Skip to content

Good places to discuss tough problems

See also this map on Google Maps.

Just some suggestions. There are many more decent restaurants in Brussels especially if you are alone or only with a small group. In general most places that score a 4 or more on Google Maps are decent places. For vegetarians and certainly for vegans, the options may be a bit more limited. I couldn't check the menu of all these places, but often the choices are limited. Brussels feels more like a southern European place in that respect than a modern northern city. Traditional Belgian cuisine is very much focused on meat and fish dishes. Moreover, the vegetables that were traditionally grown in the area have mostly lost popularity so any dish based on them, has disappeared.

The first two are particular favourites of me, and after that I focus more on certain areas with lots of restaurants.

  • Brasserie des Alexiens (Rue des Alexiens/Cellebroersstraat 63) It opens only at 7pm. I've been there a few times with guests already who are always very satisfied. A highly recommended place. It is a bit more expensive, but then you also get a bit more space than in most other restaurants in this list. The place is in a former monastery.

    • The bar La Porte Noir next door is a good option for a beer before or afterwards.

  • La porteuse d'eau (Avenue Jean Volders/Jean Voldersslaan 48) Interesting Art Deco building and interior, and the food is very much OK. It is a bit further away but still interesting for its architecture. There are more Art Deco restaurants in Brussels, but this one has the best reputation for the food. The vegetarian options are very limited though.

  • Near the corner of the Kartuizerstraat and Arteveldestraat, not far from the Beurs/La Bourse, which used to house the Brussels stock market:

    • Fin de Sciècle (Rue des Chartreux/Kartuizersstraat 9) The interior may not look nice at all but has character, and the food is good. It is a very busy place though, even during the week (which already shows that it likely offers good value for money). I've been there with guests also and they too liked it.
    • Diagonally opposite, at the corner of the street, is 9 et Voisins, another busy place with a good reputation. Not as good as Fin de Sciècle though (Google Maps)
    • Next to Fin de Sciècle is Brasserie Greenwich Brussels, also with an interesting interior. It used to be a pretty good place but I've heard less good things from them recently, and the place is definitely not as busy as it used to be which is already a sign.

  • And in the same area: Sint-Goriksplein/Place Saint-Géry and in particular two streets leading to that place: Jules Van Praetstraat/Rue Jules Van Praet and Karperbrug/Rue du Pont de la Carpe are two streets with lots of restaurants, and in particular lots of Asian restaurants. As is often the case with streets with a high concentration of restaurants in the centre of Brussels and attracting lots of tourists also, there are very good places and some disappointments. So check review sites if possible. This may be one of the more interesting areas for vegetarians.

  • Another nearby popular area is Sint-Katelijneplein/Place Sainte-Catherine and surrounding streets, especially the Vlaamsesteenweg/Rue de Flandre. Most, but not all places there are decent . Personally, I don't thrust most of the fish restaurants on the corner of the big, long square (Vismarkt/Marché aux Poissons or Baksteenkaai/Quai aux Briques). They are too cheap to be able to offer a decent quality. On the Vlaamsesteenweg/Rue de Flandre there are also a couple of Asian restaurants which may be a good option for vegetarians.

  • The Rue du Marché au Charbon/Kolenmarkt is the gay street in Brussels, but it also has some nice places to eat where nobody has to feel uncomfortable.

    • Café Charbon (Rue du Marché au Charbon/Kolenmarkt 90) serves good food, and especially the daily specials (on the board against the wall) are highly recommended. I've been there with guests also before and they too were very satisfied.
    • Brasserie Le Lombard on the corner with the Rue du Lombard/Lombardstraat has nice food also. You may have to order at the bar.
    • Le Plattesteen on the opposite corner has also a decent reputation. Not spectacular, but a bit less expensive than many other places and the price/quality ratio is certainly OK. The reviews are certainly rather mixed and waiting times can be a bit longer, but I've always had a decent meal there. They also have some more simple traditional dishes, as Belgium is not only about "steak frites".

  • Restaurants in the neighbourhood of HOEK 38 that should be OK:

  • Beenhouwersstraat/Rue des Bouchers and in its extension, Grétystraat/Rue Gréty: This is the tourist trap area in Brussels when it comes to food. It may be fun to walk through especially the Rue des Bouchers, but but don't be tempted by the man at the door who lures you in with offers that seem interesting. Some of those places are really dishonest and what you get inside is very different from what you expect outside. Some places are OK though, so check review sites or Google Maps.

    Some places that range from acceptable to very good:

    • Le Marmiton: A very good restaurant at the corner of the Galerie de la Reine. A bit more pricey, and it may be hard to find a table there without a reservation. But it has been recommended to me by FWO and is a restaurant they often use for dinners with their review boards.
    • Aux Armes de Bruxelles (Rue des Bouchers/Beenhouwersstraat 13) is a very large Belgian restaurant that tries to evoke an old-fashioned luxury atmosphere. It is OK but not spectacular. I've eaten there once. One dish I had was very good, the other was not a complete disappointment, but still a bit expensive for what I got. An easy choice though if you don't want to spent too much time looking for a place and want a varied menu.
    • Chez Léon (Rue des Bouchers/Beenhouwersstraat 18) is another one that you will find in all tourist guides, and it is a very busy place. I wouldn't call it a tourist trap, but it is not as good as it should be for the price. They claim an old-style Brussels atmosphere of a "frituur/friterie" (chip shop).
    • Not in the street but nearby: Mozart (Petit Rue des Bouchers/Korte Beenhouwersstraat 18) Specialises in ribs, and has a good reputation

  • Rue du Marché aux Fromages/Kaasmarkt is another street with restaurants very much oriented towards tourists. Contrary to the Rue des Bouchers, even some of the cheap places there serve very decent food for the price if you're travelling on a budget, e.g., Plaka, Hellas, Saffron and The Blue, and the Italians in that street also seem to be decent. These places are certainly not spectacular and they don't use first-class ingredients, but then they are relatively cheap for a city like Brussels.

    Baladi, a Syrian restaurant in the nearby Rue des Chapeliers/Hoedenmakerstraat 16, is definitely worth a visit.

  • Kind of interesting if you don't need a big meal, is the Wolf food court (Wolvengracht/Rue du Fossé aus Loups 50). Not all food stalls are as good though. The place does have its own microbrewery. You can order their beer in the middle of the hall.