The Ardennes
This relatively sophisticated chalet-style half-timbered restaurant offers well-prepared if somewhat pricey brasserie food, served in a series of…
Must-see restaurants in Belgium
Brussels
In a quiet pedestrian cobbled street next to Brussels’ iconic chocolatiers, enter Crème, an espresso bar serving up Aussie style pancakes, avocado toasts…
Wallonia
This stylishly revived old-world bakery and teahouse offers not only a range of speciality teas but also wine, beer and excellent coffee accompanied by…
Northwest Belgium
Tucked away on a side lane behind the Centrum De Ronde van Vlaanderen you'll find this homely Belgian affair. It offers al fresco dining in its spacious…
Wallonia
The French food here is borne of a gourmet imagination and served in an elegant setting: one of many revamped former shop-houses on the river quay. The…
Northeast Belgium
Gilt cherubs hold wooden beams, and a contemporary wrought-iron chandelier sits above the grand piano in this characterful place whose summer 'garden’…
Northeast Belgium
Tucked away at the base of the begijnhof, Infirmerie is a relaxed brasserie incorporating elements of historical design from a 1701 building that had been…
Northeast Belgium
With distressed walls, well-spaced seating and a street terrace, this organic grocery/salad bar is great for coffee, pancakes or especially for healthy…
Antwerp
Sit at 1960s-style school chairs in a pair of artily sparse shopfronts while the chefs perform in a glass-fronted show kitchen. The short, monthly…
Liège
Yes, it's a butchers' shop, and having shimmied past the counter you have to walk over a cow – a model, fortunately, grazing surreally beneath a glass…
Brussels
Stunning and spacious with a bewitching mix of wood, woolen wall art and marble, Tero serves organic and seasonal little dishes to share. Most of their…
Bruges
Managed by Arthies – an interior designer who looks like a dashingly gothic Billy Connolly. He uses a projected clock, giant black flower bowls and…
Leuven
This very original place is unusual for its great feeling of space between tables, for the big open kitchen, for its philosophical tract on good eating…
Wallonia
For a fun night out among friends, head to this cosy space around the corner from Collégiale Ste-Gertrude. The speciality is fondue bourguignonne –…
Antwerp
Overlooking St-Jansvliet square, this tiny shop-cafe and takeaway peddles an interesting selection of good-value, international street food including veg-…
Brussels
A central Victorian stairway and station-style clock dominate this brasserie-restaurant. Wooden box-drawers, gleaming copperware and a green wrought-iron…
Brussels
Overlooking the old racecourse in the Drohme Park, le Pesage restaurant by Lionel Jadot (JAM hotel) looks as if a pop bomb had exploded. Amidst the green…
Bruges
This fabulous little cafe with exceptionally friendly and helpful staff is the perfect place to start your day, whether you're a late starter or an early…
The Ardennes
If you're looking for good vegetarian food in the Durbuy area it's worth the 4km drive to Govinda's, the house restaurant of Radhadesh, the Krishna…
The Ardennes
One of Arlon's most reliable choices for Franco-Belgian pub-style food, salads and seasonal mussels, this thoroughly modernised, three-level brasserie…
Brussels
Veritable vegetarian delights are served up at Les 4 jeudis, a sun-baked corner restaurant where the chef’s elaborate lacto-fermented processes are said…
Northeast Belgium
Tucked behind Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk, Nieuwscafe has remained fresh and inviting for two decades. By day it offers a calm, modern brasserie experience with…
Bruges
So called because of the museum-like collection of brewery plaques, money boxes and other mementos of café life adorning the walls, this family-owned…
The Ardennes
Open since 1946, the genteel restaurant section of this spot is fronted by a 1940s tram carriage with wooden-inlay walls. Meals here can be quite…
Bruges
A mix of regulars and travellers staying at the adjoining hostel give this candlelit, alternative art deco–style bistro one of the best atmospheres in…
Brussels
This long-time tourist favourite serves the original ‘Mussels from Brussels’, and makes a good place to try them if you don’t mind that portions (mostly…
Liège
Facing Liège's cathedral, Pollux is the city's classic choice for gaufres liégeoises – waffles freshly made while you wait.
Antwerp
Serving all-vegetarian dishes apart from a couple of fish offerings, this enticing place opens with a deli section purveying huge takeaway quiche slices…
Brussels
A warmly lit Ethiopian bar/restaurant/cultural centre at the bottom of Rue des Grands Carmes, where well-explained dishes are best shared and eaten from…
Brasserie de Heeren van Groeninghe
West Flanders
Excellent-value meals are served in twinkling candlelight in a grand old mansion with high ceilings and original gilt decor. Reservations are wise,…
Northeast Belgium
In the the courtyard of Grimbergen Abbey, this buzzing brasserie offers standard meat, fish and pasta dishes plus well-presented salads and, from 2pm to…
Ostend
This business-casual restaurant features imaginative mussel-shell-mosaics, and the arc of its raised terrace surveys the western beaches. The upmarket…
The Ardennes
In summer, this central yet relatively peaceful, fountain-facing terrace is an ideal lunch spot for freshly made sandwiches and healthy plates of salad…
Brussels
The ground floor of the Kanal Centre Pompidou museum has a 500m2 dainty street market with stalls for every mood. Hit Pistola for a juicy Black Angus…
The Ardennes
Some of Belgium's tastiest pizza along with home-made pasta is served in this unpretentious but friendly trattoria, 350m west of Pl du Rome on the N62, in…
Wallonia
On Rochefort's restaurant-lined main drag, this fresh, youthful bistro has a fine front terrace for watching the city stroll past. The small but wide…
Namur
Chef Olivier Vanden Branden calls his cuisine 'artisanal' rather than gourmet, but the standards are very high and some French-Belgian classics get an…
Ostend
The tables of this casual brasserie are arranged on different levels within a spacious high-roofed hall to quite an effect. Long brass-tube lamps and fun…
Brussels
Tucked down an alley and fronted by a hedged courtyard, this former wine warehouse has a pared-back but sophisticated menu of meat and fish dishes, such…
Brussels
From carbonade (beer-based hotpot) and kriek (cherry beer) chicken to mezzes and tandoori chicken, the food is as eclectic as the decor in this low-lit…
