Destination
Things to see and do in Brussels : Where to eat ?
10 addresses
Brasserie Horta
Rue des Sables 20 Brussels B-1000 • +32 2 217 7271Description:
LOWER TOWN. Located in the Centre de la Bande Dessinée, this lunch-only café-bistro enjoys a fabulous Art Nouveau setting created (as the name suggests) by Victor Horta in 1906. The menu is very reasonably priced and features a daily special for euro9.50 alongside salads, pasta dishes, meat and fish mains, and also Belgian café standards such as Filet Américain (steak tartare).
De l'Ogenblik
Galerie des Princes 1 Galeries Royales St-Hubert, Brussels • +32 2 511 6151Description:
LOWER TOWN. Located in beautiful Galeries Royales St-Hubert, this traditional French bistro has ambiance to spare. Cozy, marble-topped tables are nestled close, and the floor is freshly sanded each morning. The food is a bit more sophisticated. Grilled sweetbreads are served with zucchini gratin, and scallop and prawn stew is topped with a spicy sauce. Budget-conscious diners should consider the always-excellent plat du jour, which is significantly less expensive than ordering an entire meal à la carte. Though the wine list is extensive, the restaurant specializes in beaujolais varietals.
Aux Armes de Bruxelles
Rue des Bouchers 13 Brussels B-1000 • +32 2 511 5550Description:
LOWER TOWN. Generally speaking, Rue de Boucher's endless row of ultra-touristy and largely identical fish and seafood restaurants are best avoided by anyone who wants good food and doesn't want to pay over the odds. This is one shining light in the crowd, where the mussels are designed to please both the palate and the wallet, which it makes it worth running the gauntlet of other maitre d's you'll have to pass to get there.
Roy d'Espagne
Grand Place 1 Brussels B-1000 • +32 2 513 0807Description:
LOWER TOWN. As elsewhere on Grand Place, the drinks at the "King of Spain" are heavily overpriced, and the food classic Belgian favourites such as waterzooi slightly overvalued, but the address and location speak for themselves. Occupying a late 17th-century building that was once the Baker's guild house, the décor all wood-paneled walls and an open fire in winter is as grand as it gets, and was restored to its original state more than a century ago.
L'Estaminet du Kelderke
Grand Place 15 Brussels B-1000 • +32 2 513 7344Description:
LOWER TOWN. Modern wood furnishings and walls hung with arty photographs of iconic Brussels sights create a stylish atmosphere right on the Grand Place. Simple but delicious salads, pasta, sandwiches and quiches are served all day from breakfast to dinner. Given the decor and the location you'd expect the prices to be much higher than they are, but be prepared for a pleasant surprise.
L'Estaminet du Kelderke detail
Maison du Cygne
Rue Charles Buls 2 Brussels • +32 2 511 8244Description:
LOWER TOWN. Who could imagine that this most elegant of restaurants was once a tavern where Karl Marx drank and where the Belgian Socialist Party was organized? Today, polished walnut walls are hung with original Brueghels, and uniformed waiters provide extremely professional service. The cuisine is traditional French and Belgian and includes roasted pheasant, steamed turbot in hazelnut-mint sauce, and veal sautéed with fresh wild mushrooms. The 70,000-bottle wine cellar is guaranteed to have an appropriate vintage to complement your meal. The spot is popular with lunching business folks, so dinner reservations might be easier to come by.
La Roue d'Or
Rue des Chapeliers, 26 Brussels B-1000 • +32 2 514 2554Description:
LOWER TOWN. Classic Brussels brasserie with decor stepping straight out of the Belle Epoque. The elegant yet casual setting provides the perfect foil for a range of hearty Belgian classics including everything from mussels to carbonnade and rabbit. The central location and the fact it serves food non-stop all day make it a popular hang-out.
