Upper Town Restaurants
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Upper Town - browse our top choices for Restaurants during your stay.
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9 Recommendations
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1. Gus
$$$ | Upper Town |There are a cluster of bars and restaurants around the Cirque Royal. This "brassonomie" experiment is a cut above the rest, taking the usual brasserie fare and elevating it to a fine-dining bistro experience, and throwing in its own brewery for good measure. A beef-cheek carbonnade arrives drizzled in a silken gravy made from its house Santana beer; even the buerre blanc smothering the plaice and grey shrimps is jazzed up with its own brews.
Rue des Cultes 36, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, Belgium02-265--7961Known For
- Inventive takes on Belgian classics
- The seasonal beers are pretty good
- The menu isn't huge but it is special
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed weekends. No dinner Mon.–Wed. -
2. Au Vieux Saint Martin
$$ | Upper Town |Even when neighboring restaurants on Grand Sablon are empty, this one is always full. It's run by the Niels family, who have been restaurateurs in Brussels since 1915, and its short menu emphasizes local specialties; portions are substantial. Its iconic filet Americain—a popular local take on steak tartare and frites—was even invented by grandfather Joseph Niels. Ownership has passed to the next generation, but standards remain high and it still serves unusually good wine (the family also has a wine import business) for the price, by the glass, or bottle. It also has a sister restaurant, Au Savoy, is located in Ixelles.
Grand Sablon 38, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, Belgium02-512–6476Known For
- Longevity—this location opened in 1968
- Nothing too fancy, but exquisitely good Belgian fare
- Being the birthplace of the "filet Americain"
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted -
3. Jat' Café
$$ | Upper Town |A large, hip coffee shop with art and design books strewn around its cozy lounging area. There are bagels, salads, and the juices are particularly good. Wi-Fi is best nearer the counter, though.
Rue de Namur 28, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, Belgium02-503--0332Known For
- There's brunch on weekends
- People-watching spot
- Good juices
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4. L'eau Chaude - Het Warm Water
$ | Lower Town |Located just above the place de Jeu de Balle in the heart of the Marolles area, this café is a local institution—legend has it that residents would come to fill their buckets full of hot water in times of need, hence the name. In 2014, its closure was imminent, but locals stepped in and reopened it as a social cooperative with an organic canteen dishing up hearty lunches and a dish of the day (11–4). It also boasts a well-curated list of bottled beers (many of them organic) from lesser-known artisanal Belgian breweries.
Rue des Renards 25, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, Belgium02-213–9159Known For
- A genuine local spirit, and some fierce political debate (on the right night)
- Organic vegetarian cooking
- Sustainable produce sourced locally
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon., Reservations not accepted -
5. Liu Lin
$$ | Upper Town |The definition of on-trend Brussels dining. It's not flashy, it's not too expensive, but this Taiwanese-inspired, plant-based street food restaurant, run by a pair of sisters, has certainly captured a mood. It's always packed with mostly younger diners, huddled over their noodle soups, coconut curries, and rice bowls of crispy "chicken," bright lights bouncing off the plain white interior.
Rue Haute 20, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, Belgium02-455--0830Known For
- Plant-based vegan dining with good flavors
- There's no alcohol—you grab cans of pop from the fridge
- The noodle soups are perfect for a winter's day
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Lola
$$$ | Upper Town |In and among the pricey antiques and jewelry shops of the Sablon, you'll find a fair amount of stylish dining. Among these establishments comfortably snuggles Lola, an undeniably charming brasserie of black-leather booths and a bar counter for those grabbing a quick lunch. The menu is rotundly French but with a small exclave of Belgian and house dishes, such as cod and peeled gray shrimp or Holstein carpaccio.
Pl. du Grand Sablon 33, Brussels, Brussels Capital, Belgium02-514--2460Known For
- A bright and breezy lunch or dinner
- There's a small terrace to sit outside and watch folks go by
- The wine list is pretty darn good
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7. Wine Bar des Marolles
$$$ | Upper Town |Despite its name, this is not really a wine bar (though they run a roof terrace in summer where you can go for a drink) and it's just on the edge of the Marolles. Owners Vincent Thomaes and Joël Vandenhoudt relocated to rue Haute from Sablon in 2013, back when this was a popular bar. Since then, it's evolved into very much a grande-dame-style restaurant where haughty paintings hang in thick frames, the service is likeably fastidious, and wine is very much at the center of most meals. It's decadent in the best way possible, with an emphasis on classic French cooking and natural wines.
Rue Haute 198, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, Belgium0496-820--105Known For
- Old-school French dining with a dash of elegance
- The wine selection is always interesting and the sommelier knows his stuff
- The rooftop is nice in summer
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8. Wittamer
$$ | Upper Town |One of the grandes dames of Brussels's many excellent pastry shops has an attractive tearoom and terrace on the Sablon, which also serves breakfast and light lunches. The profiteroles and crème fraîche truffles are particularly tempting.
Pl. du Grand Sablon 12, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, Belgium02-512--3742Known For
- You come for the desserts—the rest is just the icing on the cake (so to speak)
- A great coffee spot to watch life on the square go by
- The chocolates make good souvenirs
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9. Woodpecker
$ | Upper Town |Woodpecker cafés are strewn across the city, including a few kiosks (like this). But it's the setting that wins the day here. Sure, it does decent coffees, ice cream, and the odd burger, but you come to sit beneath the trees and watch locals shuffle by in one of Brussels' prettier parks. In the evening, the neighboring Radio Kiosk sees DJs and drinks flow.
Parc de Bruxelles, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, BelgiumKnown For
- It's all about the location—shady trees on a hot summer's day
- The coffee is decent enough
- It's open every day
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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