Restaurant review: La Sicilia

Rue du Marteau 46, 1210 Saint-Josse-ten-Noode

What’s good? La Sicilia delivers classics without fanfare, as this new spot finds its feet. Staples of Sicilian cuisine — as this non-Sicilian reviewer knows it — such as the aubergine parmigiana, the paccheri alla Norma (aubergine pasta) and the less island-specific clam linguine are competently cooked and served in abundant portions. The service is quick but not rushed, and the place is rarely empty but just as rarely out of a table.

Aubergine-based dishes — you might have guessed — are the pièce de résistance, impeccably presented and seasoned in all their iterations.

What’s not? A slight lack of ambition. La Sicilia gets the basics so right that one would expect a creative flourish or a show-stopping speciality. Instead, it is firmly ensconced in journeyman territory — and sometimes stoops lower: The clam linguine were tasty, but they made it to our table with all the clam shells empty and the actual mollusks stranded amid the pasta. All Italians know that half the fun of clam linguine is plucking the animals out of the shells! 

Vibe: Sober, utilitarian, with muted pastel colors and a few Italian-accented ornaments. The menu runs the gamut from in-the-weeds Sicilian to pizzas. A few daily specials on tiny blackboards provide a much-needed frisson. 

Who’s picking up the check? The place isn’t outrageously expensive but neither is it cheap. Two pasta dishes, one parmigiana and a decent cannolo, plus sparkling water and two well-brewed espressos came to €76.

Spotted: Two friendly attachés from the Italian Permanent Representation to the European Union. That must count for something.

Insider tip: The aubergine parmigiana has hints of rebelliousness since it is topped with scamorza as opposed to the more usual mozzarella.

Fun fact: The restaurant is fairly new, having taken over from campy generic Italian eatery il Capriccio a couple of months ago.

How to get there: Walk along Rue de la Loi, and turn onto Rue des Deux Eglises. It’s just a couple of blocks down the road.

Review  published  on May 8, 2024. Illustration by Dato Parulava/POLITICO