Naturally, as always, I am bringing you a little food tour in the Belgian capital with my selection of great addresses tested by yours truly, with the help of my favorite photographer, who always shows a sense of sacrifice when it comes to eating local specialties and drinking beer (yes, he has a very difficult life, please be understanding). On the program: several restaurants, a historic address, the best speculoos in town, an address for waffles (the same one as the speculoos, actually), and finally, some great spots for Belgian beer. However, I will regularly update this article by adding new addresses each time I visit Brussels!
For the record, this article follows my post on my selection of hotels in Brussels. If you want more information on Belgium in general, I have a small section on the topic that might interest you…
Table of Contents
My favorite restaurant addresses in Brussels
Below, I offer my selection of Brussels restaurants of all types, tested and approved during my various stays in the Belgian capital. You will find burger joints, more classic establishments, and even trendy spots.
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An Italian restaurant in Brussels? Restaurant Bocconi at Hotel Amigo
This Italian restaurant is nestled in the center of Brussels, in the heart of the 5-star Hotel Amigo of the Rocco Forte Hotels group (which I already mentioned in my article with my selection of hotels in Brussels). It offers authentic Italian cuisine imagined by Fulvio Pierangelini in a chic and cozy setting. The decoration also pays tribute to Italy’s theatrical heritage with iconic figures from the Commedia dell’Arte, through personalized artworks by Adam Ellis. To accompany your meal, the restaurant offers a lovely selection of Italian wines.
We tasted : the Mazara red shrimp tartare, ricotta and puntarelle (€36); seared scallops, romanesco cabbage and seasonal truffle (€35); ravioli alla carbonara (€36); “Menapii” suckling pig, morels and cime di rapa (€44); for dessert, the Bocconi tiramisu with coffee ice cream (€18); waffle, citrus panna cotta and red berries (€20).
Tested in 2024 - Invitation
Restaurant Bocconi
Rue de l’Amigo 1, 1000 Brussels
Price : starters between €24 and €36 / main courses between €24 and €54 / desserts between €18 and €20 / Italian wines by the glass between €14 and €26
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Where to have brunch in Brussels? The Tigermilk brunch
This South American-inspired restaurant chain offers Latin, Mexican, and even Peruvian flavors. And since 2024, the address also offers a sunny brunch on weekends. On the menu: 1 savory plate + 1 sweet plate + 1 hot drink + 1 cold drink for €27, and I must say it is really filling and very tasty for very good value for money, as always at Tigermilk.
We tasted: the big breakfast quesadilla, a flour tortilla with scrambled eggs, melted cheese, and chipotle mayo; the amarillo salmon muffin, English muffins with smoked salmon, sweet potato, and spiced cream cheese; pancakes with seasonal fruit and maple syrup; a granobowl with blueberry, banana, and pomegranate; for a cold drink, we had a homemade iced tea and a floral infusion.
Tested in 2024 - Invitation
Tigermilk Brussels
Rue du Bailli 46, 1050 Brussels
Brunch price: €27 per person
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Where to eat in Brussels Midi station? Café Bogard
This Belgian neo-brasserie, whose menu was developed with chef Julien Lapraille, is located in the heart of the Brussels Midi Station (the station where trains from Paris arrive). It is a contemporary brasserie with an open kitchen that revisits classics of Belgian cuisine (such as Flemish carbonnade, Liège-style meatballs, or the famous pistolets) to present them in a new light. Regarding decor, the restaurant incorporates Art Nouveau design elements and offers an interior area that is quieter, and an exterior area more immersed in the bustle of the station. One can also find a lovely selection of beers (notably Belgian craft beers), which echoes the country’s rich brewing tradition (which I already mentioned in my article on Belgian gastronomy).
We tasted: as a starter to share, we had the mini abbey cheese croquettes (6 pieces €13); Flemish carbonnade with Belgian beer (€24); veal chop with al’berdouille sauce (€25); for dessert, we tasted one of Julien Lapraille‘s signature desserts, the lemon meringue tart (€11).
