Filet Americain appears as a signature dish in 1 Belgium cities. See each city's local variant and where to eat it.
Filet americain · Brussels
Belgian-style steak tartare, the raw beef seasoned with mustard, capers, Worcestershire and a raw egg yolk, prepared at the table. Served with frites or buttered toast.
The Niels family invented Belgian filet americain in 1968 when Albert Niels took over the Cafe de la Justice on Place du Grand Sablon and renamed it Au Vieux Saint Martin. The technique adapts the French steak tartare with Belgian flavour notes (Dijon mustard, sharper vinegar, a heavier hand with capers), prepared tableside in front of guests. It spread rapidly across Brussels brasseries through the 1970s and remains the canonical lunch order at the Sablon room.
Where to eat in Brussels:
- Au Vieux Saint Martin
- Restaurant Vincent
- Volle Gas
- Henri