Brussels Restaurants

We’ve compiled the best of the best in Brussels - browse our top choices for Restaurants during your stay.

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  • 1. Boentje Café

    $ | Schaerbeek | Coffee

    Just a brilliant café run by a pair of owners who really care about what they do. Their aim is to be zero-waste, whether that means repurposing used coffee grounds to grow mushrooms, composting everything that’s left over, or handing out reusable containers. The menu—all bowls, soups, and healthy weekend brunches—is organic, delicious, and wary of food intolerances. They also run a number of interesting workshops. 

    Pl. Colignon 18, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1030, Belgium
    02-672--0837

    Known For

    • Ethical, guilt-free lunching at its finest
    • The all-day (until 2:30) breakfast menu is pretty tasty
    • Great options for vegans and those with allergies
  • 2. Café des Spores

    $$$

    Finally, the mushroom-theme restaurant of your dreams … well, someone's dreams. And while diners might discover that it isn't quite as eccentric as they'd expect (mushrooms feature in all dishes but often as side ingredients), it is nonetheless quite out there, particularly the desserts: try the cakey flan diplomate and wood-ear fungus! The owners also run the impressive fine-dining French restaurant La Buvette and the excellent bakery Hopla Geiss, whose cinnamon rolls are utterly moreish, on the same street, but this is where the "fun guys" go (groan). 

    Chau. d'Alsemberg 103, Saint-Gilles, Brussels Capital, 1060, Belgium
    02-534--1303

    Known For

    • Wonderfully imaginative slow-food menu
    • Wide selection of natural wines
    • The desserts are something special

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
  • 3. Chabrol

    $$ | Schaerbeek

    Another example of a restaurant making the most of its appeal: charming Art Nouveau decoration, recycled tables, and a sustainable ethos. A pair of sisters are behind this admirable neighborhood eatery, where menus are short but sweet and limited by what is fresh and local that season (and day).  

    Av. Louis Bertrand 57–61, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1030, Belgium
    02-463--1304

    Known For

    • Well-prepared, fresh cooking
    • Friendly staff and chill atmosphere
    • A charming escape from the busy world

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
  • 4. Comme Chez Soi

    $$$$ | Lower Town

    With superb cuisine, excellent wines, and attentive service, this two-star Michelin restaurant remains a regal choice, with an interior (and prices) to match. Lionel Rigolet, who took over the reins as chef from his father-in-law Pierre Wynants in 2006, is a ceaselessly inventive character with one foot in tradition, dishing up elegant racks of veal dashed with sweetbreads or cockerel breasts crowned with crayfish. Earlier creations have been relegated to the back of the menu, but one favorite remains—fillet of sole with a white wine mousseline and shrimp. Book weeks in advance to guarantee a table.

    Pl. Rouppe 23, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, Belgium
    02-512–2921

    Known For

    • Very busy---book before you step on the plane, let alone through the door
    • Sumptuous cooking from a genuine star of the Belgian dining scene
    • An excellent, and often surprising, wine list

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.–Tues., Reservations essential, Jacket and tie
  • 5. De Noordzee | Mer du Nord

    $$ | Lower Town

    What was once just a friendly fishmongers has evolved into one of the city's best, and most unexpected, street-food stops. It's set on place Ste-Catherine, which has been revitalized as the home of all things seafood, and visitors queue up at the counter outside, place an order, then grab it from the window when called. You eat at tables standing in the square, prodding with your fingers at sumptuous salt 'n' pepper calamari, scampi drenched in garlic butter, and fresh North Sea crab. A true gem rightly lorded by those in the know. It closes at 6:30 pm, though, so get there early. 

    Pl. Ste-Catherine 50, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, Belgium
    02-513–1192

    Known For

    • The freshest seafood in Brussels
    • Bargain prices
    • Heavenly shrimp croquettes

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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  • 6. Gare Maritime

    $$ | Laeken | Vegan

    The city isn't short of good street food markets, not since Wolf opened in the center, but out in Laeken, where the options are not nearly as interesting, this new addition was a godsend when it opened in the Tour & Taxis center in 2021. The choice here is a mix of slightly more upmarket and downright crowd-pleasing, ranging from the frites of "140" (the perfect temperature for cooking fries) to the Ayurvedic veggies of Xgreen. The space is huge and you're not short of options. 

