Brussels

Restaurants

About Brussels Restaurants

Brussels is one of Europe’s best-kept culinary secrets. Tiny bistros, converted warehouse restaurants, and comfy cafes dot every street corner – so much so that visitors don’t have to look far for a superior meal. Thanks to a setting adjacent to the North Sea, Belgium also gets a steady supply of fresh seafood, which is best sampled at great restaurants near the old fish market at Place Saint-Catherine. For chic, upscale establishments, visit the neighborhood of Ixelles. The area near the Bourse and the Grand-Place is flush with cafes serving traditional Belgian favorites like moules et frites (mussels and fries), waterzooi (fish or chicken stew), and stoemp (mashed potatoes with cabbage and carrots, served with sausage.) Plus, no discussion of Belgian food is complete without mentioning waffles. It's true – Belgians love their waffles, and waffle stands are everywhere. In the morning, commuters sip coffee and snack on waffles sprinkled with cinnamon, and after a night of carousing, young bar-hoppers opt for chocolate-dipped waffles to go. If eating on the run isn’t your style, have no fear: many restaurants also offer waffles as dessert.