Racines is an italian-belgian restaurant in Ixelles, Brussels.
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 dishes: Hand-rolled pasta, Italian-Belgian tasting menu
Must 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.
Address: Chaussee d'Ixelles 353, 1050 Ixelles, Brussels
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