Les Crustacés
Quai aux Briques 8 Brussels B-1000 • +32 2 511 5644Description:
LOWER TOWN. Cozy long-established and popular fish restaurant, Les Crustacés offers better value for money than many of the similar establishments in the Ste Catherine district, but without sacrificing quality. The mussels here (served in a choice of 7 different ways) are particularly good, and the wine list also excellent.
Rugbyman No. Two
Quai aux Briques 12 Brussels B-1000 • +32 2 512 3760Description:
LOWER TOWN. The bizarrely named Rugbyman No. Two (yes, there is a number one it's a few doors away) subtitles itself the "House of Lobster". That particular speciality, for which it is justly renowned, will set you back an eye-watering euro55 a pop. Great if someone else is paying, but if not, there are plenty of other equally delicious fish and meat alternatives that come in at around half that amount.
Frederic Blondeel
Quai au Briques 24 Brussels B-1000 • +32 2 502 2131Description:
LOWER TOWN. At the back of Frederic Blondeel's minimalist and chic chocolate store is a small café. Come here for afternoon tea or coffee. Biscuits and cakes are available, but the best choice is to dive straight in and select from uniquely flavored chocolates that might contain anything from basil to cardamom or chili. Homemade ice cream is also available in spring and summer (in slightly more conventional varieties).
Best of the City
De l'Ogenblik
Galerie des Princes 1 Galeries Royales St-Hubert, Brussels • +32 2 511 6151Description:
LOWER TOWN. Located in beautiful Galeries Royales St-Hubert, this traditional French bistro has ambiance to spare. Cozy, marble-topped tables are nestled close, and the floor is freshly sanded each morning. The food is a bit more sophisticated. Grilled sweetbreads are served with zucchini gratin, and scallop and prawn stew is topped with a spicy sauce. Budget-conscious diners should consider the always-excellent plat du jour, which is significantly less expensive than ordering an entire meal à la carte. Though the wine list is extensive, the restaurant specializes in beaujolais varietals.
Maison du Cygne
Rue Charles Buls 2 Brussels • +32 2 511 8244Description:
LOWER TOWN. Who could imagine that this most elegant of restaurants was once a tavern where Karl Marx drank and where the Belgian Socialist Party was organized? Today, polished walnut walls are hung with original Brueghels, and uniformed waiters provide extremely professional service. The cuisine is traditional French and Belgian and includes roasted pheasant, steamed turbot in hazelnut-mint sauce, and veal sautéed with fresh wild mushrooms. The 70,000-bottle wine cellar is guaranteed to have an appropriate vintage to complement your meal. The spot is popular with lunching business folks, so dinner reservations might be easier to come by.
Bonsoir Clara
Rue Antoine Dansaert 22 Brussels • +32 2 502 0990Description:
LOWER TOWN. It's somehow fitting for such a chic restaurant to be located in the city's fashion district. Bonsoir Clara serves eclectic cuisine that ranges from traditional Belgian to Italian to Asian. As a result, it's a great spot to bring a group for dinner. Typical entrees include caramelized duck, broiled fresh fish, and roasted lamb. Be sure to take in the restaurant's back wall, which is fashioned from squares of colored glass.
In 't Spinnekopke
Pl du Jardin aux Fleurs 1 Brussels • +32 2 511 8695Description:
LOWER TOWN. Authentic Belgian beer cuisine is the specialty at this classic cafe, which was originally a stagecoach inn built in the mid-1700s. The simple tiled floor and plain tables suit the country cuisine. Rabbit stewed in beer and a sausage hotpot are among the house specialties. More than 100 artisanal beers are available the owner can help you choose a few to suit your palate and complement your meal.
La Manufacture
Rue Notre-Dame du Sommeil 12-20 Brussels • +32 2 502 2525Description:
LOWER TOWN. As the name suggests, this building was a leather goods factory in a former life. Now, the only leather that's available covers banquette seats, which are pulled up to wood-and-stone tables. Hardwood floors and exposed ductwork give the restaurant an industrial, comfortable feel. Outside, a quiet courtyard provides warm-weather seating. The food is a fusion of Mediterranean and Asian cuisines. Salmon carpaccio, dim sum, sushi with couscous, and ostrich filets with mango and green pepper all appear on the seasonally changing menu. An excellent wine list and an occasional piano player also please the fashionable crowd.
