French-Belgian€€€€sainte-catherine
Comme Chez Soi opened in 1926 under Georges Cuvelier and moved to the Place Rouppe Art Nouveau dining room in the 1930s. Three Michelin stars 1979 to 2006 under Pierre Wynants; Lionel Rigolet now runs the kitchen on one star.
Signature: Filets de sole Prince Albert, Classical French-Belgian tasting menu
Order: The filets de sole Prince Albert, the kitchen's signature since the 1970s, with a glass of Mosel Riesling.
Tip: Closed Monday, Tuesday and Sunday. Book three weeks ahead for Friday and Saturday dinner; the chef's table seats six.
Modern French€€€€ixelles
La Truffe Noire in Brussels has been the city's truffle restaurant since founder Luigi Ciciriello opened in 1988. Chef Olivier Broucke works white and black truffles into a garden-side dining room beside the Abbaye de la Cambre.
Signature: Perigord truffle a la croque au sel, Carpaccio prepared tableside
Order: The Perigord truffle a la croque au sel, the kitchen's signature, and the tableside-prepared beef carpaccio.
Tip: Closed Sunday. Lunch service Tuesday to Friday, dinner Monday to Saturday; the garden terrace is the seat to ask for from April.
Modern Belgian€€€€european-quarter
Menssa in Brussels is chef Christophe Hardiquest's second act in the building that held his two-star Bon Bon until 2022. Twenty-two seats, cuisine instinctive, one Michelin star since 2024.
Signature: Cuisine instinctive tasting menu, Belgian seasonal seven-course dinner
Order: The tasting menu in full; the wine pairing draws heavily on small Belgian and German growers.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Book the counter for the open-kitchen view; the dining room takes parties up to six.
Modern French€€€€ixelles
Le Chalet de la Foret in Brussels sits on the edge of the Sonian Forest in Uccle. Pascal Devalkeneer has held two Michelin stars here since the early 2010s; the garden terrace runs spring to autumn.
Signature: Flame-cooked Breton scallops, Aveyron lamb with garden herbs
Order: The flame-cooked scallops from Brittany and whatever lamb course is on the seasonal menu.
Tip: Closed Saturday lunch and Sunday. Relais and Chateaux property: book a fortnight ahead and ask for the conservatory tables.
Modern Belgian€€€anderlecht
La Paix in Brussels has run since 1892 in a neo-classical building opposite the Anderlecht abattoir. David Martin took over the kitchen in 2004 and holds two Michelin stars with a Japanese-Belgian style.
Signature: Slow-cooked Belgian beef, Seasonal grill plate
Order: Whatever the menu calls the day's slow-cooked beef course; the kitchen is butcher's-row by lineage.
Tip: Closed Saturday and Sunday. Lunch only on Friday; the dining room runs Japanese-minimalist with origami above the tables.
Belgian brasserie€€€sablon
Au Vieux Saint Martin in Brussels has held the corner of Place du Grand Sablon since 1968. The Niels family invented Belgian filet americain here; 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.
Belgian brasserie€€sainte-catherine
Chez Leon in Brussels has run on Rue des Bouchers since 1893, when Leon Vanlancker opened five tables. Five generations later the family still serves moules-frites from the same kitchen.
Signature: Moules-frites, Carbonnade flamande
Order: Moules marinieres with frites, and a glass of gueuze from the beer list.
Tip: Open every day from noon to 23:00. Ask for the original 1893 dining room over the recent expansions on either side.
Belgian brasserie€€€sainte-catherine
Aux Armes de Bruxelles on Rue des Bouchers has been running since 1921, with Calixte Veulemans opening as a brasserie. Rudy Vanlancker of Chez Leon bought the house in 2018.
Signature: Waterzooi de poulet, Moules-frites
Order: Chicken waterzooi in the broth, with a Trappist beer or a glass of Sancerre.
Tip: Open Tuesday to Sunday from noon to 22:30, closed Monday. The salon at the back is quieter than the front dining room.
Belgian estaminet€€dansaert
In 't Spinnekopke in Brussels is an 18th-century estaminet on Place du Jardin aux Fleurs. The kitchen cooks Brussels-specific dishes, with lambic beer used as a sauce ingredient and a deep cellar list.
Signature: Rabbit in gueuze, Eels in green sauce
Order: Rabbit braised in gueuze, with bloempanch on the side and a Cantillon Geuze to drink.
Tip: Closed Sunday. The wooden banquettes are 1762 vintage; the cellar lambic list runs 30 bottles deep.
Belgian brasserie€€€sainte-catherine
Restaurant Vincent in Brussels has run on Rue des Dominicains since 1905, with Maurice Grimme's 1912 ceramic murals still on the walls. The kitchen still grills red meat over coal in front of guests.
Signature: Chateaubriand, Flambeed steak
Order: Chateaubriand flambeed at the table, with a side of pommes pailles.
Tip: Open seven days. The narrow row of side tables along the open grill is the seat to ask for at dinner service.
Seafood€€sainte-catherine
Noordzee Mer du Nord on Rue Sainte-Catherine in Brussels is the standing-only seafood counter the city is built around. The kitchen runs fish soup, oysters and grilled langoustines to the steel bar all day.
Signature: Shrimp croquettes, Fish soup
Order: A bowl of fish soup, croquettes aux crevettes, and a glass of muscadet from the wine fridge.
Tip: No tables. Order at the counter, listen for your name, then carry the plate to a high-top across the street.
Belgian bistro€€€marolles
Les Brigittines in Brussels sits on Place de la Chapelle in the Marolles in an Art Nouveau dining room. The kitchen runs creative Belgian bistro built on local meats, with a deep cellar list.
