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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23 Recommendations
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1. Gus
$$$ | Upper Town |There are a cluster of bars and restaurants around the Cirque Royal. This "brassonomie" experiment is a cut above the rest, taking the usual brasserie fare and elevating it to a fine-dining bistro experience, and throwing in its own brewery for good measure. A beef-cheek carbonnade arrives drizzled in a silken gravy made from its house Santana beer; even the buerre blanc smothering the plaice and grey shrimps is jazzed up with its own brews.
Rue des Cultes 36, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, Belgium02-265--7961Known For
- Inventive takes on Belgian classics
- The seasonal beers are pretty good
- The menu isn't huge but it is special
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed weekends. No dinner Mon.–Wed. -
2. In 't Spinnekopke
$$ | 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, Belgium02-512--9205Known 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. -
3. 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, Belgium02-230–5456Known For
- Excellent fries
- Condiment heaven
- Picky management (be sure to clean up after yourself)
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4. Nüetnigenough
$$ | Lower Town |This tiny, modest, well-executed Flemish restaurant with a superb beer menu was quite the hit when it opened. The brasserie is named after the Dutch phrase for those who "can't get enough," and the city voted with its feet. Back then, diners lined up dutifully alongside its Art Nouveau facade, clutching beers from the bar for warmth; now there's finally online booking (one crumb of comfort from COVID). The food leans into the best of Belgian comfort food: stews slow-cooked in fruity beers, meat flaking off in gravy-soaked, hop-flavored chunks onto crisp frites and chicory. It's simple food executed well, and its selection of local lambic beers is a connoisseur's dream.
Rue du Lombard 25, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, BelgiumKnown For
- Beer-drenched stews to die for
- A fine selection of lambic and local brews, with some rare finds
- It's still got that hip factor
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch weekdays -
5. 't Kelderke
$$ | 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, Belgium02-513–7344Known 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
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. 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, Belgium02-513–1318 -
7. Au Vieux Bruxelles
$$ | |Matonge's St. Boniface area is a great spot to grab some food, and this Brussels institution (open since 1882) is as lively as any and a favorite among locals. The cuisine is decidedly Belgian, with anguilles au vert (freshwater eels in a green sauce) and hearty Flemish carbonnades on the menu, best accompanied by a draft beer. Naturally, everything is served with frites, and be sure to ask for the homemade mayonnaise. If you're too full to tackle a whole dessert, you can order a half portion.
Rue St-Boniface 35, Ixelles, Brussels Capital, 1050, Belgium02-503–3111Known For
- A vast array (even for Brussels) of mussels dishes
- Cozy interior and people-watching terrace
- Old-school hospitality
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8. Au Vieux Saint Martin
$$ | 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 -
9. Ballekes
$$ | |Meatballs (or ballekes) are Belgium's current fast-food obsession. This restaurant chain is everywhere now but began here in Saint-Gilles, even if it's looking its age these days. The meatballs are offered with a choice of sauces, from classic tomato to a range of beery takes, all served up in cast-iron dishes. To this you add a choice of sides, ranging from frites to chicory salad. There's a definite Ikea vibe to the decor, but it's quick, delicious, and Ballekes even has its own craft beer—you don't get that in McDonalds! There's another branch in the Grand Place as well.
174 Chau. de Charleroi, Saint-Gilles, Brussels Capital, 1060, BelgiumKnown For
- Belgian comfort food—the way your maman would make it
- Quick service
- Nice selection of craft ales for a local chain
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10. Berlaymont Café Brasserie
$$ | Cinquantenaire |Moules (mussels) and steaks, along with a small handful of the usual standbys, set the pace at this much-adored brasserie. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks—it's pretty much all things to the large contingent of expats who have made this a popular local spot. There are plenty of burgers to keep the kids happy, too.
Rue Archimède 6, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, Belgium02-720--6630Known For
- Simple, quick, crowd-pleasing brasserie food
- There's a terrace outside for the warmer weather
- Its pubby interior shows sport on some evenings
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11. Café Belga
$$ | |Café Belga, in an ocean-liner-like Art Deco building, is a favorite among Brussels's beautiful people. Sip a cocktail or mint tea at the zinc bar, or sit outside on a deck chair and gaze at the swans on the Ixelles ponds.
Pl. Eugène Flagey 18, Ixelles, Brussels Capital, B1050, Belgium02-640–3508Known For
- A good spot to end the night
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12. De Ultieme Hallucinatie
$$ | |This beautiful mid-18th-century town house was redone in the Art Nouveau style in 1904, adding an elegant bow window and balcony. It's been a brasserie since the early '80s, but remained empty for years after the previous owners went bankrupt. Mercifully, it's been resurrected and restored to its former glory. The menu is solidly Belgian, with not an ounce of desire to add anything to the classics. Well-made beer stews, moules, américains, and Liège-style meatballs accompany the one international caveat: an array of tagliatelle dishes.
Rue Royale 316, Brussels Capital, 1210, Belgium02-889--0316Known For
- Solid Belgian cooking
- The setting is a work of pure early-19th-century elegance
- They have the odd jazz night
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. -
13. Domus
$$ | |This sprawling brewpub-restaurant is pretty much the city's old standby for when you've run out of ideas. It's particularly good for families, it's always packed, the menu is littered with Flemish favorites (carbonnade, meatballs, vol-au-vent), and the service is impossibly quick no matter how full it is. A lot of the food is slathered in the house beer (typically Con Domus and Nostra Domus), which funnels directly from the neighboring brewery into the restaurant. You can even get guided tours and tastings for €11. If you're there for the food, stick to the Flemish classics for a solid meal.
