Forget everything you think you know about eating out in the Belgian capital – it’s home to an exciting array of creative cuisine. John Brunton tucks in.
Brussels may not sound like the most exciting European destination for eating out in the evening, but this is a city that surprises – not just for its culture, design and fashion, but also its dynamic local restaurant scene.
Forget the clichéd image of podgy Belgians tucking into moules frites – a bowl of steaming mussels with French fries – washed down with one of the country’s traditional beers, and discover instead exciting gourmet restaurants, the cuisine of which will surprise you.
What’s more, the cost is far more reasonable than in Paris or London, and at the same time you’ll enjoy an authentic slice of Brussels city life. Here are a selection of the best addresses to track down.
Midi Station
For travellers catching Eurostar or Thalys trains, a trip to the Gare du Midi station used to be a journey to a bleak no-man’s land – not the kind of place to settle down for a meal before climbing on board. However, all that has changed since the opening of a stunning, futuristic restaurant called Midi Station, just outside the taxi drop-off stop.
The brainchild of one of Europe’s leading restaurant designers, Antoine Pinto, Midi Station is a vast, bustling brasserie that also offers a comfortable lounge area to work or relax in, a cool cocktail bar and a plush cigar salon. The kitchen is open from 7am to midnight, with more than 80 dishes on the menu. Among the best choices are the seafood platter of oysters, prawns, crab and clams, and a simple filet pur steak.
Place Victor Horta 26; tel +32 2526 8800; midistation.eu
Set three-course lunch: €20
Viva M’Boma
From the name, you would be forgiven for thinking this restaurant specialises in exotic African cooking, but Viva M’Boma is actually traditional Bruxellois dialect for vive la grandmere. It’s a gourmet restaurant dedicated to presenting all the wonderful flavours of traditional Belgian cuisine, and is housed in an ancient tripe butcher’s shop, simply decorated with white tiles and old black and white pictures. Speciality dishes include veal and lamb sweetbreads, kidneys cooked in a rich madeira sauce, and a hearty pot-au-feu stew. Portions are enormous, so leave room for delicious desserts such as speculoos (gingerbread biscuit) ice cream. It gets busy, so book in advance.
Rue de Flandre 17; tel +32 2512 1593
Typical three-course meal: €35
Restobieres
The steep Rue des Renards that leads to the Jeu de Balle flea market is lined with a dozen tempting-looking eateries, but while you may find bargains in the market, you may not find it so easy in the restaurants. The charming Restobieres is the exception. As the name implies, the chef is passionate about beer, and while the décor is an Aladdin’s cave of old bottles and glasses, the cuisine illustrates how well a chef can make use of Belgium’s range of beers in cooking – just imagine rabbit roasted in a cherry beer, endives braised in a light blanche beer, or free-raised chicken roasted with pleurotte mushrooms and a strong dark beer, appropriately named Hercule. The beer list has more than one hundred brews to choose from.
Rue des Renards 32; tel +32 2502 7251; restobieres.be
Evening three-course meal: from €18
Cafe du Vaudeville
Most visitors head to the Galerie de la Reine, Brussels’s landmark belle époque arcade, for its shopping, but right in the middle there is also the historic Vaudeville – part theatre, part designer bed and breakfast, and an excellent restaurant for sampling traditional Belgian cuisine. Request a window seat upstairs for a bird’s-eye view of the Gallery below, and order a crispy, deep-fried croquette filled with North Sea shrimps, or savoury boulette (meatballs) with caramelized endives, Belgium’s national vegetable, known here as chicons. The Vaudeville’s cornet de frites must be the best chips in town, and the waffles – piled high with whipped cream and hot chocolate sauce – are irresistible.
Galerie de la Reine 11; tel +32 2511 2345; cafeduvaudeville.be
Typical three-course meal: €37
Chez Oki
This eatery is situated between the elegant fashion showrooms of Avenue Louise and the funkier Flagey neighbourhood, one of Brussels’ most vibrant cultural centres. Rue Lesbroussart itself is lined with a dozen restaurants, but nothing compares with the highly original cuisine of chef Oki.
Working from an open kitchen surrounded by diners, this dynamic Japanese chef combines the best of traditional Japanese cooking with knowledge gained from working in a three Michelin-starred French restaurant, to create what can only be called “Belgian fusion”. For the high quality of produce, his tasting menus are reasonably priced, giving you the chance to discover creations such as foie gras sushi, bluefin tuna steak served with succulent mozzarella cheese, and chocolate cake with green tea and ginger ice cream. Booking is essential.
Rue Lesbroussart 62; tel +32 2644 4576; chez-oki.com
Typical three-course meal: €30
L’Ultime Atome
The Saint Boniface quarter is located between the European business district at Place du Luxembourg and the historic centre around the Grand Place. Resembling London’s Notting Hill, this once residential neighbourhood of grand art nouveau mansions is crammed with designer boutiques, funky bars and restaurants. L’Ultime Atome is a vibrant brasserie that was once a factory, but now is everyone’s favourite meeting place for coffee and croissants in the morning, and dinner, cocktails and jazz at night.
The menu ranges from light dishes such as sea bream with asparagus and rocket salad, to a mammoth jambonneau – roasted pig shank in a tangy mustard sauce, accompanied by a mountain of fries. There is also a large selection of vegetarian dishes. After dinner, explore the chic wine bars of nearby Le Chatelain, or wander into Matongé, which is filled with exotic African bars and clubs.
Rue Saint Boniface 14; tel +32 2511 1367; ultime-atome.com
Typical three-course meal: €25
Fin de Siecle
Situated in the heart of the fashionable downtown Sainte Catherine neighbourhood, the Fin de Siècle gives you a fun slice-of-life glimpse of authentic Brussels living. Be aware that there is no name outside (look out for the art nouveau Greenwich Taverne right next door), no telephone, no reservations, and big communal tables, so you may end up next to fashion designers or artists, students or actors.
Don’t expect any gastronomic revelations – the cooking is cheap and cheerful, with large helpings. It’s best to stick to local favourites such as stoemp (mashed potatoes and other vegetables) with plump sausages, a carbonnade of beef braised in beer, or a massive entrecôte steak with crunchy frites. The kitchen still dishes up food at midnight, there is a lively bar to drink at if you need to wait for a table, and the service couldn’t be faster or friendlier.
Rue des Chartreux 9
Typical three-course meal: €25
L’Idiot du Village
One of the city’s gourmet secrets, this tiny, charming restaurant is full virtually every night. Dining here is like eating in your best friend’s home, and even the antique plates and cutlery come from the grandmother of owner Olivier Le Bret. In the kitchen, Alain Gascoin creates a new menu every day, depending on the freshest produce from the market, and he takes classic French cuisine to creative new levels.
A traditional rack of lamb is complemented by a tasty barigoule of artichokes from the South of France, while tender scallops are lightly roasted with chestnuts and bacon. Booking is essential in the evening – however, note that this is one of the few Brussels restaurants that is not open on Saturdays and Sundays.
Rue Notre-Seigneur 19; tel +32 2502 5582
Set three-course lunch: €16. Typical three-course dinner: €40
For more information contact the Belgian Tourist Office Brussels and Wallonia - tel +44 (0) 20 7531 0391; belgiumtheplaceto.be
