This cute little Belgian café, which is tucked away in Sandton’s Atholl Square, just opened in August 2014. But since then they’ve gained quite a following, because they are the real deal.

Run by Belgian-born 4th-generation patissier and chef Jean-Francois Schevenels, Liege started as a daytime cafe serving coffee, pastries and light meals, but recently ventured into dinner service as well.

I’ve been there several times, at different times of day, and never been disappointed. Breakfast and brunch are a real treat, with authentic handmade croissants, brioches,colorful macarons, and pain au chocolat to choose from, plus mains such as brioche French toast, delectable Belgian waffles, gooey ham and Gruyere sandwiches, salade Nicoise, and Florentine omelettes. One of my favorites is the eggs brouille, which are scrambled and cooked like risotto, with chives, grilled portobello mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, and optional salmon, bacon or Merguez sausage.

The small but carefully curated dinner menu offers items like Caprese salad, tomato crevette, salmon tartare and carpaccio di Manzo. For mains, there’s beef tartare, salmon Provencal, steak au poivre, and chateaubriand. Desserts include Liege waffles, Brussels waffles, and homemade vanilla ice cream with fresh berries chocolate ganache.

I tried the salmon tartare with micro greens and avocado puree, which was purely divine. As was the beef tartare, which was also topped with micro greens, and served with frites and homemade mayonnaise — which made me squeal a little with delight. The bread was a little tough, but I liked the choice of different rolls, and the butter was infused with rosemary and rock salt — a nice little touch. Schevenels pays great attention to detail in every aspect of the meal, from prep to plating, which is meticulous and artful.

The bright, light décor is mostly soft white, with light blue, silver, and brown accents. Tables are both indoors and outdoors on the Atholl Square patio, which makes for a nice social scene, especially at Sunday brunch when the place gets busy. Service is extremely friendly and helpful, although the waiters are still clearly learning the finer points of French-Belgian cuisine.

You can also buy macarons and other sweets to take away.