The best French cuisine restaurants Bruxelles - Brussel

Specialising in grilled meats and fish, this bistro has been open for more than a quarter of a century and has a very tempting menu: hollow oysters from Normandy, roast turbot with chicory, venison with oyster mushrooms... the chef's suggestions never cease to tantalise the taste buds of those who love richly flavoured and generously prepared dishes. The team advises you to make a reservation to ensure that you don't end up with nothing to eat. The setting is classic and warm, with brick walls. Terrace.

This Art Nouveau house looks like a gigantic dollhouse! The trademark is the scaling bench where each sea creature looks as if it has just come out of the water. You can share a Maris platter and a bottle of muscadet or a Jumbo pan with a bottle of champagne. Or the other way around... The menu offers other classic but well-made choices, such as poultry vol-au-vent and beef onglet à l'échalote. And the lobster in duo with fresh pasta. The wine list is good and allows you to choose them by the glass.

With its tired mirrors, murals and weathered woodwork, the Cochaux brewery exudes an atmosphere that is half Art Nouveau, half old-fashioned. The regulars come back and the faithful stay, a guarantee of quality and authenticity. For those with small appetites, the menu offers a choice of omelettes and salads. It's good, it's prepared with fresh products and it's a bit expensive for a classic cuisine. But it's close to a zero-fault menu... To shine in the evening, tell them that Felix Cochaux was an engineer and invented a new type of drag boat.

If at the beginning the name of the restaurant attracted customers, the succulent cuisine made this place a must in the Place Stéphanie district. Gianfranco and his team are happy to welcome you with their unchanging flavours: entrecote, cod and other salads are on the menu of a varied menu that changes with the seasons. For winter, what could be more invigorating than simmered dishes, or Belgian specialities such as rabbit à la kriek. The wine list offers a wide choice of wines at a great value for money.

One of the beautiful brasseries in the south of Brussels. The decor is in grey-green and anthracite shades of the most beautiful effect, with touches of orange. You can sit down on the wide benches and enjoy a pleasant moment. The menu is well thought out and carefully prepared, for both wolf-like and child-like appetites. Gratin dauphinois, beef tartar, veal kidneys... Don't forget the bench of scallops (also to take away) which is a reference in the neighbourhood.

Here is an original space mixing restaurant and car showroom! Christian and Olivier, the creators, are at the wheel of the Declercq restaurant, a real engine of greed and conviviality. Leaving the lunch counter to the Pompon girls, the partners are refocusing on the restaurant, favouring a cuisine of seasonal products combining taste and flavour. The setting mixes a contemporary atmosphere and a car setting. On the menu, aperitif boards, sardines, some bistro dishes and especially excellent burgers.

Nice little bar. It has been there for about forty years, it has been taken over but the original spirit has remained. Miladiou means "A Thousand Gods" in the southwestern French dialect. The food and wine are more French in origin with very reasonable lunchtime menus. Particular care is taken in the presentation of the dishes and the welcome is particularly friendly. The decoration is also worth the detour. Groups of 15-20 people maximum are welcome to occupy one of the three spaces.

A real institution in Saint-Gilles, the Porteuse d'Eau has the charm of an Art Nouveau brewery with its stained glass and woodwork. Thibaut Lepoivre, passionate about the national drink and a true connoisseur, offers a traditional Belgian menu (summer and winter) and no less than 100 special beers. You can enjoy the specialities of this place with appetite, the beer service is important and done in the rules of the art and this last one is gladly accompanied by cheese in board, sliced by the customer. The staff are professional and friendly, and the atmosphere is very pleasant.

As soon as you enter, the light tones set the tone. At the table, the short menu varies according to the chef's desires and the seasons. It breathes good humour, health, picking in the meadows or mushrooms in the woods. The link between these dishes is the care taken with the presentation. The chef's preparations are supported by some nice bottles. The assortment of small dishes (vegetarian, fish or meat) in the form of "Combinations" and a close relationship with the producers are the new spearheads of this discreet restaurant.

With new chef Fela Herzog, Harvest continues to offer inventive, seasonal cuisine with a French base, but open to the world (pressed octopus, sea sorbet, an astonishing red cabbage cake with rhubarb mousse for dessert in summer). The evening menu is available in three styles: vegetarian, fish or meat. A short menu at a reasonable price, especially for lunch. The room is beautiful, with its black-and-white tiled floor, uncluttered decor and comfortable seats and benches. The wine list is full of surprises, alongside a fine range of Burgundies.

