Recommendations for Brussels

[pups224]

See my post on this restaurant here http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...1entry1366591

[danlepard]

Bread in Brussels. Are there any must-see bakeries, for interesting and favoursome simple breads? Or any great traditional, or young and innovative, bakers or pastry chefs I should look for?

Dan

[paulbrussel]

Bread? Probably give Le Pain Quotidien a visit.

Pastry: Marcolini and Wittamer at the Sablon - not to be missed!

[Fibilou]

Thanks for the Wittamer tip Paul, now on the top of the "to-eat" list

[danlepard]

Thanks Paul, will definitely check out Marcolini and Wittamer. I know LpQ well, they're very good.

Dan

[paulbrussel]

Thanks for the Wittamer tip Paul, now on the top of the "to-eat" list 

←

Personnally I prefer Marcolini, but the comparison between Wittamer and Marcolini might be interesting to try.

[Fibilou]

Personnally I prefer Marcolini, but the comparison between Wittamer and Marcolini might be interesting to try.

Any excuse !

[John Talbott]

I never know on what authority or by what standards these choices are made but for what it’s worth May’s Conde Nast Traveler lists 95 “hot tables” that includes Le Fourneau in Brussels.

[kerriar]

Le Fourneau is on the Place St Catherine - the former fish market, today a hive of mainly unexceptional restuarants which make a living generally from passing tourists and out-of-towners.

Le Fourneau seems a bit different

More details here.

- the menu changes daily but can include:

Le veau du Limousin, son jus stressé tout simplement,

Raviole de homard, coulis decrustacés à l’estragon,

Asperges de Perthuis à l'échalotte et parmesan,

L'Obus de crabe royal à la braise,

Prices are reasonable ( under €10 per plate) but this is achieved through small almost tapas style portions - the place seems very popular and word of mouth reports having it living up to its ambitions. One local blog report describes it as tapas meets sushi with the option of picking the size of your portion.

All of this however is being written without having been there yet - it's been on my list for a while now and I'll report back when I actually make it.

By way, Sensum.be looks like a very good site, aprticularly since resto.be has gone to the dogs.

[pups224]

Going to brussles in september.  Would like some restaurant recomendations please.  First opportunity to eat at michelin rated rest. and I want to hit a least one Three star and one two star.  Will be there thursday thru monday.  Some small local treasures would be neat as well.

←

View my post of Le Fourneau here http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=5029

[Fibilou]

Having just got back, I HIGHLY recommend Bruneau. It was superlative. We had the 49e menu for lunch including wine and coffee. I will review once I get the camera pictures downloaded.

Also had a very enjoyable ris de veau (sweetbreads) panned in speculoos biscuits at a small brasserie, Entree des Artistes on the Grand Sablon. Very tasty and an unusual combination of ingredients.

Edited May 1, 2007 by Fibilou (log)

[paulbrussel]

Le Fourneau is on the Place St Catherine - the former fish market, today a hive of mainly unexceptional restuarants which make a living generally from passing tourists and out-of-towners.

Le Fourneau seems a bit different

More details here.

- the  menu changes daily but can include:

Le veau du Limousin, son jus stressé tout simplement,

Raviole de homard, coulis decrustacés à l’estragon,

Asperges de Perthuis à l'échalotte et parmesan,

L'Obus de crabe royal à la braise,

Prices are reasonable ( under €10 per plate) but this is achieved through small almost tapas style portions - the place seems very popular and word of mouth reports having it living up to its ambitions. One local blog report describes it as tapas meets sushi with the option of picking the size of your portion.

All of this however is being written without having been there yet - it's been on my list for a while now and I'll report back when I actually make it.

By way, Sensum.be looks like a very good site, aprticularly since resto.be has gone to the dogs.

