I_n some encounters, decades seem to melt away. I first met Joe Harika when he was barely ten years old and his father, Elie, was already running La Châtelaine du Liban. At the time, I was organising the Fiesta Latina with Bruno Bayet, an event he had launched on the Place du Châtelain. It goes without saying that the neighbourhood and its restaurateurs are familiar faces. What a pleasure, all these years later, to find Joe at the helm of his own projects, while continuing the family adventure!
For The Capital’s In-Crowd, we head to Ralph, one of those new Brussels spots where getting a table has become a real challenge, a testament to its roaring success. The city’s beautiful people seem to have made it their meeting place: well-known personalities, influencers, Instagrammers, entrepreneurs, and regulars of the trendiest venues. They all gather here over a fine bottle of wine, in an atmosphere where you come as much to see as to be seen.
With its open kitchen featuring a wood-fired grill in the middle of the dining room, a remarkable selection of wines, and a convivial atmosphere, Ralph has quickly established itself among the capital's most fashionable addresses. We meet a restaurateur who has clearly inherited his father's entrepreneurial spirit.
A Family Affair
Carl De Moncharline: Joe, I first met you as a young boy, when your father was already running La Châtelaine du Liban. To start, tell me a bit about your origins and your journey.
Joe Harika: We are 100% Lebanese! My father, Elie, arrived in Belgium in 1976. I still work in the family business, particularly at La Châtelaine du Liban, while also developing other establishments.
Do you go back to Lebanon regularly?
Quite rarely, unfortunately. It's not always the right time to visit.
Let's talk about Ralph. What possessed you to open a new restaurant when the Brussels hospitality sector is going through a particularly tough time?
Initially, we just wanted to find a small place for a takeaway business. We found a spot and started the renovations. Then, right in the middle of the work, we thought: no, actually, we want to open a proper restaurant! So we changed everything, started over, and decided to create a place that simply brings together all the things we love. Without thinking too much about the costs, the turnover, or the number of staff we’d need to hire. We barely looked at the numbers!
Is that perhaps easier when you’ve grown up in the restaurant business and already have the experience of a well-established family enterprise behind you?
More than anything, we wanted to do things the way we like them, do them well, and offer something that people would enjoy. We focused first on the restaurant we wanted to create, before worrying about the figures.
Ralph, a Lebanese Restaurant? Not at all!
So, what is the Lebanese touch at Ralph?
There is absolutely none, apart from us! We wanted to offer good food, sharing plates, generous portions, good wine, and a friendly team. Simply the things we ourselves look for when we go out to a restaurant.
And why did you choose the name Ralph?
It's my brother's name.
Does he work with you?
Not yet! But we hope he’ll join us one day. Family is important to us, and it would be a real pleasure to continue this adventure together.
Wine, a True Passion
Let's talk about the wine, because you have an excellent sommelier. I had previously met Arnaud at Miss Rose. What's his background?
Arnaud studied wine service in Beaune, France. He came to Belgium a few years ago and worked at Amen, among other places, before joining us. He is the one who put together our entire wine list.
I noticed a fine selection, particularly biodynamic wines, with a balance between major houses and more niche discoveries.
We work a lot with biodynamic wines, but we don't offer natural wines. We favour quite traditional wines, crafted with great care. Today, we have about 80 references, but our goal is to reach 200 to 220 references in the next two or three months. As soon as we discover new suppliers or interesting new cuvées, we'll expand our cellar. We have a clientele that particularly appreciates wine; some come specifically for that.
What I also appreciated about Arnaud is his way of advising. He knows his wines, he can explain them, but he never tries to push a sale.
That's exactly what we look for. There are many sommeliers who try to push customers towards certain bottles. Personally, I don't like that. The role of a good sommelier is to share their knowledge, advise, and make you want to discover something new.
The Wood Fire at the Heart of the Restaurant
Let's move on to the food. The meat is particularly remarkable here. What's your secret?
