to the arms of Brussels
In the bustling little streets surrounding the Grand Place, it’s hard to tell a good address from a tourist trap. Like it echte Brusseleirs (real people from Brussels), push open the door of the Brussels Arms. Jacques Brel had his table there. Recently taken over by the Vanlancker family, who run Chez Léon just across the street, the century-old establishment has been restored to its former glory. With its tables covered in white under a portrait of King Philip and Queen Matilda. For starters, you will hesitate between cervelette, chicory or gratin or Veulemans salad. Then Brabant-style rabbit, home-made stew, veal chop with Blackwell sauce. Can’t choose? Choose from a trio of Belgian specialties: carbonade, vol-au-vent and dumplings with tomato sauce. Finish with a slice of brown sugar pie, cuberdon crème brûlée, or a crêpe topped with mandarin napoleon.
Majority : waiters in white liver with gold stripes, always attentive.
Costs: lunch menu from €24, evening menu from €38.50, main menu from €11 to €68.
Arms of Brussels, rue des Bouchers 13, 1000 Brussels. Such. +32 511 55 50.
The Brigittes
Right in Marolles, the most famous district of Brussels, Dirk Myny awaits you at Les Brigittines. For almost 30 years, this master chef has been sharing traditional cuisine there, which he constantly reinvents. Like his vol-au-vent, whose recipe he adapts to the seasons. When the plate reaches the table, only the puff pastry is placed on it. The chef then arrives with his copper pans to serve (and re-serve) you. Dirk likes to work with local beer. We love his veal cheek baked in crayfish. Or for a home profession zen pot: Cabbage cooked in geuze is served bloempanch, Brussels black pudding. The menu also offers horse meat, which is very popular with Marolians. Les Brigittines was awarded “Brewery of the Year 2020” by Gault&Millau.
Majority : intimate decor in a former Art Nouveau post office.
Costs: lunch menu: €35, evening menu: €65, main menu from €24.
Les Brigittines, Place de la Chapelle 5, 1000 Brussels. Such. +32 2 512 68 91.
Passage Tavern
La Taverne du Passage is an iconic Art Deco brasserie in the Belgian capital. Brussels residents feared it was disappearing after the health crisis, but it recently reopened. And in the most beautiful way. The new owner has really managed to breathe modernity while respecting the spirit of the place. While the pews and old tiles have been preserved, the ceiling is now decorated with Charles Casein’s golden origami cloud. We first order a homemade aperitif, the Hugo, in memory of Victor, exiled in the neighborhood. Then one of the highlights of the menu, the gray shrimp croquettes with a sprig of fried parsley, vol-au-au-vent with Malines cuckoo, made American. For dessert, be tempted by the chocolate mousse served warm.
Majority : A stone’s throw from the Grand-Place at the luxurious Galerie Royales Saint-Hubert.
Costs: à la carte dishes from 22 euros.
Taverne du Passage, Galerie de la Reine 30, 1000 Brussels. Such. +32 2 512 14 13:
Fernand Obb Delicatessen
Want a snack break? The correct address is Fernand Obb Delicatessen near Saint-Gilles. The establishment presents itself as a popular kitchen counter. The card is simple, but everything is well done. This is the ideal place to discover the Belgians’ favorite little bread, the gun. Choose it decorated in American style. raw ground beef topped with onions, capers, pickles and homemade dressing. Fernand Obb also offers several specialties typical of chip shops, such as fricadelle (deep-fried sausage) or poulycroc (a piece of chicken encased in a crispy crust). These industrial kitchen classics are available here in an artisanal version. Just like a burger made with a slice of Walloon blood sausage. Don’t miss the melting cheese croquette, like a childhood memory.
Majority : Waffles, fun waffle-shaped fries that you won’t find anywhere else.
Costs: pistols from €3.50; plates with waffles + mixed salad + 1 sauce from €15 to €17; homemade meatballs for €4 or polycroc for €6.
Fernand Obb Delicatessen, rue de Tamines 27, 1060 Brussels (Saint-Gilles). Such. +32 2 771 91 08.
In Old Saint Martin
Grand Sablon is the district of antique dealers and gallery owners. They meet at Vieux Saint Martin for lunch. Open inside the sixties, it has preserved the period red lacquered ceiling and leather seats. As well as some of Alechinsky’s lithographs on the walls. But the history of this family restaurant goes much further. Here we are still reminded of the forefather Joseph Niels, who would work with Escoffier before developing the recipe that always brings success to the mark: the American. It is served with fresh fries and homemade mayonnaise. On the menu we also highlight roast beef with piccalilli, Ghent-style chicken water fish, Zeebrugge solettes or Castafiore salad; a nod to Hergé, who we often met in the neighborhood. The waiters in their ties and red aprons wouldn’t look out of place on a Tint album.
Majority : very generous plates served continuously from noon to 11pm for last order.
Costs: à la carte dishes from €19.50 to €36.25.
At Vieux Saint Martin, place du Grand Sablon 38, 1000 Brussels. Such. + 32 2 512 64 76.
Frying Rene
To rediscover the flavors of the times when Brussels was Brussels, sometimes you have to leave the tourist areas. Direction Anderlecht. Perhaps you know this Brussels municipality by its football club. You will now come here for Friture René. A popular restaurant like you used to find on every street corner. Upon entering, you are greeted by a mountain of fries ready to be cooked. In white beef (Belgian trademark under which beef tallow (fat) used to make french fries is marketed, Ed.), obviously. Opened in 1932, the institution has preserved the character of its period. With its tiled walls, wooden benches, neon lights on the ceiling and little red checkered tablecloths. We sit at the table in front of mussels, shrimp tomatoes, eel, Belgian blue steak or great little meatballs in tomato sauce. Then, as before, we finish with a typical Belgian ice cream (despite its name), the Brazilian.
Majority : the family was welcomed by Dirk and Doreen. Even the youngest (Ambre, 9) gets involved.
Costs: shrimp tomato €18; meatball €19; mussel pot from 29 euros.
Friture René, place de la Résistance 14, 1070 Brussels (Anderlecht). Such. +32 2 523 28 76.
Georges Breweries
Do you want to taste Belgian cuisine, but other guests will prefer a more classic menu? Brasseries Georges has something for everyone. Located on the edge of the Bois de la Cambre, they are known for their scales and beautiful cuts of meat. But you can also taste various preparations with Belgian accents. Like the fondues of Old Bruges, the coucou supreme in Mechelen or the traditional vol-au-vent are revisited here with lobster and fried crabs. Like any self-respecting Belgian establishment, Brasseries Georges also offers gray shrimp croquettes. They have been chosen as “Brussels’ best croquettes of 2022”.
Majority : valet parking and spacious covered patio.
Costs: lunch menu from €22, main menu from €18 to €89.
Brasseries Georges, avenue Winston Churchill 259, 1180 Brussels (Uccle). Such. +32 2 347 21 00.
Source: Le Figaro
