Brussels Food-Restaurants

Brussels Food-Restaurants information

Traditional Belgian

Les Salons de l'Atalaïde ** Chaussée de Charleroi 89 Tel: +32 (0)2-534-6456 A very popular restaurant located, strangely enough, in a sumptuously renovated former auction house. The overdone interior doesn't put off the clientele though and although the menu isn't groundbreaking, it's of sufficient quality to ensure you have to bid for a table well in advance. L'Achepot * Place Ste Catherine 1 Tel: +32 (0)2-511-6221 Cheap as chips, or in this case frites, L'Achepot offers traditional Belgian food at fantastic (for Brussels) prices. The décor is nothing to write home about but you'll be too busy piling fries on your plate to bother. Tour D'y Voir *** Place du Grand Sablon 8/9 Tel: +32 (0)2-511-4043 It was the cook, in the kitchen with the pans... Tour D'y Voir specialises in "culinary suspense". You choose from a fish, meat or vegetarian theme and the chef will improvise, using ingredients listed on the "mystery menu". Decorated in the style of a 14th-century chapel, with good views of the Grand Sablon, the menu is as expensive as the sense of occasion merits. L'Amadeus ** Rue Veydt 13 Tel: +32 (0)2-538-3427 One of the more relaxed venues for Brussels's young, party loving crowd, Amadeus is a popular morning-after eatery. Simple, cheap(-ish) food in convivial surroundings, with extended opening hours giving it an edge. La Villette ** Rue du Vieux Marché aux Grains 3 Place Ste Catherine Tel: +32 (0)2-512-7550 A cosy little restaurant serving steaks, carbonade flamande (beef and beer stew) and other hearty Belgian fare. Good food, though very touristy, probably due to its rustic décor of red check tablecloths and wooden benches. Le Lion St Géry ** Place St Géry 22 Tel: +32 (0)2-513-8600 A friendly restaurant/café on the corner of lively Place St Géry serving waterzooi, beef provencale, and mussels, among other traditional fare, washed down with Jupiler beer.

Modern

Le Khnopff *** Rue St Bernard 1 Tel: +32 (0)2-534-2004 Symptomatic of the newer, trendier Brussels is this stylish restaurant that seems more typical of Paris rather than the easy-going Belgian capital. The décor is slightly overblown, think plenty of plush scarlet furnishings, funky lighting and metallic furniture. However, Le Khnopff has the substance to back up its style with an excellent if expensive menu.

French

La Vierge Noire *** Rue de la Vierge Noire 12 Tel: +32 (0)2-503-3420 Elegant restaurant done out in Art Deco style serving a good choice of French cuisine, from hearty fare like steaks and venison to lighter dishes of salmon or lobster. They also have a children's menu and a few special options for vegetarians. La Fleur de Blé Noir * Rue de l'Enseignement 55 Tel: +32 (0)2-218-5506 Charming little French creperie serving a good choice of savoury and sweet crepes along with salads and pasta dishes. Great for a quick, tasty lunch.

Seafood

La Quincaillerie *** Rue du Page 43-45 Tel: +32 (0)2-533-9833 This converted ironmongers is one of Brussels's most popular restaurants, attracting a relatively trendy yet unpretentious clientele, as well as the occasional celebrity diner. Seafood and meat dishes are popular, with an impressive oyster bar available in season. The wine-list offers 150+ choices.

Italian

I Latini ** Place Ste Catherine 2 Tel: +32 (0)2-502-5030 Good all-round Italian restaurant offering an extensive menu of meat and fish dishes, along with a choice of pasta and pizza, all in very pleasant, relaxed surroundings.

Latin American

Tierra del Fuego * Rue Berckmans 14 Tel: +32 (0)2-537-4272 A reasonably priced Latin American restaurant. As you'd expect from the name the menu is dominated by Chilean specialities, although it is mixed with flavours from Brazil, the Caribbean and Europe. To add to the mixture the restaurant is decorated with Gaudi-style flair.

Japanese

Le Samourai ** Rue du Fossé-aux-Loups 28, Wolvengracht Tel: +32 (0)2-217-5639 A much-loved Japanese restaurant specialising in sushi and tempura. You might feel you're paying a premium for the elaborate presentation of the smallish portions, but the flavours and quality of the food are worth the price once you start eating.

