Restaurants in Belgium
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A
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.
reviewed
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B
Panos
Chain bakery and sandwich shop doing belegd broodje/sandwich garni (half a filled baguette), slices of quiche and pizza.
reviewed
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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.
reviewed
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D
De Bron
Queues have usually formed by the time this glass-roofed restaurant's doors open, to get vegetarian fare direct from de bron ('the source'). Dishes are available in small, medium and large, and there are some delicious soups such as pumpkin. Vegans are catered for on request.
reviewed
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E
Chagall
Checked olive banquettes, candles, shelves cluttered with knick-knacks and an upright piano make you feel like you're dining in a family home. Seafood, such as several variations on eel, is Chagall's specialty, but it also does daily meat specials and good deals on two- and three-course menus.
reviewed
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Gran Kaffee De Passage
A mix of regulars and travellers staying at the adjoining hostel, Passage, give this candlelit, alternative Art Deco-styled bistro one of the best atmospheres in town. Its menu of hearty traditional dishes, such as stoverij (local meat in beer sauce) as well as filling tofu creations, is a bargain.
reviewed
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G
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.
reviewed
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H
Façade
Unpretentious little restaurant that occupies two quaint houses on one of the most delightful public squares in Antwerp. Comprises two rooms plus a tiny mezzanine and an outdoor terrace. The French-Belgian cuisine is well priced and beautifully presented - the scampis in look (garlic prawns) are divine. Love the modern touches around the bar, and the gorgeous lamps suspended from the old timber ceiling.
reviewed
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Taverne James
This Ostend institution is one of those experiences that's available nowhere else. Located in a small covered shopping gallery in the heart of town, this small wood-panelled café basks in its international reputation for excellent garnaalkroketten (deep-fried prawn croquettes). The tavern's been around since 1954 and, although twee, it drones with homespun and international visitors.
reviewed
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't Pandje
Decorator's shop and tearoom, and the place to try a Hasselt speculaas. These cinnamon-flavoured biscuits are devoured nationally; however, they supposedly originated in Hasselt where the fat, chewy versions are still baked and sold.
reviewed
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Windavès
Colourful and spacious restaurant offering world cuisines plus plenty of imaginative vegetarian fare.
reviewed
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Blue Olive
Big, hip bistro-bar with lampshades that have to been seen to be believed. Serves a good selection of pasta dishes, salads and typical bistro cuisine, and it has an impressive wine list.
reviewed
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K
Bottarga
This bistro brings modern to Ostend's beachfront. Splashy purple and orange décor, a choice of Belgian or Thai cuisines, and ultrafriendly staff make it stand out from the promenade pack.
reviewed
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Bouchon
One of many restaurants in the pedestrianised quarter next to the church. No eel-in-green-sauce to be seen here - this is inventive Flemish cuisine at its best, taken either on a pleasant shaded terrace or in the seductively dark and inviting interior.
reviewed
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David Dewaele
This inconspicuous little restaurant is nestled among the throng on Visserskaai, and is one of Ostend's best seafood haunts. Dewaele worked at De Karmeliet, Bruges' top restaurant, and his cuisine is nothing short of inventive. However, the modest interior borders on boring.
reviewed
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De Goei Goesting
Generally regarded as Hasselt's best restaurant and newly relocated to the dining heart of town. Belgian cuisine spiced with Mediterranean influences is prepared in an open kitchen and makes for delectable dining.
reviewed
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Di Vino
A intimate wine bistro that's big with the locals. A small chalked-up menu offers staples like goat-cheese salad, lasagne and vegetarian dishes.
reviewed
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Food markets
Vendors set up on Wapenplein, Groentenmarkt and Mijnplein.
reviewed
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Mosselbeurs
The place in Ostend to eat well-priced mussels - 1.3kg jumbo pots go for around €17. Don't be put off by the building's tacky façade (plastered with fake mussels) - this place packs in diners thanks to fresh produce and efficient service.
reviewed
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OK
Finger food, burgers and sandwiches are the staples at this hip new café attached to the casino. Free internet when you dine.
reviewed
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Ostend Queen
Fishy business at its best. This relatively new seafood brasserie on the 1st floor of Kursaal casino received Michelin Guide accolades before even opening. Thanks to the subsequent controversy, tables have since been in high demand. If OQ doesn't fit the bill, stay downstairs for a steak or salad on the long seaside terrace at the casino's Coffeehouse.
reviewed
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R
Greenway Foods
Bright green décor immediately tells you this place is vegetarian - bio (organic) burgers, soups, pasta dishes and noodles are the mainstays. It's smack on one of the city's main restaurant strips, and is also great for kids and babes.
reviewed
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S
Opus Latino
Hidden down a narrow cobbled alley on the busy link between the Markt and Burg, most tourists miss this funky brasserie - don't make the same mistake. Local demand is high for the few canal-side tables. The cuisine is modern, and the prices are refreshingly low for this part of town.
reviewed
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T
Pakhuis
Soaring iron girders, interior balconies and a vaulted glass ceiling make this former warehouse a sublime setting for a Bloody Mary and/or a meal. Pakhuis excels in seafood (sea bass with puréed artichokes and vermouth sauce, say, or grilled Scottish salmon); wide-ranging seasonal choices might include lamb stew in Barbera wine, or organic pasta with black truffles.
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Tasty
Good variety of light meals and delicious fresh juices are available at this little funky eat-in/takeaway joint.
reviewed