    Rue Picard 7, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, Belgium

    Known For

    • Carne's Mauro Colagreco is a veteran of the three-Michelin-starred Mirazur in France
    • Just Graze has a load of local cheeses to try
    • Regular music nights

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed weekends
  • 7. 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, Belgium
    02-265--7961

    Known 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.
  • 8. In 't Spinnekopke

    $$ | Lower Town

    True Flemish cooking flourishes in this reliable old favorite. The low ceilings and benches around the walls remain from its days as a coaching inn during the 18th century, and little has changed since---including the menu. Choose from among 100 artisanal beers. The specialty here is the distinctively sour lambic variety of beers, which are also used in the cooking, such as lapin à gueuze (rabbit stewed in fruit beer). Go with an appetite, because portions are huge. The knowledgeable waiters can recommend beers to go with your food but can be on the brusque side.

    Pl. du Jardin aux Fleurs 1, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, Belgium
    02-512--9205

    Known For

    • Incredible selection of Belgian gueuze (fruity and bitter) beers
    • Great, old-fashioned Flemish cooking, with stews aplenty
    • Belgium-size portions

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
  • 9. Leopold Café Presse

    $ | Cinquantenaire | Coffee

    This cozy café is the epitome of Brussels decor: bicycles hang from the ceiling, there are Tintin statues everywhere, and shelves overflow with books. It's sculpted chaos and part of a chain of cafés that is slowly taking over the city. This was the first branch, and is still the best. The bagels and ready-made sandwiches are always tasty, plus it stays open until 8 every day, by which time it's filled with busy students. 

    Av. de Tervueren 107, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1040, Belgium
    02-736--2298

    Known For

    • It's just a lovely, warm, charming space
    • The choice of cakes is particularly good
    • Around the desk is a bookshop with plenty of guides (some in English) and comics
  • 10. Maison Antoine

    $ | Schuman

    The Maison Antoine frites stand sells the best fries in the capital, say some people, accompanied by a dizzying range of condiments; try either local fave "Bicky" or the indulgent vol-au-vent sauce. 

    Pl. Jourdan 1, Brussels, Brussels Capital, Belgium
    02-230–5456

    Known For

    • Excellent fries
    • Condiment heaven
    • Picky management (be sure to clean up after yourself)
  • 11. Màloma

    $$$$ | Schaerbeek

    Hidden away in the streets just to the south of Parc Josephat, opposite the wine bar Ethylo, the local buzz is strong about this charming restaurant. The "market menu" is adapted in case of intolerances and geared around local producers. Its focus on gut-friendly fermentation, from kefir to sauerkraut, is explained knowledgeably, as amuse bouches are carted out with enthusiasm. 

    Rue Josse Impens 3, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1030, Belgium
    02-732--5816

    Known For

    • The market menu is a pleasing journey
    • Smart, friendly staff keen to help
    • Its focus on malolactic fermentation puts it in an interesting niche

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
  • 12. Nüetnigenough

    $$ | Lower Town

    This tiny, modest, well-executed Flemish restaurant with a superb beer menu was quite the hit when it opened. The brasserie is named after the Dutch phrase for those who "can't get enough," and the city voted with its feet. Back then, diners lined up dutifully alongside its Art Nouveau facade, clutching beers from the bar for warmth; now there's finally online booking (one crumb of comfort from COVID). The food leans into the best of Belgian comfort food: stews slow-cooked in fruity beers, meat flaking off in gravy-soaked, hop-flavored chunks onto crisp frites and chicory. It's simple food executed well, and its selection of local lambic beers is a connoisseur's dream.

    Rue du Lombard 25, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, Belgium

    Known For

    • Beer-drenched stews to die for
    • A fine selection of lambic and local brews, with some rare finds
    • It's still got that hip factor

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: No lunch weekdays
  • 13. Origine

    $$$$ | Schuman

    A short walk from place Jourdan reveals this elegant, modern French restaurant, its pared-down, neat decor broken up with colorful prints of animals and the bustle of the open kitchen. The choice of food is equally sparse but to the point: four-course set menus deliver with imagination and no little amount of skill, letting you mix and match from your pick of cold, warm, hot, and sweet dishes on the blackboard. Lunch is a great deal at €25 for a starter and main.   

    Rue Général Leman 36, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1040, Belgium
    02-256--6893

    Known For

    • Original cooking that's delightfully presented
    • Helpful staff and a decent selection of wines by the glass
    • Good value for money

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
  • 14. Yamato

    $$

    There's plenty of debate as to Brussels's best ramen. This cozy little joint on rue St. Boniface is undoubtedly in with a claim. Diners cluster around the countertop as chefs boil up their stock, chop up the meat, and prepare each dish. The scents and aromas are reward enough, though the gyoza aren't bad either. That's your only choice really—the menu is tiny—but you don't come for anything more. No booking, just walk in and pray there's space. There's also a street terrace on warmer days. 