Comme Chez Soi
23, Pl Rouppe near Grand Place, Brussels B 1000 • +32 2 512 2921Description:
LOWER TOWN. Reserve a table two or three months in advance if you hope to dine at Brussels' most famous French restaurant on a Friday or Saturday night. If time's tight, consider a lunchtime reservation, when the restaurant is less busy. Chef-owner Pierre Wynants takes great pride in his restaurant's three-star Michelin rating. He maintains it with culinary surprises like sautéed lobster with truffles or memorable roasted lamb. Only one item is always available: Wynants's house special, filet of sole with white wine mousse and shrimp. Meals may be ordered as set courses or à la carte. Closed in July.
Amadeus
Rue Veydt 13 Brussels • +32 2 538 3427Description:
SAINT-GILLES. This atmospheric restaurant, located in a converted sculptor's studio, is perfect for a romantic dinner or an illicit meeting. Set near an ivy-covered courtyard, the restaurant features black walls, and only candlelight and dim recessed lighting offer illumination. Shadowy alcoves provide private seating, and statues scavenged from old churches add character. The food at Amadeus is equally intriguing. House specials include caramelized spare ribs and beef carpaccio, but non-meat eaters love vegetarian lasagna and ricotta and spinach tortellini. Options are both a la carte and prix fixe, and homemade nut bread is served with every meal.
La Quincaillerie
Rue du Page 45 Brussels • +32 2 533 9833Description:
IXELLES. "The Hardware Store" still boasts its original giant clock, wood paneling, and walls of storage drawers, designed in gorgeous Art Nouveau style by Victor Horta's students. The place is especially popular with local businesspeople, who pop in regularly for the three-course "What the Bosses are Having" lunch special. House specialties include a seafood platter and oysters; heartier choices include baked ham and duck with lime. The menu changes each week to take advantage of the freshest ingredients, and the house wine is an excellent, crisp Sancerre.
3 Couleurs
Av de Tervuren Brussels B-1150 • +32 2 770 3321Description:
WOLUWE-ST-PIERRE. It's worth taking the long taxi ride out to the "three colours" to sample its exquisite and delicate gourmet French creations. The dining area is spacious and uncluttered, with a beatiful terrace garden at the back for al fresco dining in summer. The unobtrusive service is as impeccable as the food, and the wine list a match for almost any in town. As near Michelin-quality as you'll find, but with the added bonus that the lack of stars stops the menu prices going through the roof.
Bruneau
Ave Broustin 73-75 • +32 2 421 7070Description:
KOEKELBERG. Elegant in the extreme, acclaimed chef Jean-Pierre Bruneau's superbly refined French cuisine and romantic restaurant have earned him two Michelin stars and kept him at the forefront of the Brussels dining scene for many years. Using only the freshest ingredients (the caviar is imported direct from Iran), his creations are always innovative and constantly searching for new taste experiences, but not in the off-the-wall manner of some of today's top food architects. There is always a nod to tradition too. Closed in August and early February.
Belgian
Aux Armes de Bruxelles
Rue des Bouchers 13 Brussels B-1000 • +32 2 511 5550Description:
LOWER TOWN. Generally speaking, Rue de Boucher's endless row of ultra-touristy and largely identical fish and seafood restaurants are best avoided by anyone who wants good food and doesn't want to pay over the odds. This is one shining light in the crowd, where the mussels are designed to please both the palate and the wallet, which it makes it worth running the gauntlet of other maitre d's you'll have to pass to get there.
