Feeding the brain and not ‘just’ the body and minds.

Chef Elliott van de Velde of Entropy in Belgium: “Our restaurant will be a space of “bien-être.“

Typical winter dish at Entropy (photo: Maurice Jaccard)

Adeline Barras and Elliott van de Velde of Entropy (photo: Maurice Jaccard)

In the old city centre of Brussels, a short walk from the Bourse and Grand-Place you find Entropy. The intimate restaurant is housed in a century-old historic hall on Place Saint-Géry, one of the first food market areas in Brussels. Self-taught Elliott van de Velde serves “conscious” and “militant” gastronomy: profits go to the social non-profit Hearth Project.  “I want to deconstruct the idea of a restaurant into the new world of taking care, a place of “bien-être”. Seasonality is a clear guide, in the winter, our body needs to rest, so we eat cabbage. In a hot summer cucumber hydrates us. The soil and the farmers give us beautiful food. My first thought is not what can I do with that, obviously, we will cook with it. The big question is how I can offer all the nutrition to my guest. Almost like a gift.”, van de Velde explains. 

Working more in the present

“As a self-educated chef my brain works differently and is eternally evolving. In 2024 we switched to 100% pure plant, because I saw that I can manage without. The idea is always “why not?”. I want to prove in my kitchen to those guys who say It is not possible that it can be done. I am not pushing pure plant as a food regime but am very proud that we can serve guests with severe allergies. Guests that get turned down in other fine dining establishments. The next phase is to work even more in the present. Doing all preparation by ourselves, I want to use less fermentation and preservation, work more with the now.”

Van de Velde mentions the risotto of green lentils. “After eating this dish, guests tell me they rediscovered lentils. We cook them in our own broth on the grill, with lots of herbs and aromatics. They just need a light cook to hold their shape; the product itself is already so beautiful, grown in Belgium and sourced from Graines de Curieux. Beautiful as a shape and mouthfeel and good for the body. We just add texture and taste; torrefied walnut oil, herbs like lovage, vadouvan or black cardamom. There are so many ways to work with legumes and grains. Like our quinoa au lait, a real childhood memory.”

Natural food is a reboot for the body

“When you eat natural it is crazy for your body, it is reboot, it could seriously save your health and your life. My real influence is to my team. To all the people that work here for a short or a long time. They get a totally different perspective, inspiration for their imagination to see what is possible and change the way they eat at home. This is where my focus is. Some of my customers understand this, the rest will not change. But they all can try” 

Inspectors report 2025: “What an evolution in Entropy! Everything has been thought about and is on point. The creations with respect for nature are one by one gems…” 

Entropy - Sint-Goriksplein 22 - 1000 Brussels - Belgium 

First published on we’re smart world, January 2026