←

In my view Le Fourneau is the best restaurant around the place Sainte-Cathérine. I have been there already about a 20 times. It is good because of the excellent quality of the products. The dishes are indeed small, and don't expect very complex dishes. Nevertheless, the quality of the products together with excellent cooks who do respect the products and know the best cuisson, makes it worthwhile visiting. Count on about 30 - 40 € for a meal, including about 3 dishes and wines (the latter being good and about 6 are offered by the glass).

About the menu: there is a standard one that changes every few months; there are some dishes changing every day, also depending on the season.

[John Talbott]

Friday’s IHT had an article on “Savoring a weekend in Brussels” by Dan Bilefsky that mentioned Le Roy d’Espagne’s Trappist beer, Marcolini’s chocolates and the new resto Museum Brasserie, chef’d by Peter Goossens of Hof van Cleve.

[Pistachio Disguisey]

Does anyone have any tips on where to find Westvleteren (6,8,12) in Brussels? Bars, stores, car trunks... any place will do.

thanks!

[kerriar]

Production of Westvleteren is tiny and distribution is restricted.

None of the following can guarantee anything more than an occasional supply but may have a decent alternative.

In Brussels try Bier Circus on Rue de l'Enseignement (tel02/218.00.34) or Delerium on Impasse de la Fidelité. For both, best go with a group and make your own athmosphere.

Food is not bad in Bier Circus - it's a Flemish establishment so unless you have the language talk English and definitely forget school French. Even without Westvleteren, the beer list is interesting but this is not a lively bar in any sense of the word. Closed Sundays.

400 Bieres Artisanales on Chaussee de Wavre is really a shop but has a counter at the back for drinking - probably best bet in Brussels for Westvleteren but again little athmosphere unless you bring your own. (Good democratic if eccentric restaurant about two doors away is Le Tournant).

You've probably already read the reasonably accurate entry in Wikipedia - best bet may be to ring ahead (they will speak English) and pick up your own case of 24.

[Pistachio Disguisey]

Thanks Kerriar!

I am indeed aware that there won't be any sure bets for Westvleteren in Brussels itself, so possibilities like the ones you offered are exactly what I'm looking for. Sadly, I'm just passing through Brussels, and so won't have time to make it out to the Abbey itself. That'll have to wait for next time.

[ameiden]

Went to the Comme Chez Soi recently to see how some of Pierre Wynants' great classics (here called "Les indémodables") would stand the test of time, now that his son-in-law Lionel Rigolet has taken over and now that the restaurant has one Michelin star less.

After a glass of the famous house cocktail (a kir with Cointreau and Gin) I started with "Les filets de sole, mousseline au riesling et aux crevettes grises". This dish has lost nothing of its appeal over the years, it was marvellously executed with a wonderful sauce and once I nearly finished it, there were second helpings! The only unnecessary (new) addition are the green dots on the right hand side, some kind of herb sauce that adds nothing to this great classic dish that should have really been left without further plate decoration. As there is no half bottle of Riesling on the wine list, I had a Saint Joseph from Cuilleron which worked quite well.

My main course was "Le filet de boeuf aux truffes noires", at 105 Euros the most expensive dish on the menu. Well worth it as the beef was of the finest quality and masterly cooked. The only truffle element are the slices on top of the beef. Although the jus based sauce was very good, somehow I would have wished for a truffle sauce to go with this. Excellent potatoe puree. All in all a real treat with a 1996 Chateau Lynch-Bages.

To finish off, "L'ile maison en surprise", a dessert made of various fruits, coulis and egg white. Despite the artistic presentation, I was slightly underwhelmed by this. The fruits used where mostly out of season (December!) and the egg white tasted overly sweet and had a rubbery consistency.

Some nice petits fours at the end. It has to be said that the service was very good and that Laurence Rigolet, Wynants' daughter and the current chef's wife, is a wonderful host - attentive, charming and elegant at once.

