Semsom is the trendy Lebanese restaurant that you need to discover in Ixelles. The idea? Offer traditional Lebanese dishes with a small twist. A large choice of flavours that allows everyone to compose their own plate as they wish.

Photographs by Robin Ceccarini.

Semsom is a Lebanese restaurant that I had the chance to try out with Robin. In love with the neighbourhood in which the restaurant is located, and addicted to Lebanese food, I was eager to taste their dishes. When I arrived, I fell in love with the very simple, but natural decoration: materials such as wood combine with touches of greenery, all creating a friendly and cosy atmosphere to eat a little snack in the city. A terrace is also available for people less sensitive to the cold, but for the moment there is a lot of work in the street, so we chose to eat inside.

Semsom, c'est le snack libanais trendy à découvrir à Ixelles. L'idée ? Proposer des plats traditionnels libanais avec un petit twist. Un large choix de saveurs qui permet à chacun de composer son assiette comme il l'entend.

The food

When it comes to Lebanese food, I’m quite picky. A large part of my family is Syrian, and the Lebanese and Syrian dishes are quite similar. I wanted to discover this restaurant, but at the same time, I was afraid that the tastes would not match my childhood memories. The challenge was met. The restaurant announces a twist in the recipes but the dishes I like were not fundamentally different and the tastes were exactly as I recalled them. It was therefore a pleasure to discover this trendy but traditional address. The concept is super nice and the staff was adorable. You have to order at the counter and it is possible to eat on the spot, or to take away. Choosing what you want to eat is quite difficult as there is a wide range of possibilities and different formulas exist. Be careful with the quantities. We tend to bite off more than we can chew with this kind of formulas. We ordered too much but we took the leftovers back home to extend the pleasure. Finally, the homemade lemonades are delicious. I particularly liked the mint and grape lemonade.

Compose your plate

By paying by weight, it is possible to create your own plate by choosing from the wide assortment of the day. I fell in love with the different hummus, the lentil salad, the tabbouleh and the labneh. Among the products that can also be tasted, I loved the Kefta skewer and the Kebbeh, a delight! There are many flavours and what struck me was the number of possibilities for vegetarians.

Semsom, c'est le snack libanais trendy à découvrir à Ixelles. L'idée ? Proposer des plats traditionnels libanais avec un petit twist. Un large choix de saveurs qui permet à chacun de composer son assiette comme il l'entend.

A hot wrap

It is also possible to choose the composition of your wrap. We trusted the team to discover this option and ate a wrap with halloumi and other stuff. It was a delight! There are possibilities with meat for the meat lovers. I was surprised by the size of the wrap. They are huge, and I thought that was great!

Semsom Makanesh

They are Lebanese pizzas. I didn’t know what it was, but I loved discovering this format. However, it was the dish I liked the least. Not because of the taste – it was delicious -, but rather because it was less convenient to eat. As far as the bread is concerned, I want more!

Halloumi fries

Last but not least, my favorite part of this discovery at Semsom. I had tasted this cheese before, but never in this form. Halloumi fries are fried sticks, which can be dipped in a sauce that’s to die for! We asked for more sauce because we fell in love with it.

The environment

As I said before, the place is cute and the decoration is subtle but perfect for the place. However, I find the back of the restaurant quite dark with the subdued lightning, but it is a matter of taste. I look forward to seeing the terrace when the work is finished because the neighbourhood is very nice. In the end, we feel like we are eating at a friend’s house: at a warm, friendly place with few people. And the fact that the restaurant is open all day long is a big plus. Finally, I found the prices very reasonable. Everything is detailed in the menu on the website but I can say it is an affordable restaurant for students.

Informations

Semsom
Rue Lesbroussart, 95 – 1050 Ixelles
Monday to Saturday, 11:30 am to 10:30 pm
Website

Semsom : The lebanese restaurant to discover in Brussels

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