Pushing the door of the Sanglier, it is to find oneself in a little Ardennes café with its rustic furnishing (not surprising that it carries the name of boar). Martine and Marc Roeland have been running the place for 14 years and it is a popular tavern in the noble sense of the word: you come here to drink a coffee, a beer, eat a croque or an omelette when the kitchen is closed, and when it is open, you can find good old specialities (solettes, American, grilled steak). At noon on weekdays, dish of the day at good price. Covered terrace and discovery as a bonus.

50 metres from the Boulevard du Souverain, a typical early 20th century house in the commune, between the Tenreukens park and the Soignes forest, with a breathtaking view of the pond. The Niels family runs the establishment with brio, in addition to the Vieux Saint-Martin in the Sablon and the Canterbury in Ixelles. Here too, the menu is exclusively à la carte, so it's not surprising to find brasserie dishes as well as more creative suggestions, all based on exceptional products. This is the family's DNA. Heated terrace all year round.

Uccle Calevoet looks like a big village, and that's where Filipe decided to open a neighborhood restaurant in the noblest sense of the word. Although the restaurant is brand new, it already has its regulars, and that's a good sign. Filipe highlights his Italian-Portuguese origins in a menu that changes according to his moods. The pizzas remain the constants, while the rest varies from linguine vongole to pasteis de nata, without neglecting French and seasonal cuisine (game in autumn). The plates are generous, cooked just like at home.

Located at Belgian Beer World (formerly the Brussels Stock Exchange), this new brasserie is situated on one of the most beautiful spots in the city center. And already the public is flocking here, thanks to the majestic setting of the former stock exchange, as well as the atmosphere and Belgian accents of the short menu. Carbonnades, Liège-style dumplings, mussels, entrecote steak... Special mention for the thick-cut steak tartare and fresh French fries. The only downside is the drinks, with very few wines and a dearth of Belgian beers. But what a setting!

Tero is a coherent model that links healthy products (meat and vegetables) that come from their own farm in Rochefort, with creative gastronomy based on flavours and seasonality. The consistency continues with the sleek and dynamic setting that wraps around the central bar while fitting perfectly into the three levels of the space. On the menu are thirty or so small hot and cold dishes, mezze style, to share or not, and at lunchtime a vegetarian or meat lunch. On all levels it is refined, original and delicious. Another address in Bierges.

Rôtisse offers a modern and innovative culinary experience, reinventing the traditional Belgian rotisserie. Located just a stone's throw from the Bourse, it combines modernity and tradition with revisited classic dishes, fine roasting techniques and the use of local, seasonal produce. The menu offers a variety of choices, including vegetarian and vegan, as well as an original selection of cocktails. The setting combines Brussels authenticity and contemporary touches, with a pleasant terrace. Ideal for business lunches or romantic meals.

A local bistro par excellence, it serves truly inventive, original brasserie cuisine with a gastronomic flavour. In the kitchen, Jean-Claude Demurger is a saucier and roaster who is not to be messed with! His suggestions are handwritten on a pretty slate and the gentle terrace inevitably reminds one of the fine days in the South. A tempting selection of wines completes the picture of this address that we love! A real charming place, with its location opposite the Kisendael reserve, its conviviality and its estaminet decor.

After Vieux Spijtigen Duivel (also in Uccle), De Hoef is one of the oldest estaminets in Brussels. This former coaching inn, which became a restaurant in the 1950s, is now in the hands of the grandsons of "Madame Pitou", the establishment's tutelary figure. It's a real throwback to the era of the Spanish Netherlands, with its old tiles, wood panelling, beams and huge fireplace. It's not surprising that the specialties here are grilled meat and... Burgundy snails. The inner courtyard has been transformed into a charming terrace.

The brasserie serves in a Belgian-Belgian atmosphere a very popular American fries but does not prevent the ribs from being noticed, nor the spaghettis, scampis, meatballs in tomato sauce, Flemish carbonnades, tripe, kidneys, mussels in season, shrimp croquettes... Sometimes available as a suggestion, the pork chop with Blackwell sauceis a killer! And in summer, we add a few salads or carpaccio. Note some nice beers selected by Poje, who inspired the comic book hero of the same name "Du Côté de Chez Poje". You can't get more zwanzeur !

At a pretty crossroads in an affluent district of Schaerbeek, an elegant bistro by the name of Perruche has come into its own. Its bright green floor tiles are a tribute to the plumage of the birds that have taken up residence all over Brussels. Open in the morning, you'll find breakfasts (sweet and savory) as well as dishes (shrimp croquettes, vol-au-vent with free-range chicken) and pastries. In the evening, beers and cocktails close the show. If the upstairs is more intimate, don't miss the terrace when the Japanese cherry trees are in bloom.

