During my summer holiday in Italy any years ago, I learned that in Italy there are several types of restaurants:
– trattorias
– osterias
– ristorantes
French words “hôte” and “hôtesse” come from the name osteria, as well as the Italian word “oste” which means “innkeeper”. I remember that the explanation given about these three types of restaurants indicated that the Osteria offered quality meals for not affordable prices – which suits me best among these three options 😊
In Rue Archimède, there are several Italian restaurants; I don’t know them all yet, but I have a soft spot for Osteria Sofia, which has welcomed us many times since it opened a few years ago.
The owners of the Osteria Sofia are dedicated people: when they arrived Rue Archimède, the couple was expecting their first baby. They had already chosen the name: Sofia. And they chose to also name their restaurant Sofia!
How did I learn it? A small chalk drawing on a small board under the bar showed the mother, the father, and the baby in the belly, to which an arrow pointed saying “Sofia” 😊 At that time, the mother’s belly was just starting to come out!
Since then, baby Sofia has been a regular at the restaurant… Sofia 😊 She has grown a lot since the start of this restaurant.
The father is the cook, the mother advises on the wines. The menu changes regularly but I have rarely been disappointed by a dish in this place – I highly recommend it. Don’t hesitate to choose the homemade grappa to finish off your dinner!
For those who have known the area for a longer time, Osteria Sofia replaced Viticolo, which moved to the Walloon countryside, near Tubize. Their new restaurant is absolutely magnificent and worth a visit if you have time to go there. The dishes have gained in standing and inventiveness – it must be said that their kitchen space has at least tripled in size, which allows them to be more creative and offer more complex dishes and presentations. They also plan to have guest rooms on the first floor in the future (the restaurant is on the ground floor) – very useful for those who prefer to go to bed as soon as the meal is finished!