First, we buy all our meat directly from France, at Rungis. We get a delivery once a week and, above all, we look for consistent quality. I find that some Belgian suppliers don't always offer the quality you’d expect for the prices they charge. So we preferred to source our products directly from France.
Does that also allow you to offer better prices?
Not necessarily. For example, we buy some rib-eye steaks at €58 per kilo. We don't make huge margins on the meat, but we are committed to offering an impeccable product. After that, it's all about mastering the cooking. Good meat, perfectly grilled over a wood fire, and most importantly, left to rest long enough before being served. That's the whole secret.
The great distinguishing feature of Ralph is this open kitchen and the grill set right in the middle of the room.
Exactly. We cook over a wood fire, with a grill that takes centre stage in the restaurant. Initially, we didn't specifically want to open a steak restaurant. But things just happened naturally. Customers started coming, then coming back for our grilled meats. We also offer fish and would like to develop that part of our menu further. We love fish grilled over a wood fire.
But in Brussels, meat seems to be more popular?
That's true. We're not by the sea, and people come to us more spontaneously for meat. But we're working hard to get them to discover our fish dishes.
Saturday Lunch, a Different Way to Dine
It’s been eight months since Ralph opened its doors. And clearly, the customers are there!
Yes, it's going quite well. We are open in the evening, from Tuesday to Saturday, as well as for lunch on Saturdays, where we offer a somewhat special formula. We call it the Saturday Lunch. Each week, we showcase a specific product: a whole turbot, chicken, pork... The idea is to offer beautiful, generous pieces to share.
With a fixed price?
No, the price depends on the product. Obviously, a whole turbot doesn't cost the same as a chicken! We announce the menu on our social media and also tell customers who dine with us during the week. Some already book their table based on what we'll be offering the following Saturday.
A Team That Makes All the Difference
Since the beginning of our conversation, you’ve consistently used the word "we". Who is behind this "we"?
The entire restaurant team! In fact, it's been the same team since we opened. There's Arnaud, who looks after the wines, our kitchen team, and especially Eli, our grill master, who is responsible for the meats and their selection. He already knows a large part of our clientele. It's important for us to work with a stable team, where everyone knows their job and maintains a real relationship with the customers.
Finally, if you had to give me three good reasons to come to Ralph, what would they be?
The team, the wine, and the meat!
And the Saturday fish, surely!
Of course! We definitely plan to develop it further.
A Family Story That Continues to Be Written
Leaving Joe, I think back to the kid I knew several decades ago in the Châtelain neighbourhood. Today, he's at the helm of a place that attracts the whole of Brussels, with its wood-fired grill, its ever-growing wine cellar, its loyal team, and its generous plates.
Ralph is also a fine example of this new generation of restaurateurs who, without denying their roots, are creating their own universe. Here, there's no Lebanese cuisine, but a different way of hosting, with a generosity that seems to be a family trait.
And I can't help but have a thought for his father, Elie, whom I've known for so many years. What a pleasure to see how his children have flourished in the profession to which he has dedicated much of his life. That, too, is the success of a great house: passing on a passion and seeing the next generation give it new momentum.
As for Ralph, Joe's brother, we certainly hope he will eventually join the adventure. After all, a restaurant that bears your name is quite an invitation!
About this interview
Interview conducted by Carl De Moncharline on 29 September 2026 in Brussels, with the assistance of Plaud for recording and transcription, and AI tools for editorial formatting. Our editorial team fully endorses the use of these technologies: they save time and allow for a more faithful rendering of conversations. The comments have been reorganised and slightly rephrased for readability, without any intention of altering their meaning. Artificial intelligence remains a tool at the service of the journalist, not a substitute for human interaction.
Ralph Brussels — Practical Information
Rue du Châtelain 10, 1050 Ixelles — Mediterranean cooking over fire. Dinner from Tuesday to Saturday; also open for Saturday lunch. Reservations: www.ralphbrussels.com
Editorial Correction of 6 October 2026
At the author's request: photo replaced (the person was not Joe Harika), photo layout, title, and subtitle adjusted.
