Just in time for summer, we have a new kid on the block: Bistro des Capucins.
Opened by the team behind Bonne Nouvelle (Davide Sorvillo, Joseph Siebenaler, and Mathias Hameeuw), the place is like the slightly older sibling of Bonne Nouvelle. Same spirit in the background, but more food-focused, more bistro.
I've now been there twice and what stands out is that the dishes have a lot of character, but the place feels laid-back and unpretentious.
The kitchen is led by chef Roberto Prado, originally from the US, who spent over six years cooking in Paris before joining the team in Luxembourg.
When speaking to Prado, he mentioned wanting people to feel "comfortable", somewhere where people stop looking at the time and just settle into the evening.
Inside, the space is moody, red-lights, intimate but busy. The terrace – which is in a passage – kind of makes you feel like you're sitting somewhere in the courtyard in the Provence.
The kind of terrace where you really end up sitting for 3 hours, chatting and sipping on natural wine.
The kitchen serves lunch from 12pm to 2pm and dinner from 6pm to 10pm, but outside those hours you can still come by for drinks and bar snacks. Open 7/7 from 11am until late, the idea is very much that you come for dinner, drinks, snacks, whichever.
The cuisine is hard to pin down completely because there are a lot of influences going on. Roberto describes the "spine" of the kitchen as French bistro, but with sauces, condiments, and garnishes inspired by all over: Asian, South American, American influences… It's the kind of place you come to because you trust the chef to give you a variety of different dishes.
The "spine of it is a French bistro" says Roberto, but clarifies that "sauces, condiments, garnishes" can come from all over which we clearly see on the card, with him saying that he "likes to balance acidity and savory and sweetness".
We started with the tomato salad with Sichuan vinaigrette, pickled onions, and togarashi (€14). Punchy, citrussy, and exactly what you want on a warmer day.
We also had the white asparagus with red pesto, pecorino, and almonds (€18), delicate but with a snap to it.
For mains, we went for the mushroom risotto with parsley butter and Parmigiano Reggiano (€25). This one gave me a sense of comfort. Rich and creamy, but not too heavy!
We also had the confit trout with green asparagus and pil pil (€27). Also very subtle savoury and a great delicate dish for a spring evening.
Meat-wise, you'll currently find dishes like veal sweetbread with peas (€37) or slow-cooked lamb sirloin with pommes boulangère and harissa jus (€33).
My signature piece of the evening was in the dessert section. Namely, the chocolate and brown butter mille-feuille (€12).
At the suggestion of Davide Sorvillo, we had a go at it, because usually a mille-feuille is not something I'd order, so trust me when I say that it will be everytime I go there.
That's what you want, a dessert so good it convinces you to convert to becoming a mille-feuille ordering person.
It was crispy, light, and the oh so buttery and decadent filling!
The other dessert were also great to be fair: strawberry elderflower pavlova (€10), fresh and summery, as well as the panna cotta with coconut crumble and dulce de leche (€11).
Bistro des Capucins may be new on the block, but it's already playing strong.
It indeed does feel like a very fluid and flexible place – have lunch, have a long dinner, have a glass of wine that somehow turns into three... .
It has an effortlessly cool and moody vibe, without being pretentious, and that's what we love.
Food quality: 4.5/5
Family-friendly: 4/5
Budget-friendly: 4/5
Date-friendly: 5/5
Veggie-friendly: 3.5/5
Carolina Reinertz, former RTL Today editor turned contributor, is testing every hotspot in Luxembourg with honest reviews on whether a place is date-friendly, budget-friendly, or worth the hype – so you can spend your money wisely.
