Brussels Food
Brussels certainly lives up to its position as one of Europe's leading cities when it comes to food and drink.
It holds a unique ability to fuse the subtlety and quality of the best French cooking with the price and experimentation of Eastern European food and to combine all this with a metropolitan mix of familiar chains and a wide diversity of cuisines.
Time Out raves that "Brussels has restaurants to rival Paris and London, both in price and quality", and comments that restaurants that fail to reach the mark simply close down because of high local standards and a surfeit of competition.
The classic dish of Belgium is moules-frites (mussels and chips), which can be found plentifully around the city and is served by most restaurants.
There is such a good selection of high-end dining that it is worth splashing out if you can. Head for the Grand Place, particularly the Place du Grand Sablon, for the best fare at the most exclusive prices, although make sure you bring your jacket and tie.
With three Michelin stars, the Comme Chez Soi on Place Rouppe has a long waiting list. Prices, particularly for the set menu, are not as eye-watering as might be expected -starting from ?65 per meal - and there is a reasonable guarantee of a mouth-watering result.
There are many French restaurants in the city, especially at the steeper end of the market, from the French seafood restaurant Ecaillier du Palais Royal on Rue Bodenbroek, where the best menu price is ?100, down to the ?11 a meal venue Biberium.
There are no guarantees that every restaurant is going to tickle your fancy, however, and caution is recommended when window-shopping for your dinner along the terrace restaurants of the Rue des Bouchers.
There is also plenty for the smaller purse: "One of the joys of the city is the quality and value of its smaller, neighbourhood restaurants," writes Fodor's travel guide. Tapas bars and Vietnamese are excellent and plentiful, as is the Portuguese fare.
In specialised quarters of the city, you can indulge in cuisines from around the world. Ixelles is a particularly good area for African or Thai food, or head towards St Boniface church for the really decent Italian eateries.
If you are on the hunt for a real bargain, the Sushi Factory on Avenue Louise starts from just ?7 for the set menu.
For big-chain diners, Chi-Chi's is a Tex-Mex outlet on Anspach Boullevard, which offers a hot buffet lunch and such delicacies on the menu as fajitas and burritos.
Avoid the area around the EU institutions as, although buzzing in the day, there's not a lot to be had in terms of dining out. Also, plan ahead during July and August, when many restaurant owners and staff take their vacation and shut up shop for the season.
A good tip is to hone in on the set menu wherever you are, as these can be particularly good value. Menus are always displayed outside.
|
Eating & Drinking