La Roue d'Or
Rue des Chapeliers, 26 Brussels B-1000 • +32 2 514 2554Description:
LOWER TOWN. Classic Brussels brasserie with decor stepping straight out of the Belle Epoque. The elegant yet casual setting provides the perfect foil for a range of hearty Belgian classics including everything from mussels to carbonnade and rabbit. The central location and the fact it serves food non-stop all day make it a popular hang-out.
Les Crustacés
Quai aux Briques 8 Brussels B-1000 • +32 2 511 5644Description:
LOWER TOWN. Cozy long-established and popular fish restaurant, Les Crustacés offers better value for money than many of the similar establishments in the Ste Catherine district, but without sacrificing quality. The mussels here (served in a choice of 7 different ways) are particularly good, and the wine list also excellent.
Rugbyman No. Two
Quai aux Briques 12 Brussels B-1000 • +32 2 512 3760Description:
LOWER TOWN. The bizarrely named Rugbyman No. Two (yes, there is a number one it's a few doors away) subtitles itself the "House of Lobster". That particular speciality, for which it is justly renowned, will set you back an eye-watering euro55 a pop. Great if someone else is paying, but if not, there are plenty of other equally delicious fish and meat alternatives that come in at around half that amount.
Falstaff
Rue Henri Maus 19 Brussels • +32 2 511 8789Description:
LOWER TOWN. This spot has been a citywide favorite since it opened in the early 1900s. The dramatic Art Nouveau decor including stained-glass scenes depicting Shakespeare's famous character, Falstaff remains virtually unchanged. Drop in for a lunch of piping-hot French onion soup, a crispy croque monsieur, a slice of vegetarian quiche, or a fresh omelet. Falstaff also serves affordable light suppers, including hearty Nicoise salads, rabbit stewed in beer, or the national dish, moules et frites (mussels and fries.) Homemade chocolate mousse and fruit tartes are the perfect way to top off a meal.
La Marée
Rue de Flandre 99 Brussels B-1000 • +32 2 511 0040Description:
LOWER TOWN. In a neighborhood (Ste Catherine) renowned for great fish restaurants, La Marée stands out among the best. The décor is simple and down-to-earth bistro, and the food too remains unfussy, allowing the flavours to speak for themselves. If you can't find any seafood to delight, there are several steak alternatives, but vegetarians may have a harder time. The house speciality fresh sole comes highly recommended.
Le Cap Sablon
Rue Lebeau 75 Brussels B-1000 • +32 2 512 0170Description:
UPPER TOWN. Elegant brasserie in the Sablon district has a long-standing reputation for turning out consistently good plates of Franco-Belgian classics. A terrace out front can get very crowded on warmer summer evenings, and on weekends when shoppers get worn out from browsing the local antiques stores.
Bleu de Toi
Rue des Alexiens 73 Brussels B-1000 • +32 2 502 4371Description:
UPPER TOWN. Elegant and stylish restaurant decorated only in shades of white and striking ultramarine. The candle-lit tables and bare brick walls serve to heighten the romantic and charming atmosphere. Serves Belgian and French classics, and is known for its impressive wine list. There is also a leafy garden at the back, weather permitting.
Belgo-Belge
Rue de la Paix 20 Brussels B-1050 • +32 2 511 1121Description:
IXELLES. Bright, modern, stylish and trendy, this popular Ixelles basserie-restaurant attracts a young, chic crowd. Serves great mussels (choice of 7 different ways), plus a regularly changing list of Franco-Belgian mains, which you'll find chalked onto the large blackboard menus adorning the walls.
Le Chou de Bruxelles
Rue de Florence 26 Brussels B-1050 • +32 2 537 6995Description:
Popular with a local crowd, this bright little restaurant does steak and fish mains, plus Belgian classics including waterzooi. Those in the know say it serves the best moules-frites in the city, but its location out of the center keeps the prices down. The decor is kitsch Brussels, including a full-size Mannekin Pis replica on the wall.
