Brussels Restaurants

  1. Lola

    L-o-l-a Lola... yes, it's hard to get the Kinks out of your head at this streamlined contemporary brasserie. The menu is a combination of seasonal French and Italian (rack of lamb with thyme and onion confit and dauphinois potatoes, say), but it's the effervescent conversations of the young clientele bouncing off the stripped-back stone and wood surfaces that really gives this place its buzz.

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  2. 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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  3. Mamma Roma

    For pizza al taglio (sold by weight) with toppings like pancetta, pumpkin, walnuts and rocket, Mamma Roma hits the spot. You can take away or eat in, but it doesn't take reservations - just order at the bar (caveat: pickings are slim after ).

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  4. Metin

    One of many little Turkish restaurants strung along Chaussée de Haecht, this is a good spot for a bite after visiting nearby Maison Autrique. They started in the mid '70s, about 15 years after the first Turkish immigrants moved in, and continue to draw plenty of local diners. Start with an iskembe corba (tripe soup), followed by a boat-shaped pide (Turkish pizza), and wash it down with a glass of ayran (buttermilk).

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  5. Notos

    Certainly Belgium's best Greek restaurant and arguably the best in Europe outside Greece. No plate-smashing or faded posters of sun-soaked isles at this subtle little place. Instead the refined ambience is backed up by superb nouvelle Greek cuisine. The limited menu remembers vegetarians.

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  7. Panos

    Chain bakery and sandwich shop doing belegd broodje/sandwich garni (half a filled baguette), slices of quiche and pizza.

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  8. Pataya

    Absolutely nondescript little Thai restaurant that fills up early and keeps diners rolling in until late (closes ). The red, yellow and green curries are superb, and vegetarians will find plenty to choose from.

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  9. 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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  10. 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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  11. René

    Deep in the heart of Anderlecht, overlooking a tree-lined square and the local gemeentehuis (town hall), is Brussels' most authentic family friterie -restaurant. It's the Dirk and Dorine Piolon show. Dad, Mum, offspring and in-laws, frying and refrying the frites, preparing a succulent filet américain and dishing up steaming cauldrons of mussels and other Belgian specialities to an appreciative local audience.

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  13. Rosticeria Fiorentina

    One of a handful of restaurants on this street catering squarely to Eurocrats. Hearty dishes served on paper tablecloths in family-style surroundings with Italian meals made by Mama.

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  14. Rouge Tomate

    In a series of striking settings, including a light, white space with splashes of red, and a decked courtyard garden, this hot address turns out fare from around the Med, such as a Moroccan vegetable tagine with tamarind and prunes, bull from the Camargue region of Provence, France, or rosemary-encrusted pigeon, with clementine sorbet for dessert.

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  15. Rue St Boniface

    Rue St Boniface is an intimate little street, lorded over by the local church, which is crammed with indoor/outdoor eateries of all persuasions.

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  16. Rugantino

    Little slice of Italy on one of the capital's busiest boulevards. Simple menu, great food and loud voices emanating from the kitchen.

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  17. Saint Boniface

    Try Saint Boniface. Turn off your phone to enter this old-world restaurant where checked tablecloths, oil lamps and authentic dishes from France's Périgord region (ie foie gras, duck and Puy lentils) are the norm.

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  19. Samourai

    Japanese restaurant tucked away inside a gallery on a busy downtown street. The food's as authentic as it gets, and is highly regarded by the busloads of Japanese who turn up here.

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  20. Sea Grill

    You'd be hard pressed to find a more unlikely setting for Brussels' finest seafood than deep inside this '80s ode to interior atrium elevators and Muzak. But at the twin Michelin-starred Sea Grill restaurant, chef Yves Mattagne and his team create just that in the open kitchen. Try the Brittany lobster, crushed and extracted in an antique solid-silver lobster press (one of only four in the world) and prepared at your table.

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  21. Shamrock

    Flashy neon lights and mediocre Asian cuisine is the trademark of this street. The exception is this oddly-named Indian restaurant (reincarnated from an Irish pub) where Tandoori specialities are the go. Expect horrible décor and deliciously authentic food.

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  22. Tasso

    Tasso opened in 2006 as one of the first attractions in the new Tour & Taxis complex. The setting is awesome, but also intimate, and the food is a pleasing world mix.

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  23. Taverne du Passage

    Consistently keen service and faithful Belgian meals are the pivotal points of this Brussels institution. Located in the sublime Galeries St Hubert, it has been around since 1928 and stepping through the draped doorway is like zapping away a century. An all-male middle-aged crew strut their stuff in slightly crumpled penguin uniforms, serving ample portions of Belgian classics such as moules-frites (mussels and chips) and waterzooi (cream-based chicken or fish stew).

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  25. Viva M'Boma

    A white-tiled former triperie (offal butchers shop) now houses this fab restaurant. Viva M'Boma's name means 'long live the grandmother' in the old Bruxellois dialect, and the updated dishes here would make both Grandma and the departed butchers proud. Mains like veal kidneys, liver-based casseroles, or horse steak are accompanied by hand-cut fries or stoemp (mashed potato), with speculaas ice cream for dessert.

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  26. Waka Moon

    This funky corner cafe in a converted bookshop serves up African cooking to locals who congregate at the outside tables when the weather permits. There's plenty of chicken on the menu (try the chicken yassa) and the eclectic interior's zebra-striped chairs are happy-snap worthy.

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  27. Wittamer

    Framed by candy-pink awnings, this exclusive pâtisserie and tearoom are part of the 1910-established Wittamer family's chocolate business, and a venerable Sablon tradition. You can buy the Wittamer family's chocolates at their nearby boutique.

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