    Rue Francart 11, Ixelles, Brussels Capital, 1050, Belgium
    02-511--0200

    Known For

    • One of the best ramens in the capital—especially the katsu
    • The countertop dining and scents are a joy
    • Great value
  • 15. 't Kelderke

    $$ | Lower Town

    Head down into this 17th-century vaulted cellar restaurant (watch out for the low door frame) for traditional Belgian cuisine served at plain wooden tables. Mussels are the house specialty, but the stoemp et saucisses (mashed potatoes and sausages) are equally tasty. It's a popular place with locals and tourists, as it's open noon to midnight—but anything on the Grand Place is always going to be heaving with people. Like many restaurants in the center, Covid forced them to adopt a reservation system, so it's easier to grab a table than it used to be on busy nights. 

    Grand Place 15, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, Belgium
    02-513–7344

    Known For

    • Its atmospheric underground setting in the center of town
    • A solid entry for sampling some Belgian classics
    • Its rather touristy vibe, but don't be put off
  • 16. 't Kiekekot

    $$

    In a city of students, it's no surprise that something so simple as a "chicken and bread" restaurant would take off. But it is also a thing of beauty. It has been going since the 1960s but closed for several years, reopening to much nostalgia and a hipper new look (think cocktails and decent beer) among the boutiques of Mechelsestraat. At its heart, it's just a hunk of delicious marinated roast chicken with a selection of sides (salads, veggies, apple sauce, hummus), but to locals, it's so much more than that. 

    Mechelsestraat 46, Leuven, Flanders, 3000, Belgium
    016-657--508

    Known For

    • Tasty, and cheap—just a few euros for a half chicken
    • It's the perfect quick pick-up meal when shopping
    • The staff are friendly and the drinks choice is good

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
  • 17. A la Mort Subite

    $ | Lower Town

    A Brussels institution named after a card game called "Sudden Death," A la Mort Subite is practically unchanged since its 1920s heyday; and with its distinctive high ceilings, wooden tables, and mirrored walls, it remains a favorite of beer lovers from all over the world. Balancing a vast drinks menu with a choice of simple snacks (sandwiches and omelets), it still brews its own traditional Brussels beers (Lambik, Gueuze, and Faro). These sour potent drafts may be an acquired taste, but, like singer Jacques Brel, who came here often, you'll find it hard to resist the bar's gruff charm.

    Rue Montagne-aux-Herbes-Potagères 7, Brussels, Brussels Capital, B1000, Belgium
    02-513–1318
  • 18. Au Vieux Bruxelles

    $$

    Matonge's St. Boniface area is a great spot to grab some food, and this Brussels institution (open since 1882) is as lively as any and a favorite among locals. The cuisine is decidedly Belgian, with anguilles au vert (freshwater eels in a green sauce) and hearty Flemish carbonnades on the menu, best accompanied by a draft beer. Naturally, everything is served with frites, and be sure to ask for the homemade mayonnaise. If you're too full to tackle a whole dessert, you can order a half portion.

    Rue St-Boniface 35, Ixelles, Brussels Capital, 1050, Belgium
    02-503–3111

    Known For

    • A vast array (even for Brussels) of mussels dishes
    • Cozy interior and people-watching terrace
    • Old-school hospitality
  • 19. Au Vieux Saint Martin

    $$ | Upper Town | Coffee

    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, Belgium
    02-512–6476

    Known 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
  • 20. Auberge Napoleon

    $$$$

    This elegant dining spot has a charming terrace surrounded by a grassy lawn and trees. The menu is grandiose but not afraid of the more interesting rural delights of French cooking, from saddle of hare to fillet of fawn via a number of interesting pheasant dishes. Just as exciting is its new food-sharing menu, as it tries to capture the postgarden walk-in crowd, where baked sweetbreads, caviar, and Duroc pork belly offer a more classically French take on the format. 

    Bouchoutlaan 1, Meise, Flanders, 1860, Belgium
    02-269--3078

    Known For

    • Refined cooking in a gorgeous garden setting
    • The sharing plates are really different than the usual fare
    • The wine selection is mostly French and excellent

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No dinner Tues. and Wed. No lunch Sat.

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