Brussels collective Platine takes over LaVallée for four weeks of gastronomy, music and contemporary art

The Platine event collective is transforming Molenbeek culture hub LaVallée into a restaurant, wine bar, club and art exhibition for the summer.

Kicking off on 17 July, its summer residency over the next month sees a different chef take over the kitchen each week.

Operating from Wednesday to Sunday until 9 August, dinner is followed each evening by the opening of the dancefloor with a rotating line-up of DJs.

Meanwhile, art installations by 10 artists enhance the venue. The first is a new site-specific work by Simon Boulez & Hanne Deswert that transforms the space into a place for movement, interaction and shared experience.

The summer programme includes workshops on Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday with activities ranging from yoga and pilates to ceramics, photography, writing and meditation.

The residency's opening night is curated by local webradio Microwave and Artisjok, the label run by DJ/producer AliA. Doors open from 16.00 to 6.00 with a film screening, live performances and a club night entertaining the crowds until sunrise.

Another highlight is an all-Belgian line-up for the national holiday on 21 July. The open-air event from 12.00 to 22.00 serves classic Belgian-inspired food by chef Cloes and the Platine crew.

In LaVallée's courtyard, the Music Terrace runs every opening day as a convivial space for music, with live radio by Microwave, accompanied by a natural wine selection curated by GRRRABUGE Natural Wine Festival.

Chefs in the kitchen

Occupying the kitchen until 19 July is Gombo Club, helmed by Issiaka Johnson. The Brussels chef (pictured above) with Congolese and Guinean roots combines West African traditions with Asian influences and contemporary gastronomy.

From 21 to 26 July, it’s the turn of Sanaa’s Kitchen to take over the restaurant. Founded by Egyptian-born Hader and based in Amsterdam, it serves authentic Egyptian home cooking and family recipes.

For the third week, from 29 July to 2 August, Brussels-based chef Nino Leurquin is in the kitchen. With a background in graphic design and pop-up restaurants, he approaches cooking with creativity, curiosity and deep respect for seasonal ingredients.

The residency closes from 5 to 9 August with Yasmine Hamdaoui producing dishes reflecting her love of vegetables, seasonality and bringing people together. She favours fresh herbs, bold flavours and generosity.

The Platine collective organises events in Brussels and Amsterdam focusing on music and food. Nonprofit LaVallée in Rue Adolphe Lavallée, Molenbeek, is a cultural hub that combines office space with artistic activities. It is located in a former industrial laundry.