Cafe
Brasserie Horta
Rue des Sables 20 Brussels B-1000 • +32 2 217 7271Description:
LOWER TOWN. Located in the Centre de la Bande Dessinée, this lunch-only café-bistro enjoys a fabulous Art Nouveau setting created (as the name suggests) by Victor Horta in 1906. The menu is very reasonably priced and features a daily special for euro9.50 alongside salads, pasta dishes, meat and fish mains, and also Belgian café standards such as Filet Américain (steak tartare).
Roy d'Espagne
Grand Place 1 Brussels B-1000 • +32 2 513 0807Description:
LOWER TOWN. As elsewhere on Grand Place, the drinks at the "King of Spain" are heavily overpriced, and the food classic Belgian favourites such as waterzooi slightly overvalued, but the address and location speak for themselves. Occupying a late 17th-century building that was once the Baker's guild house, the décor all wood-paneled walls and an open fire in winter is as grand as it gets, and was restored to its original state more than a century ago.
L'Estaminet du Kelderke
Grand Place 15 Brussels B-1000 • +32 2 513 7344Description:
LOWER TOWN. Modern wood furnishings and walls hung with arty photographs of iconic Brussels sights create a stylish atmosphere right on the Grand Place. Simple but delicious salads, pasta, sandwiches and quiches are served all day from breakfast to dinner. Given the decor and the location you'd expect the prices to be much higher than they are, but be prepared for a pleasant surprise.
L'Estaminet du Kelderke detail
Frederic Blondeel
Quai au Briques 24 Brussels B-1000 • +32 2 502 2131Description:
LOWER TOWN. At the back of Frederic Blondeel's minimalist and chic chocolate store is a small café. Come here for afternoon tea or coffee. Biscuits and cakes are available, but the best choice is to dive straight in and select from uniquely flavored chocolates that might contain anything from basil to cardamom or chili. Homemade ice cream is also available in spring and summer (in slightly more conventional varieties).
Le Paon Royal
Rue de Vieux Marché aux Grains Brussels B-1000 • +32 2 513 0868Description:
LOWER TOWN. Founded in the 1920s and still owned by the same family, this elegant café-restaurant serves great Belgian meat and fish classics, and boasts a fine beer menu to boot. Tourists sit on the terrace on summer afternoons to dine under the lime trees in sight of Ste Catherine church. In the evenings the clientele in the cozy interior becomes more local and more arty.
Café Belga
Place Flagey 18 Brussels B-1050 • +32 2 640 3508Description:
IXELLES. One of the city's trendiest cafés, built in Art Deco style. At lunchtimes it's a popular café serving a decent but unsurprising range of soups, rolls and salads. In the evening, particularly on weekends, the music cranks up and the bar gets packed to the rafters with hip locals looking to have a good time.
Brasseries Georges
Av Winston Churchill Brussels B-1180 • +32 2 347 2100Description:
UCCLE. A little out of town in the southeastern district of Uccle, this brasserie is highly sought-after and very popular with discerning local diners, who flock here for café dining that is a cut above the average. You are more likely to be ordering lobster and oysters here than burger and fries. Eat in the Belle Epoque dining room or out on the leafy terrace in summer.
French
Jaloa
Pl Vielle Halle aux Blés 31 Brussels B-1000 • +32 2 512 1831Description:
LOWER TOWN. Smart minimalist decor with all-white furnishings and wooden floors creates a sleekly romantic air. The menu is varied but leans towards seafood; everything is delicious and prepared with the freshest ingredients.
Lola
Pl du Grand Sablon 33 Brussels B-1000 • +32 2 514 2460Description:
UPPER TOWN. Minimalist white decor creates a stylish atmosphere while offering up nothing to distract the eye from the chef's elegant creations, which might include steak tartare, or lamb with artichokes and tarragon. Lola attracts a regular clientele who like to eat at the long bar counter on one side of the restaurant to exchange the latest news and gossip.