Tested in 2024 - Invitation
Café Bogard
SNCB Station Brussels Midi
39 Rue de France Saint-Gilles
At the corner of the main corridor and the Horta galleryPrice: main courses between €18 and €31 / desserts between €11 and €13 / draft beers between €3.90 and €6.50 for 33cl and between €5.90 and €7.90 for a pint
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A vegetarian restaurant in Brussels? Les Filles
Les Filles is a trendy address that has a warm room where guests are invited to share a meal around a large wooden table. On the menu: fresh food that comes from short circuits and varies according to the seasons. In addition to their very friendly team, quality is guaranteed. On the day of testing, it was a vegetarian menu (which I am absolutely not), but the meal offered was delicious!
The peculiarity is that the restaurant exclusively offers a unique menu with a lunch set for €19 (starter + main + dessert), dinner for €29.50, and weekend brunch for €22. So, for the famous indecisive ones who cannot choose their dish, it really makes the job easier…
Tested in 2017 at the old address of 46 rue Vieux Marché aux Grains / 1000 Brussels
Les Filles
Now inside the BELvue Museum
Place des Palais 7, 1000 Brussels
Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
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A traditional restaurant in Brussels? ‘t Potverdoemmeke
This authentic restaurant, tested with friends, is located in the suburbs of Brussels. It offers traditional Belgian cuisine based on fresh, local products in a warm and typically Brussels setting.
Restaurant ‘t Potverdoemmeke
Av. Général Eisenhower 10, 1030 Schaerbeek
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Eating a burger in Brussels? Marcel Burger Bar (Closed)
This great burger spot opened in April 2016, on the very trendy Rue Américaine, a stone’s throw from the lively Place du Châtelain area. The burgers are made with carefully selected products (the meat comes from the Metzger butcher shop in Rungis, the cheese is Belgian, and the bread was specially designed by Lowy according to an exclusive recipe for Marcel).
To taste:
- The vegan burger (€11.50) with kale, quinoa, onions, avocado, lettuce, flat-leaf parsley, and tomato.
- The burger of the month, the biker’s burger with a double steak for big appetites. The burger of the month features a seasonal recipe with ingredients a bit different from the traditional recipes usually found on Marcel’s menu.
- The homemade fries are delicious, and if you are adventurous, I advise you to try the version with melting cheese on top (€4.50), so light….
The little extra: The house offers a selection of beers that pair perfectly with the different burger recipes; don’t hesitate to ask for advice, depending on what you’ve chosen. We tasted the Saison Dupont and the Quintine amber.
The good deal: during the week at lunch, the Marcel menus / Soft menu €15 with 1 burger + side + 1 soft drink / beer menu €18 with 1 burger + side + 1 beer of your choice
Tested in 2017 - invitation
Marcel Burger
Rue américaine, 87, 1050 Brussels
Edit of October 20, 2024: this address unfortunately seems closed today
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A nice brasserie in Brussels? La Quincaillerie
A very nice brasserie-type address, for lunch or dinner in the very pleasant Ixelles neighborhood (which I talked about in my article on Brussels hotels).
To taste:
- A vegetarian dish (or for pasta lovers), ravioli stuffed with Comté cheese, tomato sauce (€14.95).
La Quincaillerie
Rue du Page 45, Ixelles
Open from Monday to Saturday from 12:00 PM to 2:30 PM & from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM / Sunday from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM
My favorite places to have a drink in Brussels
In the selection below, you will find great addresses, always tested during my various stays in Brussels, for going out for a drink in Brussels.
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The Bar Magritte at Hotel Amigo
This bar, opened in 2023 in the heart of the 5-star Hotel Amigo of the Rocco Forte Hotels group, is dedicated to the life and work of the surrealist genius René Magritte. Inspired by the life and work of the famous Belgian artist, the Bar Magritte notably offers a cocktail bar in the heart of Brussels combining mixology and design. The cocktail menu at the bar was designed by Salvatore Calabrese, a world-renowned expert nicknamed the “maestro”. It features 20 signature cocktails, including ten concoctions inspired by Magritte’s works, such as “Shéhérezade”, a lemony Martini, “Lyrisme”, a unique celebration of pear, or “Magritte”, a sophisticated homage to René Magritte‘s love for red wine. We really loved these original cocktails, which were also served in atypical containers.
