ways to eat? Would you like to have an unforgettable experience of tasting exotic dishes and wonderful flavours? How about you do all that as if nobody is watching, yet at a very cosy restaurant in Brussels? In case you answered yes to at least one of the questions above, then you are reading the right article. Scroll down to find out more!

To be perfectly honest, when I moved to Brussels a few years ago, I was excited to try their traditional cuisine. Shortly after I realized that it is mostly based on actual beer, food made with beer and fries. But what do I know, I am not a really big foodie. What I can tell you for sure is that one of the biggest advantages of eating out in this European capital is that it offers a variety of exotic places to try. One of those is definitely an Ethiopian restaurant called Kokob, located in the city center.

Kokob Restaurant

Rue des Grands Carmes 10, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium

You might even want to consider disregarding this cool spot completely, simply because it is located in Brussels's touristy area. I would suggest you to roll up your sleeves and give this place a chance. What is so unique about Kokob is that the restaurant has decided to keep the Ethiopian tradition of eating with the hands. Depending from which culture and country you are coming from, this may seem a little odd to you at first. Just relax and imagine you are actually visiting this exotic country. After a while you will be enchanted by the wonderful taste of fresh food and you will feel that eating with hands is well, great!

If you have a sweet tooth like me, then I must disappoint you. They do have a great variety of desserts (mainly crepes), but considering the size of portions of food served, you will not be able to have another bite of anything. However, it is practical if you go for a dinner with your friends in a bit of a larger group, as you will be able to order a large platter with different varieties of small dishes (fresh veggies, lentils, meat and humus) and taste different things at the same time. Now you may wonder if eating lentils by hand is really practical, but that is where all the fun is! A warning for all the people who dislike spicy food like I do, stay away from anything that is even slightly indicated as spicy. Trust me! You would then want to help yourself with more bread, which is very sour, made by traditional recipe and not at all helpful (speaking from the experience).

If you would like to spend a chill, exotic and authentic evening while dining and drinking out, then Kokob is definitely the place to be. Enjoy yourself with the most amazing cocktails made from hibiscus juice and ginger, enjoy in the sexy interior with wonderful live band performances. Warm your heart and let yourself free!