Restaurant Zappaz is a ‘gastro-tapas’ restaurant located in the trendy city of Leuven. The city is well known for the university KULeuven, one of best universities in the world. The Chef and co-owner Seppe Dezeure is a young Belgian cooking talent who got inspired by the Spanish kitchen.

The restaurant can be discovered in the suburbs of Leuven. The building ‘Balk van Beel’, where the restaurant is located, is the first building of the new ‘Tweewaters’ city district. This is also the most sustainable residential building in Europe. The world’s famous brewery AB-Inbev is just around the corner. Zappaz fits perfectly into this young and upcoming area with its gastronomic offer of culinary fusion tapas from around the world. The interior of the restaurant is quite unique, with lots of wood, a big counter with adjacent bar, and a cosy dining room with plants and contemporary furniture. With the tableware that is fixed to the walls, the Zappaz team created their own art.

Chef Seppe Dezeure studied at the famous hospitality school Ter Duinen in Koksijde, near the west coast of Belgium. He gained a lot of experience in Valencia, where his love for tapas really began.

After his experience abroad, he came back to Belgium and started working in his hometown Leuven in restaurants like Arenberg, Trente and Luzine (from famous Belgian chef Jeroen Meus). After gaining lots of experience in these different restaurants, Seppe decided to open his own restaurant in Leuven in 2015: Restaurant Zappaz. Here, he translated his international experience into gastronomic tapas in a very cosy environment.

It is not an easy job to transform ‘simple’ tapas into exciting gastronomic creations. Yet Seppe and his team are clearly succeeding in this difficult task when you look at their selection of ‘gastro-tapas’. All small (but yet big) dishes, with flavours from all around the world. Most of the dishes are served with a side dish which makes your lunch or dinner extra fun and out of the ordinary. A good example of one of his gastro-tapas and his international influences is the starter with raw beef slices, combined with a crème of black garlic and tandoori spices. The chef also loves to work with beautiful products, such as the juicy Carabineros, which he combines with saffron, katjang pedis and shiso. Around the world in a plate! Pastry chef Marius Bosmans has worked in none other than famous restaurants Hertog Jan, Boury and Nuance, and has now become part of the Zappaz team. Which means he brings a lot of (dessert) experience and a big added value into the Zappaz kitchen.

Sommelier Stef Weets offers an interesting array of (mainly European) wines, but his preferences are clearly pointing into the direction of Spain. Stef loves to choose the best wine for every dish so you don’t have to worry and enjoy the best possible combination of food and wine. Of course, several very interesting bottles are also on offer.

Restaurant Zappaz is a great and dynamic restaurant near the centre of Leuven in Belgium. Chef Seppe Dezeure and his team create exciting ‘gastro-tapas’ where they combine the tapas philosophy with flavours and ingredients from all around the world. The delicious dishes are combined with a trendy and casual atmosphere, which ensures a contemporary and fun dining experience.

Gastronomy

Exterior/interior

The Team

Written by Harvey en Tiffany