Brussels Restaurants

  1. Fritland

    Thirty years old and still the downtown place for a cone of chips.

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  2. Gourmet d'Asie

    One of two tiny Vietnamese take-away restaurants sitting side-by-side on a busy St Géry street. Choose from a huge assortment of authentic dishes including the house speciality, pig's ear.

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  3. Henri

    In an airy white space on this street to watch, Henri concocts tangy fusion dishes like tuna with ginger, soy and lime, artichokes with scampi, lime and olive tapenade, or Argentinean fillet steak in parsley. There's an astute wine list, and staff who know their stuff.

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  4. Il Vecchio Mulino

    During Sunday lunch, this cosy restaurant feels like a communal dining room for the entire neighbourhood. But any time of the week it's a highly recommended option for authentic Italian pastas, meat and fish dishes, finished off with desserts such as chocolate tortes (platters are brought around to the tables for you to choose). Kids are welcomed with open arms.

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  5. 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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  7. Jacques

    It's rare to see Jacques anything but full. This down-to-earth restaurant, one of the city's oldest seafood establishments, has been around well over 60 years. It attracts an older, largely local crowd for lunch and a younger, more cosmopolitan set at night. For lobster ring a day in advance.

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  8. Kasbah

    Next door to Bonsoir Clara, this dark and intimate Moroccan restaurant, with its telltale oranges in the window, is a feast for the senses. The friendly and flamboyant owner does couscous, lamb brochettes and tajines (spicy meat-based stews), all at excellent prices. Reservations for Friday and Saturday nights are necessary.

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  9. Kokob

    Meals at this airy Ethiopian bar/restaurant/cultural centre are based around small, shared dishes, like spiced eggplant or finely ground spinach and cheese, spooned onto a central injera (pancake), with more pancakes provided for you to rip apart and use to scoop up your meal. If you order a pot of Ethiopian coffee, be prepared to wait 15 minutes while the beans are roasted, and to be wired all night.

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  10. L'Amour Fou

    Head deep into Ixelles to find this simple bistro and long-time favoured late-night bite stop.

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  11. 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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  13. 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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  14. 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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  15. 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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  16. 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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  17. 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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  19. La Mer du Nord

    Beneath a cobalt-blue awning out on the pavement, fresh-from-the-ocean seafood including mussels, oysters and fish rests on beds of ice. You can buy some to take with you, or watch as it's cooked and snack standing up, accompanied by a glass of chilled Muscadet wine at the stainless-steel outdoor bar.

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  20. La Papaye Verte

    Wash down green and red curries, succulent noodles, and sizzling fried vegetables, seafood and meats with imported Thai beers at this busy yet relaxed Asian restaurant. Service is prompt and the quality first-rate.

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  21. La Quincaillerie

    The gleaming brass interior gives a clue to this brasserie's former life as an ironmonger's shop. It woos with seafood specialities.

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  22. La Tsampa

    Brussels' oldest and least compromising vegetarian restaurant. Enter via the organic delicatessen.

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  23. Le Framboisier

    Imaginatively flavoured ice cream and sorbets made from Cantillon beers are the house specialities. Take away or, in summer, sit in the garden.

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  25. Le IIème Élément

    Le IIème Élément is a modern minimalist Thai restaurant with a straightforward menu including soups.

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  26. Le Pain Quotidien/Het Dagelijks Brood

    Spend any time in Belgium and you'll soon come across this local success story. Baker Alain Coumont started his first bakery and tearoom here on Rue Antoine Dansaert in 1990. Wholesome bread, sweet and savoury pies, salads, sandwiches, breakfast and lunch were (and still are) the staples. So what? The same as many other eateries, you might rightly say. But Le Pain Quotidien had one fundamental difference - a big wooden table sitting smack in the middle of its smoke-free surroundings.

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  27. 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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  28. Le Variété

    Book ahead to take your seat in this Art Deco stunner in the Flagey building where you can watch the chefs preparing spit-roasted pork, chicken, beef and sea bass. Vegetarian options include wok-fried vegetables with mint and a heavenly goats cheese salad.

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  29. 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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