Pacific

Du Bruit Dans La Cuisine ** Chaussée de Waterloo 593 Tel: +32 (0)2-354-5045 A Pacific Rim restaurant appealing to a discerning, upwardly mobile clientele. The menu is imaginative and well executed, and surprisingly moderately priced considering the people you see eating here.

Vietnamese/Thai

Lune de Miel ** Rue Jules Van Praet 15 Tel: +32 (0)2-513-9181 One of the best of the numerous Vietnamese and Thai restaurants along Rue Jules Van Praet, just round the corner from Place St Géry. A predominantly Vietnamese menu includes delicious fresh spring rolls, seafood hotpot, curry with coconut milk and Peking duck, along with various noodle dishes and a good choice of vegetarian options.

Bars

You're in the beer centre of Europe and Brussels has no shortage of places in which to try Belgium's finest brews. As a rule all the city centre bars are excellent, a combination of being clean and friendly, and selling the best beers on the planet. Most will serve snack food or even a relatively extensive menu. Beer comes bottled and with a stemmed, monikered and differently shaped glass for each one. A word to the wise: Belgian beers can be incredibly strong, some equivalent to fortified wine. Also, asking for a non-alcoholic beer will sometimes result in you receiving a beer as strong as a standard beer elsewhere. The best area for bars is the Lower City around most of the major sights. The Grand'Place and the streets that radiate out from it is naturally very well provided for with all manner of cafés, bars and restaurants. If you fancy something a bit livelier you'd be well advised to look around the Saint Géry area. This is where Brussels's young and trendy citizens head for their evening's entertainment. In such a beer-loving capital you'll never be out of sight of a bar or two but here are a few of our favourites. La Mort Subite Rue de Montagnes aux Herbes Potagères 7 Tel: +32 (0)2-513-1318 "The Sudden Death" is a charismatic drinking-den dating back to the '20s. Popular with just about everyone who happens on it, it is predictably packed at weekends. The eponymous brew on the beer menu isn't that deadly, although it can numb the senses rather. Everyone complains about the service so you're not alone if you get your nose pushed out of joint. O'Reilly's Place de la Bourse 1 Tel: +32 (0)2-552-0480 If you really have to go into an Irish bar in Brussels then you might as well make it a good one. O'Reilly's is a boisterous place with live sport and a clientele that loves watching any of the big events - and making a song and dance about it when they do. It's easy to scoff but being honest, it's impossible to have a bad time amidst all the good natured bonhomie (not to mention the Guinness) that oozes out of the place. Le Roy d'Espagne Grand'Place 1 Tel: +32 (0)2-513-0807 Slap bang in the centre of the Grand'Place, tourists can't miss Le Roy, and Le Roy does its level best to ensure that they're not disappointed. It's like a scene from a Bruegel painting with waiters dressed up like 16th-century peasants, trestle tables and all the paraphernalia of a rural carnival. The sense of chaos in the crowded bar would no doubt have delighted the artist were he here today. Rick's Café American Ave Louise 344 Tel: +32 (0)2-647-7530 The trendy location is backed up with a cool ambience in Rick's, which ensures that it remains a popular bar with the young, funky and cool of Brussels society. Half bar, half restaurant, many people tend to come here for a few drinks and food before beginning their big night out. Halles Saint Géry Place St Géry 1 Tel: +32 (0)2-289-2660 In the heart of the trendiest part of town, the Halles bar is popular with a young, hip crowd. Relaxed and packed with funky art this is Brussels at its most vibrant. L'Amadeus Rue Veydt 13 Tel: +32 (0)2-538-3427 As well as being a popular eatery Amadeus's winebar makes it a popular place for young drinkers. Opens until late as well, which makes it popular with just about anybody. Metropole Hotel Place de Brouckere 31 Tel: +32 (0)2-217-2300 One of Brussels's most elegant bars the Metropole Hotel features a handy terrace for people-watching while inside you can enjoy sumptuous décor of a truly grand café. Underground Kafe Rue des Pierres 45 Tel: +32 (0)2-503-1160 Lively, popular establishment on the city's main drag of gay bars - look out for the rainbow flags outside. Le Cirio Rue de la Bourse 18 Tel: +32 (0)2-512-1395 Lovely traditional bar on the Bourse, the square just behind the Grand'Place. The ornate interior has some Art Deco touches, and there's a terrace outs