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Restaurants
Each of the Brussels restaurants at which we have had a main evening meal is worthy of a mention - that's the way Brussels is! So here goes (in alphabetical order, not including the definite article):
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Note:
Sterling (£) equivalent prices reflect the exchange rate prevalent at the time.
No attempt has been (or will be) made to convert old Belgian Franc prices to euro (see our Currency page for more help on exchange rates etc.).
All telephone numbers given are local. Add 02 if you are in Belgium but outside Brussels; or add 32 2 if you are dialling from outside Belgium. |
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Auberge des Chapeliers
1-3 rue des Chapeliers
1000 Bruxelles |
Thursday 12 March 1998
Friday 17 November 2000
Our first night in Brussels, and we wanted some traditional Belgian cooking, so when our first choice of restaurant was fully booked we settled on this cosy and relatively quiet place just off the south-east corner of the Grand Place. Well, it was recommended by the Danish Royal Navy although there were no sailors in there the night we were there!
- Andrew had onion soup topped by a huge cheese covered crouton, followed by "steak au poivre crème" (the like of which he had not tasted since the last time he was in Belgium - at least ten years ago).
- Dave had mussel soup (surprisingly the only mussels he had on the trip), followed by stoemp with black and white boudin. Stoemp is a Belgian speciality comprising mashed potatoes and various vegetables - a bit like the English "bubble & squeak". Boudin is a Belgian speciality sausage that usually comes in two varieties: black (a blood sausage a bit like black pudding) and white (a very pale and firm sausage, I'm not quite sure what is in it).
Total bill for two courses plus beer and coffee: BF 1,675/£28
= BF 840/£14 each - all in all excellent value |
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Aux Deux Couleurs
("Bonjour Alfred")
Place Sainte Catherine 3
1000 Bruxelles
Tel: 502 35 73 |
Saturday 15 September 2001
Very friendly, stylish but unpretentious restaurant in the St Catherine district. Try the "trio de poissons", and don't be afraid to order a digestif!!!
BEF 4,635 (£75) for three courses plus wine (1 bottle), water, coffee, and digestifs (in very generous measures!). |
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Bonsoir Clara
22 & 26 Rue Antoine Dansaert
1000 Bruxelles
Tel: 502 09 90
502 55 57
Website 
Click for picture |
Sunday 15 March 1998
Yet another meal in the Rue Antoine Dansaert, and more stylish decor too (take a look at the picture)! The weekend after we got back the Guardian published a guide to Brussels which recommended both this restaurant and La Kasbah, which are both run by a group of friends.
Feeling slightly impecunious, we decided to skip starters and go straight into the main courses.
- Andrew decided to risk moral outrage and had "Cordon bleu de veau aux épinards et mozzarella" (veal cordon bleu stuffed with spinach and mozzarella).
- Dave was in the mood for fish and thoroughly enjoyed his "Tournedos de saumon bordelaise aux échalotes".
Desserts proved to be a hard choice! Just have a look at the on-line menu.
- Dave had "Mille feuilles à la mousse de spéculoos" (spéculoos are spicy caramel biscuits). The English couple who arrived at the next table just before we were served dessert were fascinated by this dish. Dave just ate it!
- Andrew went for the "Marquise au chocolat, citron vert et gingembre confit" As you would expect in a Belgian dessert the chocolate was EXCELLENT Dave knows this 'cos Andrew wasn't prepared to share all that much of it!
BF 1435 /£24 for two courses. A great evening out.
Website: www.europictures.com/bonsoir_clara/indexe.htm |
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La Kasbah
20 Rue Antoine Dansaert
1000 Bruxelles
Tel: 502 40 26
Website 
Click for picture |
Saturday 14 March 1998
The Eurostar Magazine described the Kasbah's decor as "more chic than sheikh", but the effect is just right (click on the picture on the left for a better view). This place is very popular, and we had to book in advance for the Saturday night.
The food is authentic North African, and, following an assortment of entrées (taboulé, chatchouko, zodiouk, carrots with cumin, and "doigt de Fatima" (aka Okra)) we both settled for couscous dishes as the main meal:
- Andrew had "Kasbah" brochette (kebab of lamb and merguez sausage).
- Dave had "Tranche de gigot d'agneau" (Gigot of lamb).
Both were very tasty and filling. There was plenty of couscous, and a large tureen of vegetable stew with which to drench it. But we still had enough room for dessert:
- Andrew was boring and had "Oranges à la canelle" (Fresh Oranges with cinnamon).