The bill at the end has always been very high at Comme Chez Soi - and so it was this time. Exorbitant prices on food and unusually high markups on wine make the overall experience here more expensive than meals at say Bruneau or the Sea Grill. But who else would present the bill on a beautiful Art Nouveau tray like this? If you want to treat yourself, it is worth the expense.

[paulbrussel]

Exorbitant prices on food and unusually high markups on wine make the overall experience here more expensive than meals at say Bruneau or the Sea Grill.

If you want to treat yourself, it is worth the expense.

For me there is some incoherence between the two remarks.

I have tried Comme chez soi several times, the last time when Rigolert was already almost completely in charge. The meal gave me (again) the impression that the food is OK, good, but nothing special except for the extremely high prices. So I would rather say: "If you want to treat yourself, it is more worth going to Sea Grill".

[mharpo]

Go to two star Sea Grill and you will be assured a memorable meal - don't be put off by the hotel location, in truth it never intrudes. If you decide to go there for your special event, take your time, explore the menu with the knowledgeable staff and peruse the wine list which comes like an offering at a high mass. Expect to pay accordingly but it's worth it - this is not one of the overpriced pretentious and transient places but a serious world class restaurant, it is both classical and ambitious at the same time.

←

I know this is an old thread, but I will second the recommendation of the Sea Grill at the SAS hotel. Quite simply, one of the finest meals I've ever had anywhere! And as others have said, it is nearly impossible to get a bad meal in Brussels, or Belgium for that matter.

[Fibilou]

We had a wonderful lunch at Bruneau in April. Fantastic value and a beautiful terrace to sit out on

[paulbrussel]

I know this is an old thread, but I will second the recommendation of the Sea Grill at the SAS hotel.  Quite simply, one of the finest meals I've ever had anywhere!  And as others have said, it is nearly impossible to get a bad meal in Brussels,  or Belgium for that matter.

I can certainly again agree with the first recommendation.

The second unfortunately is certainly not (longer) true!

[mharpo]

I know this is an old thread, but I will second the recommendation of the Sea Grill at the SAS hotel.  Quite simply, one of the finest meals I've ever had anywhere!  And as others have said, it is nearly impossible to get a bad meal in Brussels,  or Belgium for that matter.

I can certainly again agree with the first recommendation.

The second unfortunately is certainly not (longer) true!

←

Perhaps not, but compared to some other countries, especially mine (USA), it is.

[John Talbott]

Friday, Jean Louis Galesne in Les Echos (Paris) wrote up five restaurants in Brussels: Sea Grill, Chalet de la Foret, Brasserie de la Paix, Museumbrasserie, Bocconi, Gaudron + Be Bella.

[kerriar]

Thanks John for posting this - who says the French don't always give the Belgians appropriate recognition.

Not a bad article on the whole - Sea Grill (in particular) and Chalet de la Forêt have been well endorsed here in the recent past.

Brasserie la Paix and Viva M'Bona will both delight serious carnivores. The former is in Anderlecht, near the world famous abattoir and market (well, world famous in Brussels at least) and is a gloriously old fashioned bistro with very traditional food (lots of offal, can't remember any vegetarian options) and a good ol' wine list. Parking in the area is hopeless so take a taxi or public transport (metro Clemenceau + a bit of a walk which will help the appetite). Haven't been there in a while but its mention here prompts the notion of an early return.

Museumbrasserie could not be more different in athmosphere but is also very good.

Sea Grill apart, it would never occur to me to eat in a hotel in Brussels so I can't say much about the other recommendations.

Edited March 4, 2008 by kerriar (log)

[kerriar]

Not a bad article on the whole - Sea Grill (in particular) and Chalet de la Forêt  have been well endorsed here in the recent past.

←

Small correction to this otherwise accurate article from Les Echos - Chalet de la Foret does not yet have a Michelin star. This omission is in my view more of reflection on Michelin's inattentiveness than on Pascal Devalkeneer's kitchen which certainly merits the star.

Sea Grill must also be very close to getting a third one.