Brussels Restaurants

  1. Al Barmaki

    Hidden on a quiet backstreet, Al Barmarki has long been considered one of Brussels' best Middle Eastern eateries. And now, after more than three decades of faithful service to uncompromisingly authentic Lebanese food, it's made the Michelin guide. Expect cool Moorish décor, brusque service and succulent skewered lamb kebabs. Great for vegetarians too.

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  2. Am Sweet

    Spiralling over two floors and several rooms, this charming salon de thé / confiserie on a village-like street resembles a Parisian apartment, with small metal tables, chairs in striped calico slip-covers, shelves of well-thumbed books, and framed watercolours resting against the walls. Not only is it a delightful spot for brunch or a fragrant tea, but the ground floor stocks an enticing array of sweets, including Laurent Gerbaud chocolates.

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  3. Arcadi

    Jars of preserves, beautiful cakes and fruit tarts behind the glass counter of this classic bistro entice plenty of locals, as do well-priced meals like layered eggplant and cheese, all served non-stop by courteous staff.

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  4. Archy's

    Tiny Latin-American restaurant in Matonge, Brussels' African quarter, that's been serving up specialities from California to Peru for more than 15 years. Join diners at one of just four tables on the pedestrianised street, or head inside to meet Archy himself.

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  5. Au Stekerlapatte

    The grungy façade hides a cavernous bistro where the approach is casual, the menu extensive and the portions large. Meat, fish and fowl - cooked in traditional Belgian ways - are the staples. Well hidden but definitely known.

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  7. Aux Armes de Bruxelles

    In a street where dining is a minefield of mussel places, this elegant eatery is where locals come to get treated like royalty and to eat fantastic seafood. The oysters are the freshest around, and for mains try any version of the mussels or fish - the sole meuniere (fish with butter and lemon) is excellent.

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  8. Belga Queen

    The Belga Queen is Brussels' queen of indulgence. Generous opening hours, a fabulous restaurant with an equally fab crowd, a lustrous ecailler (oyster bar) and a cigar bar leave you no excuses for not visiting. The main menu (split between meat and fish) even has a vegetarian section and low-calorie options for visiting supermodels.

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  9. Bij den Boer

    A longtime seafood favourite with a no-fuss interior and newly-revamped blue-tiled façade. Real Brussels experience.

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  10. Bon-Bon

    Brussels' most talked-about chef, Michelin-starred Christophe Hardiquest, shuns menus in favour of dishes crafted from the day's freshest ingredients from the markets. It's a bit of a hike out to residential Uccle, but for foodies this is as good as it gets.

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  11. Bonsoir Clara

    One of the capital's enduring success stories. The twin salons boast bold colours, subtle lighting and lots of metal and geometry. It struck a chord with locals years ago and continues to serve generous portions of modern European food, particularly Mediterranean flavours. Reserve in advance for weekend dinners.

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  13. Brasserie de la Roue d'Or

    If you're hankering for hearty Belgian fare (rabbit, pigs' trotters and the like), follow the locals' lead and head to the 'Golden Wheel', where the décor is inspired by the city's surrealists.

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  14. Brasserie La Clef d'Or

    Unassuming café that's been serving soupe de la maison (house soup) and a good croque-monsieur (grilled ham and cheese sandwich) to flea-market vendors for years. It's as unpretentious as they come. The unusual opening hours reflect the needs of the clientele.

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  15. Brasserie Ploegmans

    An endangered species. This bar is the local of old folk from the Marolles and has plenty of working-class kudos. It's one of only a couple of remaining family-owned pubs on this street and is generally full of smoke, a rich assortment of characters and Brussels dialect.

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  16. Café Des Spores

    Getting here means trekking out to Uccle but it's well worth it if you like chanterelles, porcini and other assorted fungi from the forest floor. If you don't, then don't bother, because mushrooms feature in every dish (even the cep tiramisu) at this so-named 'mushroom restaurant'. It sounds gimmicky but it isn't at all - the daily changing menu is market-fresh and there's a solid wine list.

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  17. Café Métropole

    Hôtel Métropole's cafe-bar is the grand old lady of Brussels' cafes. With its wonderful high ornate ceilings, enormous glass chandeliers, padded red leather seats, elegant red lampshades and giant picture windows, it's perfect for apéritifs and people-watching.

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  19. Chéri Chéri

    Carnival-like red, blue, green, yellow and orange striped walls, scrubbed floorboards and a stripped-concrete back room give this brand-new 'canteen' a casual-chic ambience. Smart bistro fare like risotto or gratin of endives is brought out on funky crockery and lopsided glass sugar bowls accompany your coffee, but service is pretty patchy. Still, it's early days.

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  20. Chez Léon

    Longtime tourist favourite in the heart of Brussels' famous dining street, Rue des Bouchers. This rambling place occupies several gabled houses and offers fast service at any time of the day or night, substantial helpings of mussels and chips, and free meals for kids under 12. You'll find branches all over Belgium, and worldwide.

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  21. Comme Chez Soi

    The name evokes cooking just like 'at home', but unless you have a personal chef crafting the likes of North Sea lobster salad with black truffles and potatoes, sole fillets with Riesling and shrimp mousseline or perhaps spicy lacquered pigeon breast with wild rice, it's nothing of the sort. The prices are gobsmacking, but so is the food from master chef Pierre Wynants's son-in-law, Lionel Rigolet.

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  22. Comocomo

    At this much buzzed-about spot, Pintxos (Basque tapas) such as octopus or bite-sized ham sandwiches, glide past on an 80m-long sushi-train-style conveyor belt, and are colour-coded for easy identification (purple for pork, blue for fish and so on). But most diners' eyes remain fixed on the passing fashion parade outside the big picture-windows.

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  23. Comus & Gasterea

    Modern ice-cream parlour where everything's homemade, including the cones.

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  25. Cospaia

    Cospaia's lush dining rooms done out entirely in glossy black or pure white are the work of Marcel Wolterinck, who designed singer Robbie Williams' London pad. Its menu (split equally between fish and meat) is sharp, stylish and very Brussels, right down to the desserts created by chocolatier Pierre Marcolini.

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  26. Cremerie De Linkebeek

    Brussels' best fromagerie was established in 1902 and retains its original glazed tiles. It still stocks a beguiling array of cheeses, which you can also try on crunchy baguettes with fresh salad, wrapped in blue-and-white-striped paper ready to take to a nearby bench.

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  27. De la Vigne à l'Assiette

    Sommelier Eddy Dandrimont matches good French cuisine and wine at this little corner restaurant on a quiet backstreet uphill from Ave Louise.

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  28. Easy Tempo

    Suave pizza joint in an old boulangerie (bakery) with a gorgeous ceramic-tiled wall that's now a protected monument. An ultrafriendly crew skim along the counter, topping pizzas with marinated aubergine, sun-dried tomatoes and artichokes.

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  29. Frederic Blondeel

    The smart, minimalist interior of this Flemish chocolate-maker's premises makes it a stylish spot for a cup of tea while eyeing the elegant rows of pralines on display.

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