- Dave had "Glace Mille et une nuits (à base de pistaches, figues, épices orientales, amandes et Peurs d'orangers)" Fab!
To wash down the main course we went for Vin Gris de Guerouane One of the selection of Vins du Maghreb (On the basis of "when in Rome..." and all that)
Total Bill: BF2,820 (£47), so £23 a head - excellent value, an a thoroughly enjoyable meal in very attractive and amiable surroundings.
Website: www.europictures.com/kasbah/index.htm |
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La Kasbah
(again) |
Saturday 25 March 2000
To celebrate Andrew's birthday we had decided to go over to Brussels for just one night. We knew exactly where we wanted to eat, so to avoid disappointment we had booked a table at La Kashah in advance (by telephone, the week before).
For starters, Andrew had Harrisa (mild, spicy, creamy tomato and lamb soup), while Dave tried "Brick a l'ouef" (sort of deep fried folded-over thin pancake/fritter with egg inside). For the main course we both had couscous with brochette "Kasbah Royal" (mutton, chicken, lamb and merguez), accompanied by the fabulous vegetable stew and rasins with chilli paste. The couscous here is amazingly fine-grained and loose - fantastic!
All this was washed down with an excellent wine (the best the restaurant serves - according to our waiter!). After all that, we decided that we have had enough, so we skipped desert and went straight to coffee and digestif.
This is really an exceptional restaurant, and the last time we visited Brussels it was quite an effort to resist going there yet again! Although we understand that they do an excellent mint tea and pastries in the afternoons, so maybe next time... |
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La Manufacture
2-22 rue Notre-Dame du Sommeil
1000 Bruxelles
Tel: 502 25 25
Fax: 502 27 15
Website 
Click for picture |
Saturday 5 August 2000
We spotted this one on the internet, as it uses the same web service as Kasbah and Bonsoir Clara. This meant that we had a good idea of the menu and prices before we went. We were not dissapointed.
La Manufacture is in a quiet back street bordering a public housing estate. The setting is unassuming, and the restaurant is a converted leather workshop (hence the name), but the imaginative "industrial style" conversion has created a very plesant place to eat, with space for 180 diners, plus lots of space for banquets and exhibitions etc. The standard of service is excellent, with very friendly and professional staff (including a proper wine waiter).
We arrived at around 7:45 pm and managed to get a table without a reservation, although it seemed as though this might have been difficult had we left it any later (or had it not been the holiday season).
We both started-off with the "Assortiment" of starters (Yakitori (caramelised poultry skewer), Nems (Vietnamese pork rolls), Dim Sum (Chinese dumplings), Goujons of chicken etc.).
For the main course, Andrew decided to be adventurous and go for the "Medaillons of Ostrich Fillet with Ginger and Lime". Dave had "Crusty Fillet of Lamb with Pesto". We can both honsetly say that this was the best lamb we had ever tasted, and the combination with pesto was truly delicious. To accomapny this we chose Chateau de Musset red wine.
The deserts were sensational. Andrew had baked spiced mango, with "Frangipane" ice-cream and a wonderful hand-made galette. Dave had banana "Tarte Tatin" with Speculoos (spicy biscuit) ice cream.
All the food was of the very best quality, and brilliantly cooked, prepared and presented. This was a thoroughly enjoyable meal, which in London could easily have cost a hundred pounds or more each.
Total bill: BEF 4,340 (£67) for three courses each, plus wine, mineral water, coffee and digestifs. |
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La Manufacture
(again) |
Friday 14 September 2001
Again we managed to get a table on the night. The staff were exceptionally friendly, and we had a very enjoyable meal. The menu has changed a bit since we were last here (although they have not updated the website menu!), which made choosing even more difficult!
Dave had the croquettes moules to start (which were "interesting"), and Andrew had the "tempura des fromages Belges" (very tasty, but quite pungent!). For the main course, Dave had suckling pig, and Andrew had lamb cutlets. As we found before at this restaurant, the lamb was exquisite. Dessert was tarte tatin Ananas (delicious) and Dame Blanche (rather "ordinary", dissapointingly).
Total bill: BEF 5,492 (about £88) for aperetifs, 3 courses, 1 and ½ bottles of wine, coffee and calvados.
There really is nothing in London that can compare with this on quality and value for money!