Tiensestraat 8, Leuven, Flanders, 3000, Belgium016-201--449Known For
- It's a cheap, popular spot for families
- It's worth it to try the beer, which is pretty good
- The "Belgian dinner plate"
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. -
14. Fin de Siècle
$$ | Lower Town |Despite its minimal signage, Fin de Siècle holds to that peculiarly obstinate breed of restaurant that flourishes despite itself. Its brown interior, big communal tables, and hearty cooking---stews smothered in beer-infused gravy, sausages atop heaving mountains of stoempe mash, and the odd North African influence---has ensured a healthy popularity and lively spirit. Covid might have finally forced them to get a reservation system, but in a city of old-school estaminets trying to out-tradition each other, Fin de Siècle is the eccentric granddaddy of them all.
Rue des Chartreux 9, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, Belgium02-732–7434Known For
- Old-fashioned Flemish cooking in a traditional brown café
- A great draft beer selection
- Generous portions
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15. Het Fenikshof
$$ | |While tours of the Grimbergen Abbey brewery aren't possible, you can taste the fruits of its labor at its brasserie in town, which is slightly more upmarket than you'd imagine. A pretty terrace overlooks the abbey, while the food served is unrepentantly Flemish: beery stews, gray-shrimp croquettes, Ostend-style fish stew. Everything on the menu, unsurprisingly, has a suggested beer pairing, as if you needed an excuse to try its trio of Grimbergen specials on draft: the pale ale, opus, and quadruple. The latter weighs in at a hefty 10% ABV, so it may be a sleepy bus journey back.
Abdijstraat 20, Flanders, 1850, Belgium02-306--3956Known For
- Frites, meat, and delicious, delicious beer
- The terrace is a nice spot in summer
- It's open every day
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16. La Brasserie des Alexiens
$$ | Laeken |A new restaurant that elevates the more traditional brasserie fare, proving there is a life beyond carbonnades and meatballs (though they do a highly passable version of both). Chef Alex Cardoso, who made his name with the equally impressive Caves des Alex in Ixelles, embraces the kind of dishes that La Roue d'Or made its name on: here you'll find ox tongue in Madeira sauce and veal kidney in mustard sauce alongside the usual stewy Belgian hits. A fine selection of wines accompanies a reasonably small menu that knows what it does best.
Rue des Alexiens 63, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, Belgium02-387--4769Known For
- A chance to taste more old-school Belgian dishes
- A pretty space—all red brick, green walls, and oak floors
- Good-value dining
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch Sat. -
17. La Fleur en Papier Doré
$$ | Lower Town |From Magritte to Hergé, this convent-turned-estaminet was once a regular meeting point for Brussels's art elite—photos and doodles (traded for booze) are found everywhere. It went out of business in 2006, only to be rescued by the community regulars that adore it, and little has changed. Its nicotine-yellow walls are still bedecked in all manner of clutter from ages gone by, with antiques (and junk) scattered on almost every surface. The food served is good, honest pub fare, with local favorites, such as ballekes in tomatensaus (meatballs in tomato sauce) and stoempe, pottekeis et bloempanch (cream cheese mash and blood sausage).
Rue des Alexiens 53, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, Belgium02-511–1659Known For
- Local icon with a colorful history (literally) writ large across its walls
- Excellent range of beers
- Menu packed with hearty Flemish fare
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. -
18. La Roue d'Or
$$$ | Lower Town |Bright orange and yellow murals pay humorous homage to the Surrealist René Magritte in this well-known Art Nouveau brasserie. Below these, brass plaques record the names of respected customers and famous diners gone by. This place just oozes old-fashioned charm. The excellent cuisine includes traditional Belgian fare—a generous chicken waterzooi and homemade frites—as well as old-school brasserie staples like andouillette (a coarse tripe sausage), fried duck foie gras with caramelized apples, and rabbit with prunes. Perhaps as a result of its slick trade in tourists, service tends to err decidedly on the dour side. Menus in English are on hand.
Rue des Chapeliers 26, Brussels, Brussels Capital, 1000, Belgium02-514–2554Known For
- A cultured escape from the crowds of the Grand Place
- Reliably good food in an old-fashioned Belgian brasserie
- Bizarre decor inspired by the city's Surrealist artists
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. -
19. Le Waterloo
$$ | |A really solid and reliable Belgian brasserie that rarely lets you down. One thing you are guaranteed: all food will be slathered in creamy, beery, or mustardy sauces and frites will fall from the air like raindrops on the battlefield this restaurant is named after. All the classic Belgian dishes are here, they're cheap, and they're well made. It might not be all that hip, but it's popular, and who needs a cellar of natural wines when you have squeezy sauce and friendly staff.
Chau. de Waterloo 217, Saint-Gilles, Brussels Capital, 1060, Belgium02-539--2804Known For
- Simple brasserie cooking done right
- A nice selection of local beers (and on draft)
- All the Belgian favorites
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. -
20. Maison Antoine
$ | |The Maison Antoine frites stand sells the best fries in the capital, accompanied by a dizzying range of condiments; try either local fave "Bicky" or the indulgent vol-au-vent sauce. It's a bit out of the way, but it's a great place to try Belgium's famous snack (the country's secret is frying the potatoes twice in beef tallow) and most of the bars that line the square will let you sit down either inside or outside and order a beer to go with your paper cone of frites. Although don't leave your greasy paper behind or you will get told off.
B1040, Unknown02-230–5456Known For
- Finger-licking-good frites
- Wide range of condiments that accompany amazing frites
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