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.
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.
