Filipino-inspired sharing plates€€€sainte-catherine
Humphrey in Brussels' Sainte-Catherine is a Yannick Van Aeken concept where chef Glen runs Filipino-inspired sharing plates. The room is small, the carte changes weekly, Bib Gourmand listed.
Signature: Sharing-plate tasting menu, Filipino-Belgian small plates
Order: The sharing-plate tasting; let the kitchen send what they're cooking that week.
Tip: Closed Saturday and Sunday. Counter seats face the kitchen; the back table is the spot for groups of four.
Belgian brasserie€€ixelles
Le Varietes in Ixelles sits on the ground floor of the Flagey Liner on Place Sainte-Croix. Brasserie-rotisserie cooking off a Belgian classics carte, with spit-roasted chicken running across lunch and dinner; weekend service is non-stop from noon.
Signature: Spit-roasted chicken, Belgian beef tartare
Order: Spit-roasted chicken with house jus and fries.
Tip: Kitchen runs lunch and dinner Mon-Fri, then non-stop noon to 22:00 Saturday and Sunday. Walk-in for lunch, book for weekends.
Thai€€saint-gilles
Fanny Thai in Brussels' Saint-Gilles cooks the most editorial Thai room in the city. The chef sources directly from Bangkok suppliers; the carte runs Thai canon plus regional dishes.
Signature: Pad Thai, Beef massaman curry
Order: Beef massaman curry and a plate of pad see ew, with a Singha to wash down.
Tip: Closed Sunday lunch and Monday. The back room is calmer than the bar tables.
Belgian brasserie€€sainte-catherine
Chez Leon in Brussels has run on Rue des Bouchers since 1893. The family-owned brasserie serves the canonical moules-frites in a black pot, every day from noon to 23:00.
Signature: Moules-frites, Carbonnade flamande
Order: Moules marinieres with frites and a glass of Cuvee Rene gueuze on the house list.
Tip: Open seven days. Ask for the original 1893 dining room; the side rooms feel like a tourist trap.
Belgian brasserie€€€sainte-catherine
Aux Armes de Bruxelles in Brussels has run on Rue des Bouchers since 1921. Rudy Vanlancker of Chez Leon bought the house in 2018; chicken waterzooi remains the signature.
Signature: Waterzooi de poulet, Moules-frites
Order: Chicken waterzooi in cream broth, with a Westmalle Tripel from the bottle list.
Tip: Closed Monday. The back salon is the quietest seat; the front spills onto the busy restaurant row.
Belgian brasserie€€€sablon
Au Vieux Saint Martin in Brussels' Sablon has run since 1968. The Niels family invented Belgian filet americain at this corner of the square; the brasserie still serves it from the open kitchen.
Signature: Filet americain, Shrimp croquettes
Order: Filet americain prepared at the table, and shrimp croquettes to start.
Tip: Open every day from noon to midnight. The terrace looks straight at the Sablon church; book ahead for Sunday lunch.