Website: www.europictures.com/manufacture/indexe.htm |
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Neos Cosmos
Rue Antoine Dansaert 50
1000 Bruxelles |
Friday 13 March 1998
This wonderfully friendly "modern" Greek restaurant has none of the kitsch trappings of most restaurants of its type - not a single column or statue of Apollo in sight - just great food, a cosy atmosphere, and brilliant staff . For example, when Andrew couldn't find his favourite dish on the menu - grilled haloumi cheese - the waiter was very helpful (and we had haloumi!). Later, when Andrew's chair somehow managed to disassemble itself beneath him, the waiters were ready to give explicit directions for reassembly!
The menu comprises lots of small dishes, so you treat it like a do-it-yourself mezzes - we ordered about eight dishes between us. Best of all was the dessert: a plate full of fabulous little Greek pastries, with ice cream and honey. We were well happy :)
Update: Unfortunately, this restaurant has now closed. |
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La Roue d'Or
26 rue des Chapeliers
1000 Bruxelles
Tel: 514 25 54 |
Saturday 18 November 2000
A real Brussels eating experience! You will probably need to book in advance.
Beware the "Jamboneau" - this is not a ham, but a gigantic, honey roasted, pork knuckle which will make you sweat just looking at it. Very tasty, but you will not be able to eat it all unless you are an olympic pentathlete!!! |
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Totem Morf
13 rue de Eclipse
1000 Bruxelles
Tel: 0476 208 609
Website 
click for image |
Saturday 16 February 2002
Sunday 9 February 2003
We'd spotted this very interesting looking restaurant on a couple of previous visits, so this time we decided to give it a try.
Situated down a fairly obscure side-street to the south of St Géry, it is not easy to find, particularly as the entrance is in a different street to the main frontage of the restaurant. The atmosphere convivial, and the service very friendly. This is a relaxed and informal (and slightly quirky) "modern" restaurant, where you can enjoy a thoroughly good meal without feeling hurried. We had:
- Aperetifs: Bloody Marys; with complimentary apetiser (green lentils with sun-dried tomatoes, spring onions etc.)
- Starters: Watercress soup (Dave) ; "mini gratin" marinated salmon, aubergines and tomato (Andrew)
- Main course: Trout (Dave); Medallion of kangeroo with mushrooms (Andrew)
- Drinks: 1 Bottle Australian Shiraz/Cabernet; ½ litre mineral water
- Dessert: Tarte tatin (Dave); Crepe (Andrew)
- To follow: 2 Coffees (each), with complimentary madeira cake
- Digestifs: Calvados
The total bill was €113 (inc. €10 tip) ( approx £70 = £35 each); and we got complimentary lollipops too!
The food was good quality and well presented. Not "world class" cuisine perhaps, but well above bistro/brasserie standards, and the standard of service was very good - helpful, attentive, generous and good-humoured. Totem is also clearly a good place for groups (4s, 6s 8s) as there were several when we were there, and they all seemed to be having a good time!
Two final points: if you sign your e-mail in the visitors book, you will receive entertaining, but completly mad, e-mails from the proprietor every week for the rest of your life!; and can anyone tell us what the zip fastener thing is all about (you'll have to eat here to find out what we mean)?!
Find out more about this restaurant on their web pages on the UrbanStarNavigator web site: www.urbanstarnavigator.com/Nav40/Totem/MenuTotem.html
Please note that this restaurant does not accept credit cards. |
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Sunday 9 February 2003
Second visit to Totem - this time with Viv and Dave McI. |
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La Villette
3 rue du Vieux Marché aux Grains
1000 Bruxelles
Tel: 512 75 50
Website |
Friday 4 August 2000
Saturday 8 February 2003
This small restaurant is close to St Catherine's, in the same street as our hotel. La Villette is a traditional Belgian restaurant, but with a rather more imaginative menu than most of the others around St Catherine's, with lots of beer based dishes.
Andrew:
- Brochette of petit boudins (5 types) with red onion and witloof jams
- Steak with Belgian cheese and gueuze (one of Andrew's favourite Belgian beers) sauce
- Kriek (another Belgian beer) sorbet - 1/2 bottle of Chateau Barrail (red)
Dave:
- Grilled chevre cheese on honey toast
- Pave of salmon poached in a Hoegaarden (beer again) sauce
- Creme brulee
- 1/2 bottle of pino blanc
The food was very good, although some of the dishes were slightly on the gimmicky side. The service was very friendly and helpful.
Total cost BEF 3,700 (about £60) for three courses each plus aperetives, wine and coffee. |
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