Signature: Carbonnade flamande, Pied de cochon
Order: Carbonnade flamande with frites, or whichever offal cut is on the chalkboard menu that night.
Tip: Closed Saturday lunch and Sunday. The terrace at the back is the quietest seat in summer.
Belgian bistronomie€€€ixelles
La Quincaillerie in Brussels' Ixelles sits in a 1903 former hardware shop on Rue du Page, with the original mezzanines and oak drawers preserved. The kitchen runs Belgian bistronomie with a long oyster bar.
Signature: Oysters by the dozen, Steak frites
Order: Six oysters from the bar and steak frites from the grill, with a bottle of Loire white.
Tip: Closed Sunday lunch. The upstairs mezzanine seats are the quietest; book a fortnight ahead for Friday or Saturday.
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. Book a window seat for the Flagey square view.
Italian-Belgian€€€ixelles
Racines in Brussels' Ixelles is Francesco Cury and Ugo Federico's Italian-Belgian dining room on Chaussee d'Ixelles. The kitchen runs natural-wine pairings, pasta worked by hand, Bib Gourmand listed.
Signature: Hand-rolled pasta, Italian-Belgian tasting menu
Order: Whichever pasta course is on the chalkboard, with a glass of the house orange wine.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. The bar seats give the open-kitchen view; lunch is the budget pick.
Modern Belgian€€€sainte-catherine
Le Selecto on Rue de Flandre runs a bistronomie carte in the Sainte-Catherine quarter. Bib Gourmand listed, modern Belgian cooking off a short seasonal card, with the bar counter and banquette doing equal trade.
Signature: Belgian beef tartare, Seasonal market plate
Order: The lunchtime two-course set; the kitchen leans on Belgian sourcing and the daily ardoise.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Friday and Saturday dinner runs through to 23:00; book a week ahead for weekend service.
Belgian brasserie€€
Brasserie de l'Expo in Brussels sits on the Heysel plateau in Laken, two metro stops from the Atomium. The kitchen runs Belgian-classic brasserie on a long carte, with a 1958 World's Fair-era dining room.
Signature: Stoemp with sausage, Vol-au-vent
Order: Stoemp with sausage and bacon, or vol-au-vent with frites for two.
Tip: Open seven days, lunch and dinner. The 1958 marquetry in the back room is worth the seat; closes at 22:00 on weekends.
Japanese€€€€ixelles
Kamo in Brussels is chef Tomoyasu Kamo's omakase counter on Chaussee de Waterloo. Twelve seats around the bar, Japanese-sourced fish, a Michelin star since 2014.
Signature: Omakase sushi, Tempura course
Order: The omakase in full; the sake pairing is by the bottle, not the glass.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Counter seats book six weeks ahead; the back table seats four.
Filipino-inspired sharing plates€€€sainte-catherine
Humphrey in Brussels' city centre runs a Filipino-inspired sharing-plates kitchen blending Belgian produce with Asian flavours. The dining room is small, the carte changes weekly, Bib Gourmand listed.
Signature: Sharing plates with Filipino flavours, Adobo-influenced mains
Order: The tasting menu in full; the open kitchen leans on sharing plates with Filipino seasoning.
Tip: Closed Saturday and Sunday. Counter seats face the kitchen; the back table is the spot for groups of four.
Thai€€saint-gilles
Premier Comptoir Thai is the standing Saint-Gilles Thai room on Chaussee de Charleroi, the chef working a daily fresh prep and a small summer garden behind. Classic Pad Thai and full curry range, plus regional dishes a step beyond the standard takeaway carte.
Signature: Pad Thai, Green curry
Order: A green curry and a plate of pad thai to share, with the house garden seating in summer.
Tip: Closed Sundays and Monday lunch. Reserve evenings, the room fills fast with regulars.
Ethiopian€€dansaert
Toukoul in Brussels is the city's canonical Ethiopian restaurant. The kitchen serves spongy injera with stews from the central pot, on Rue de Laeken near the Dansaert quarter.
Signature: Doro wat, Vegetarian beyaynetu platter
Order: A vegetarian beyaynetu for the table, plus doro wat, all rolled into the injera with no cutlery.
Tip: Open daily for dinner. Vegetarian and vegan platters are the value here; tej (honey wine) is the drink.
Modern French€€€dansaert
Henri in Brussels' Dansaert is the neo-bistro on Rue de Flandre that runs a tight modern French carte. The chalkboard menu changes weekly, with a focused natural-wine list and short carte.
Signature: Beef tartare, Cheese souffle
Order: Beef tartare prepared at the table, with the cheese souffle for two.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Lunch set is the value pick; the dining room books a week ahead for evenings.
Modern French€€€€ixelles
La Villa in the Sky in Brussels sits on the 25th floor of the IT Tower above Avenue Louise. Eighteen seats, panoramic glass walls, a Michelin star under chef Alexandre Dionisio.
Signature: Modern French tasting menu, Seasonal vegetable courses
Order: The full tasting menu with wine pairing; lunch is the budget entry to the same kitchen.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Book sunset slots for the best skyline; the lift is shared with the office tower.
Modern Belgian€€€ixelles
Garage a Manger in Brussels' Ixelles is the wood-fire restaurant on Rue Washington, in a former mechanical workshop. Sharing plates, ember-cooked proteins, a short cellar list.
Signature: Open-fire grilled mains, Seasonal small plates
Order: Whichever fire-cooked main is on the chalkboard, with charred greens and the natural wine pairing.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. The counter seats give the best view of the open fire; bookings recommended.