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.
