Fodor's Expert Review Quartier de l'Ilôt Sacré

Many streets in central Brussels were widened as part of the preparations for the 1958 World's Fair, but the narrow rue des Bouchers and even narrower Petite rue des Bouchers escaped being demolished after locals complained. The area was given special protection in 1959. As long as you watch out for pickpockets, it's all good-natured fun in one of the livelier areas of the center, where restaurants and cafés stand cheek by jowl, their tables spilling out onto the sidewalks. They often make strenuous efforts to pull you in with huge displays of seafood and game, though the effort they put into the food itself is not as impressive. Stick to the traditionally reliable Aux Armes de Bruxelles (rue des Bouchers 13) and you won't go wrong.