At the heart of the hotel lies SERRA Bar & Restaurant, a lively, plant-filled dining space where the philosophy mirrors the hotel's: local, seasonal, and sustainable. The menu is predominantly plant-based with proteins offered only as optional sides—a deliberate choice to showcase the richness of vegetables and promote mindful dining.
SERRA also has just received an amazing recognition for sustainability, they have just been awarded 2 toques from the Good Food Label, which is one more than last year! Created by Brussels Environment, this label highlights HORECA establishments committed to a local, seasonal, plant-based approach.
©Fanny Myard
First cookbook
Inside the urban oasis of Hotel Indigo Brussels City, a culinary revolution has been quietly blooming.
SERRA – A Garden Kitchen is the first cookbook from the hotel’s flagship restaurant and written by chef Étienne Mahieu. It’s more than just a recipe collection, its a manifesto!
The book lays out the philosophy that has shaped the restaurant since its creation: flavour guided by the seasons, sustainability as a foundation, and creativity rooted in respect for living ingredients.
Through its pages, chef Mahieu opens the doors to his kitchen, sharing techniques, gestures, and above all, a way of looking at food that invites mindfulness.
©Fanny Myard
Celebration of vegetables
Those who have dined at SERRA restaurant will instantly recognise the restaurant’s distinctive style in the book. Vegetables are not decorative elements—they are the stars. Mahieu places them “at the heart of the plate,” where they radiate colour, texture, aroma, and emotion. Whether roasted, fermented, smoked, or candied, each vegetable becomes a medium of expression. The recipes follow the rhythm of the seasons, ensuring ingredients are used at their freshest and most flavourful.
The visual identity of the book mirrors this philosophy. Elegant photography honours the tactile beauty of raw produce: roots still dusted with soil, leafy herbs catching morning light, jars of fermenting vegetables bubbling softly.
©Fanny Myard
Zero-waste creativity
A central theme of SERRA – A Garden Kitchen is its unwavering zero-waste approach, a commitment deeply woven into their culinary DNA. For Mahieu and his team, peelings, stalks, and tops are not waste—they are opportunities. The book offers inventive techniques that transform commonly discarded elements into flavour powerhouses.
Vegetable peelings become aromatic broths; herb stems are pressed into fragrant oils; carrot tops become bright, herbaceous pestos. This approach is sustainable, yes—but also profoundly creative, challenging home cooks to rethink their relationship with ingredients and see potential where they might normally see waste.
A highlight of SERRA’s zero-waste philosophy is its use of in-house fermentation, a technique that has become a signature of the restaurant. The book guides readers through simple, accessible methods for fermenting vegetables, echoing the colourful jars that line the kitchen shelves. Fermentation, smoking, confiting—Mahieu uses these preservation methods not only to reduce waste, but to build layers of flavour.
©Fanny Myard
Chef shaped by roots and transformations
Behind the recipes lies a personal story—one that Mahieu shares subtly yet powerfully throughout the book. His culinary identity has been shaped by a diverse journey: from Saint-Tropez to Brussels, including several kitchens within the Pandox Group hotels.
Born to Cameroonian heritage, Mahieu carries with him memories of bold spices, hearty stews, and the simplicity of vegetables cooked with patience and intention.
“This book is an invitation to listen to nature and let it guide our cooking,” he says—a phrase that echoes throughout the pages and encapsulates his philosophy.
©Fanny Myard
Collaboration and sustainable roots
Another defining element of SERRA’s culinary universe is its commitment to local and sustainable sourcing. The restaurant collaborates closely with Brussels-based pioneers such as BIGH Farm and Cycle Farm, whose urban and regenerative agricultural practices align perfectly with the vision. These partnerships ensure that ingredients are fresh, responsibly grown, and deeply connected to the local community.
The book shines a light on these collaborations through stories, profiles, and glimpses into the growing process. Readers are encouraged not only to cook vegetables, but to consider their origins—and how thoughtful sourcing can elevate both flavour and ethics. In this sense, the book functions as both a cookbook and a reflection on what sustainable cuisine can look like within a modern city like Brussels.
©Fanny Myard
New chapter for SERRA
With the release of SERRA – A Garden Kitchen, the restaurant expands its identity beyond its dining room. What began as a space devoted to sustainable, imaginative plant-based cuisine has grown into a cultural offering: a book that brings Brussels residents closer to the rhythms of nature and to the vegetables that define the local terroir.
Some recipes from the cookbook will also be available on the new menu at SERRA once the book is published. The restaurant will add a mention on the menu of which dishes are in the cookbook, so you can even taste some of the recipes directly at the restaurant!
For those who wish to bring the spirit of SERRA into their own kitchens, the book awaits—not online, not on mass-market shelves, but exactly where its story was born: at Hotel Indigo Brussels City. The book will be available exclusively at the hotel/restaurant and published in an elegant bilingual French–English edition. You’re also welcome to ask chef Mahieu to sign your copy!
To conclude, SERRA – A Garden Kitchen is more than a cookbook—it’s a love letter to vegetables, to sustainability, and to the vibrant culinary soul of Brussels—an invitation to step into the garden, listen to nature, and cook with heart.
