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 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.
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.
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.
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.