Tested in 2024 - Invitation
Bar Magritte
Rue de l’Amigo 1, 1000 Brussels
Price of signature cocktails: between €23 and €24
My favorite addresses for beer in Brussels and surroundings
In the selection below, you will find great addresses, always tested during my various stays in Brussels, to taste delicious Belgian beers (a great specialty of the country as you must know).
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La Brasserie des 3 Fontaines
This craft brewery is located in Beersel, south of Brussels, in the Senne valley, in the heart of the Flemish Brabant province in Belgium. The 3 Fontaines or 3 Fonteinen brewery is a must-visit when interested in lambic-style beers. Lambics are spontaneously fermented beers that are aged in oak barrels and blended to obtain gueuzes. At 3 Fontaines, the brewery works with local farms to cultivate ancient grain varieties and uses barrels that have held a wide variety of alcohol, from wines to spirits, for the maturation of its lambics.
I highly encourage you to go there if you are visiting Brussels (it’s about a 30-minute train ride from the center of Brussels). You can enjoy the fascinating free guided tours offered by the brewery, or go taste their beers in their bar area. Or finally, go buy their products in the shop. It is really an unmissable address for beer lovers and for the curious eager to discover atypical beers. In any case, we became fans of the brewery and their beers!
Brasserie 3 Fonteinen
Molenstraat 47, 1651 Lot – Beersel
The good deal: free guided tours every Friday and Saturday at 3 PM and every Sunday at 2 PM (no reservation, max 20 people and language of the tour determined according to the group)
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A La Mort Subite
It is one of the city’s iconic addresses. This place, which has remained completely in its original state, is worth a little stop, if only to drink a little beer (a Belgian national sport that you absolutely must practice during your stay).
A La Mort Subite
rue Montagne-aux-Herbes Potagères 7B-1000 Brussels
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The Brussels Beer Project
This brewery has everything to please aficionados of the beverage with a thousand faces. Here, the beers are brewed where they are drunk, and from time to time, the names and ingredients are chosen by customers! What’s more, each month new experiments come to complete a menu rich in taste surprises. I can only warmly recommend this address to go drink a good beer (which is “a bit” of an obligation during a visit to Belgium).
Visited in 2017
Brussels Beer Project
Rue Antoine Dansaert, 188, 1000 Brussels
Open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM
My favorite addresses for gourmet shopping in Brussels
Below you will find my favorite gourmet addresses to eat some sweets but also to bring back some Belgian delicacies home in memory of your trip to Brussels.
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Where to buy Belgian cheeses? La Fruitière
We found this cheese shop by following the Fooding recommendations and I must say we were not disappointed. The cheeses were not cheap, but all the Belgian cheeses we took were really excellent! Here are the cheeses we tested: the Ring of Summit; a Belgian tomme with flowers; the bleu d’Achel; the Valet à la Cantillon; Cabricharme.
Fromagerie la Fruitière
Rue du Marché au Charbon, 99 – 103, Brussels
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La Maison Dandoy
When I go to Brussels, I always make a little trip to one of the maison Dandoy boutiques, first to eat a little waffle (on-site or to go) and then to bring back a small bag of speculoos (which are absolutely to die for!).
Maison Dandoy
Rue Charles Buls 14, 1000 Brussels
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I hope that with all this I have made you want to discover the Belgian culinary specialties and if you also have your own favorite addresses in Brussels, do not hesitate to share them in the comments!
Find all my articles on Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia) below:
⇒ All my articles on Belgium
⇒ All my articles on Flanders
GENERAL OVERVIEW OF BELGIUM
⇒ Brussels the capital
⇒ Belgian gastronomy
⇒ Bed and breakfasts in Belgium
MY ARTICLES ON FLANDERS
⇒ Bruges
⇒ Ghent
⇒ Louvain / Leuven
⇒ The Belgian Coast and Ostend
MY ARTICLES ON WALLONIA
⇒ The Province of Gaume
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez and Melle Bon Plan Photos are not royalty-free, photographer's authorization required before any use
