The best restaurants Zaventem

Eddy's, its checkered tablecloths, its old butcher's shop setting... The cuisine is a range of Brussels-Brabant classics. We eat the best vol-au-vent within a 10 km radius, the American is prepared or served with all the ingredients to season it yourself, the duo of blood sausages is copious and absolutely sticks to the idea we have of it, compote and home-made purée. We validate the toast with mushrooms and we recall the inevitable mussels in season. The "royal" French toast does not usurp its qualification: soaked in milk, currants and vanilla ball.

Pasta, salads, sandwiches and other snacks make up the unpretentious menu of this little eatery, all prepared with ultra-fresh, well-matched ingredients in generous quantities. The decor is authentic, as is the name "de werf", which means "the building site". Even the waiters wear work belts like builders! The terrace is more than pleasant, even in winter when it's colder, thanks to the heat lamps and small blankets. There's also a good selection of local craft beers to wash down your meal.

De Mayeur is a restaurant synonymous with convivial cuisine. The chef, Patrick Vandecasserie, was at the helm of Villa Lorraine and son of another chef legend, Freddy Vandecasserie. The combination of these two conceptions of local cuisine results in an address that smells of slow-cooked dishes, traditional preparations and respected taste. When tradition meets legend, a Ruisbroek restaurant that has been somewhat forgotten by the younger generation is given a new lease of life. At the back, a terrace allows you to enjoy the fresh air.

Here's one of the city's most renowned restaurants, where prices are truly reasonable for the high-flying dishes served. And with good reason: here, ingredients are emulsified, fried, grilled and transformed to deliver a fine molecular cuisine that sublimates tastes through daring techniques. All in a simple wooden setting where you'll feel right at home. Take a look at this crispy tonkatsu pig with pumpkin, yellow curry and puffed rice. It looks like a work of art! Don't forget to make a reservation, as the table is in great demand.

Here, you can choose your ambiance from a range of bright, airy spaces (leaning against the kitchen, in the tapas bar area, in the sushi bar area...) overlooking the open kitchen. But the most important thing is the plate: presentation, taste, light dishes, few sauces, not too much cooking. We let the product express itself. In the wine department, bubbles, French and a few extras. Among the many lunch and dinner formulas, we like the discovery in small portions and the "surprise menu", composed in the morning with surprises from the market (9 courses).

Signature Sushi is first and foremost an atmosphere: light wood, petrol blue velvet benches that contrast nicely with the pink of the sakuras and the typically Japanese lamps. It's a bit like the meeting of East and West. Fai is the "sushi-master" who officiates in the kitchen to make rolls, makis or sashimis as beautiful as they are good. His signature recipes? Faï's roll with sea bream, salmon and avocado burnt with a blowtorch and the Signature sushi with salmon roe. The restaurant also offers poké bowls.

A historic bar in Kraainem, a commune bordering the Brussels region, the New Inn has been enjoying a second lease of life since 2019, when it was transformed into a brasserie. The menu features honest brasserie dishes (spaghetti, veal kidneys, duck breast, etc.), but the chef also offers suggestions from other cuisines (linguine vongole, Argentinian meat) or seasonal dishes (mussels, game, etc.). In fine weather, the terrace is very pleasant, with a rural view of the church, while in the evening, it is illuminated with colorful garlands that give it a festive air.

Yes, the star of this restaurant on the outskirts of Brussels is the pure filet, that low-fat piece of meat: beef, iberico pork or even horse (a Belgian specialty), but the other cuts are not to be outdone: entrecôte, tomahawk, spareribs... Noble breeds (Simmenthal, Rubia galega...), matured by Roberto "Betto" Van Doren in a charcoal-fired mibrasa oven, give them an inimitable taste. Those who don't like meat can also choose from a wide range of fish dishes. Vegetarians, on the other hand, will have to pass.

A gentle breeze from Sicily blows across these lands just northwest of Brussels. Here, you can sit back and enjoy Italian dishes, especially pasta: penne alla norma (a Sicilian specialty), tortellini with ricotta and spinach or decadent cappelli with black truffle, tomato and tartufata, as well as tasty pizzas and paninis (for those on a budget). Plump salads and a host of sandwiches complete the menu. You'll get your fill without your wallet screaming.

Fat, fat, fat... but good fat and homemade, at Jimbo's! Generous burgers served in red and white checkered paper between two slices of bun: potato, beef, chicken, veggie, home fries cooked with their skin, XXL hot dogs, grilled corn and lemonade and ice tea, just like over there! If you're really hungry, their porchetta, bell pepper and arugula sandwich should satisfy you. All in a casual atmosphere, with white walls, metal chairs and wooden stools.

The perfect place for a coffee break away from the hustle and bustle of the city center, where a trendy crowd gathers for a coffee or to eat different types of bagels at lunchtime, as well as delicious cakes for a gourmet break. In summer, you can enjoy their delicious smoothies and fresh fruit juices on the terrace. The interior is cosy, with leather sofas. The staff are very friendly and speak English (even to locals). You have to order at the counter.

Here's one of the city's best-known restaurants for a good steak, a house specialty served sliced on a grill plate with vegetables and fries, but also a steak tartare minute au couteau and beer specialties like ragoût à la Bertinchamps Brune. The special feature of the meats served is that they are Belgian and, wherever possible, come from the restaurant's own organic farm, as do the vegetables. Vegetarians, on the other hand, beware!

An ideal place to eat a Belgian dish and taste a beer from the abbey of Grimbergen. Finally, it has been more than 220 years since the Grimbergen beer is brewed within the walls of the eponymous abbey, demolished in the 18th century by the French revolutionaries. But since 1950 the brewery Alken-Maes uses this name to produce an amber beer. The monks of today can no longer find the original composition after having gone through 35,000 books... But this did not discourage them: a brewery was relaunched within the abbey itself.

Towards the airport, we head for the village. Because yes, Zaventem is also a village, and a charming one at that. And for less than the cost of a round-trip ticket on Alitalia, you can enjoy the local atmosphere, with a menu of must-tries and a few gastronomic surprises, such as swordfish, carpaccio trio or pasta al forno, salmon and vegetables. The pizzas are prepared in the traditional way, the pasta is fresh, the suggestion board is constantly renewed and the wines are particularly well chosen. Terrace.

This beautiful villa with a cosy and elegant setting is located just opposite the Exhibition Centre. Ideal for the clientele linked to trade shows, but not only... The establishment serves brasserie cuisine with a varied and seasonal menu that will appeal to all generations all year round. The large garden can accommodate about a hundred people. A few games for children prove that the little ones are welcome. A gin trolley and a smoking room show the interest shown in the older children. Clear... and repeated over and over again.