Orphyse Chaussette
Rue Charles Hanssens 5 Brussels B-1000 • +32 2 502 7581Description:
UPPER TOWN. Top chef Philippe Renoux has brought the flavours of the Mediterranean and his native southern France to this delightful old-style bistro. The cozy dining area creates a romantic atmosphere. Dominated by a crystal chandelier and surrounded by wood and leather-pannelled walls, this is dining "à l'ancienne". Dining space is limited, so book ahead to avoid disappointment.
L'Idiot du Village
Rue Notre-Seigneur 19 Brussels B-1000 • +32 2 502 5582Description:
UPPER TOWN. As the name implies, the bright and cheery "Village Idiot" is a place that doesn't take itself too seriously. Owners Olivier Le Bret and Alain Gascoin serve a delicious and eclectic mix of French and Belgian dishes in huge portions. Very popular with hip and knowing younger locals.
Le Mess
Av Louis Schmidt 1 Brussels B-1040 • +32 2 734 0336Description:
ETTERBEEK. Located in a former arsenal, the stark contrast of white walls and dark hardwood floors is designed to recreate the ambiance of an English officer's mess from the days of the Raj, but with a modern slant. The contemporary French-Belgian cuisine has no leanings towards the past, and is based solidly around modern cooking techniques and seasonal ingredients.
Basil & Co
Ave Louise 156 Brussels B-1050 • +32 2 642 2222Description:
IXELLES. Was known for many years as "The Avenue", but has since been given a makeover and relaunched by head chef Andre d'Haese and his partner Martine. The fine French cuisine (although Spanish tapas also appear on the menu) is prepared to the highest standards, as befits the restaurant's location: in a sumptuously decorated classical townhouse on Avenue Louise. Closed weekends.
Le Doux Wazoo
Rue de Relais 21 Brussels B-1050 • +32 2 649 0295Description:
IXELLES. Popular restaurant that attracts a mixed crowd from businessmen to artists to students. The laid-back atmosphere, great French country cooking (hams, duck, crepes), and attentive service appeals to everyone, as do the prices.
3 Couleurs
Av de Tervuren Brussels B-1150 • +32 2 770 3321Description:
WOLUWE-ST-PIERRE. It's worth taking the long taxi ride out to the "three colours" to sample its exquisite and delicate gourmet French creations. The dining area is spacious and uncluttered, with a beatiful terrace garden at the back for al fresco dining in summer. The unobtrusive service is as impeccable as the food, and the wine list a match for almost any in town. As near Michelin-quality as you'll find, but with the added bonus that the lack of stars stops the menu prices going through the roof.
Le Pain et le Vin
Chaussee d'Alsemberg 812a Brussels B-1180 • +32 2 332 3774Description:
IXELLES. The cuisine at this minimalist restaurant is as simple and direct as the name itself. Despite having a decided French influence, "Bread and Wine" keeps the focus on natural flavors rather than on rich, traditional sauces that can overwhelm food. The vegetable-heavy menu features dishes like asparagus risotto with seared tuna steak, chicken ravioli with basil and parmesan, and lobster and shrimp lasagna with a light ginger sauce. Vegetarians need not fear: the kitchen will prepare suitable meals on request. The wine cellar is extensive, and wines can be ordered by the glass. During summer months, try to score a table on the terrace.
Bruneau
Ave Broustin 73-75 • +32 2 421 7070Description:
KOEKELBERG. Elegant in the extreme, acclaimed chef Jean-Pierre Bruneau's superbly refined French cuisine and romantic restaurant have earned him two Michelin stars and kept him at the forefront of the Brussels dining scene for many years. Using only the freshest ingredients (the caviar is imported direct from Iran), his creations are always innovative and constantly searching for new taste experiences, but not in the off-the-wall manner of some of today's top food architects. There is always a nod to tradition too. Closed in August and early February.
To see, to do in Brussels
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