Brussels Restaurants

  1. 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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  2. 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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  3. 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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  4. 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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  5. 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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  7. 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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  8. 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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  9. 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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  10. 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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  11. 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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  13. 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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  14. 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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  15. 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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  16. In't Spinnekopke

    This long-time favourite with its odd name (In the Spider's Head) occupies a 17th-century whitewashed cottage on a newly revamped square. Dine outside in summer, or cosy up inside in winter and enjoy Brussels' specialities (in particular the cod or the assortment of meats cooked in beer-based sauces).

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  17. L'Ane Vert

    This welcoming local brasserie serves up hearty dishes such as coq au vin (chicken stew) in its cosy indoor setting, and outside when the weather is agreeable. There are also some decent vegetarian options on the menu, and fine wines too.

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  19. L'Atelier Européen

    Fronted by a hedged courtyard, this former wine warehouse has a pared-down menu of meat and fish dishes such as sautéed veal and grilled sea bass, with a couple (but only a couple) of offerings for vegetarians. Wine is given its due, with a well-chosen list and monthly specials.

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  20. L'Idiot du Village

    Booking ahead is essential to secure a table at this colourful, cosy place secluded on a little side street near the Place du Jeu-de-Balle flea market. Dishes are rich and aromatic (lots of herbs) and portions plentiful considering the cachet of this place.

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  21. L'Ultime Atome

    The lively dining strip of Rue St-Boniface typifies 'new Brussels' with its multilingual clientele and diverse cuisines (traditional Belgian to Thai and more). For a good entrée to the scene here, start at this brasserie.

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  22. La Belle Maraîchère

    Ste-Catherine has no shortage of superb seafood, but the wonderfully old-school La Belle Maraîchère has long been the restaurant of choice for discerning Bruxellois. Here, the Devreker family reverently prepare lobster and fish, and it's the perfect place to try Brussels' famous mussels in white wine.

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  23. La Maison du Cygne

    Try for a table overlooking the Grand Place in this refined 2nd-floor restaurant where you can dine on bank-breaking but beautifully prepared Belgian classics. Service is appropriately fussy and the wine list outstanding. Budget diners after a taste of Louis XIV grandeur should try the 1st-floor Ommengang bar, where lunch menus cost around €18 , including a half-bottle of water.

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  25. Le Perroquet

    Perfect for a drink but also good for a simple bite (salads, sandwiches etc), this Art Nouveau café with its stained glass and timber panelling is an atmospheric, inexpensive stop in an area that's light on such places.

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  26. Les Petits Oignons

    Cosy up by the crackling open fire in winter or keep cool in the candlelit garden in summer at this Marolles mainstay. You'll need to exercise judgement when ordering the generous mains, as orders for dessert (including the house profiteroles) are taken at the beginning of a meal.

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  27. Maison Antoine

    Brussels can be divided into two kinds of people: not French and Dutch-speaking, or locals and expats, but those who swear by this little chip shop, and those who pledge allegiance to the caravan on Place Flagey. Antoine's chips are twice-fried in beef fat and you'll see dignitaries and the odd celeb queuing for a coneful.

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  28. Picnik

    One of the new breed of snack bars gathering steam in Brussels. This one's firmly Flemish, totally vegetarian, mostly organic and, for its size, incredibly baby friendly. An out-of-the-way location that's worth finding.

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  29. Pré Salé

    Local diner on a shabby backstreet that's become an institution with the locals. Looks a bit like a butcher's shop when you first enter - all white tiles, bright lights and big plates of spare ribs - but it's very infectious, particularly on Friday nights when you'll need to book a few weeks in advance to partake in the soirée spectacle, a vaudeville-style dinner show.

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