We thought we'd lost this atmospheric brasserie-bistro-style restaurant, reminiscent of the pigeon café it once was, but here it has been resurrected by a young team who have also worked at Dillens. This address remains as welcoming and authentic as ever in the Place Saint-Job district. What's on the menu? Comfort food, for starters: snacked pork belly, cauliflower gratin, dumplings in tomato sauce, a terrific chocolate mousse and a fine selection of wines and beers. A true refuge!

It looks like a brasserie, with a brasserie menu, and it is... a brasserie in the noblest sense of the word. At Soje, you'll find the good old classics of Belgian-French cuisine: baked marrow bones, andouillette à la dijonnaise, meatballs in tomato sauce... comforting dishes in an atmosphere of wooden benches and chairs, under the gaze of the clock that sits above the counter. Seasonal cuisine, according to market arrivals, and a rather attractive wine and beer list.

There is a little Parisian air here and it is not for nothing, this bistronomic establishment claims to be part of this new French tradition that combines a relaxed atmosphere with a plate that is up to the task. All the codes are there: short menu (5 starters, main courses and desserts), a dish and lunch of the day, seasonal products and a beautiful list of favorite wines. Chef Olivier Morland has it all. An example of this philosophy? The farmhouse pork confit was like butter, with a beautiful sauce as it should be. On the counter side, we eat at the bar!

Just behind the Botanique, this small and cosy restaurant has been home to two gourmet ladies for over three decades. The creativity of the plate is matched only by the modesty of these two ladies, one in the kitchen, the other in the cellar and in service. Here, absolute priority is given to freshness and only seasonal products are prepared. If the vegetables are "forgotten", it is mainly because it is in this category that the gardener classifies them (to call them "found" would be much more accurate, since the time...).

Who would have thought that such a restaurant could be found so close to the university? And yet! At the Solbosch, one comes to taste lobster or grilled meat... cooked on pink Himalayan salt stone, which gives a different taste to the meat. The other speciality of the establishment is seafood; since the restaurant also has a bench of scaling, it could not be fresher. And as the chef, Renaud Beghin, is a great traveller, one is never safe from finding a little touch of exoticism in his menu.

Open since the beginning of the century, Le Tournant is an indispensable beacon of good food in this neighbourhood. In an intimate bistro setting, you can see the open kitchen at the back. The menu gives pride of place to creativity. Amongst the specialities of Le Tournant, let's note the simmered dishes with influences from here or elsewhere (pork loin, beef cheek with Orval, duck with miso and wakame...). To accompany them, a very good list of natural wines from small French or Italian producers, met by the owners. Friendly, available and relaxed service.

A pleasant bar with the air of a Lyonnais "bouchon", with a family welcome and a solid cuisine that preserves the authenticity of the products without hiding them under confusing titles. Hake fillet from Saint-Jean-de-Luz, sea bass fillet a la plancha, braised veal cheeks, or even farm poultry, does this speak to you? Not forgetting the brilliant and authentic cassoulet of Castelnaudary (with Tarbais beans). You may come in by chance but you never leave disappointed. To be noted: the reasonably priced lunch worthy of the finest restaurants.

Near the Churchill tram stop in Uccle and the Montjoie park, Chez Musette is a charming bistro where, in addition to drinking, you can eat. The place is really cosy with all the decoration that has been found. From midday, you come to have a coffee, to eat (the menu is based on fresh products and short circuit with only 3 starters, main courses and dessert). At aperitif time, beers, wines and cocktails are available as well as plates to share, in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. A real neighbourhood bistro!

After a great start, this restaurant in the south of the city has reworked its image with its new chef, Romain Longchamps. Feline to the tip of its velvet armchairs, Bagheera blends a jungle decor bathed in subdued light with the interior of a Belle Époque house. To start, we choose a well-balanced cocktail while waiting for the plates. These are laid out to perfection, as is the signature dish (Muscovy duck cooked on the trunk, bigarade sauce, surfing the sweet-savory line). After service, tables and armchairs are pushed aside for dancing.

The name has a double meaning: barge, to evoke the old quays where the restaurant is located, or is it the grain of folly of Grégoire Gillaert (the chef) and Barbara Hoonaert (the sommelier). The very raw room (exposed brick walls, wooden tables) fits in well with the philosophy of the chef (who can be seen cooking behind glass): to highlight the nature of each product, according to the seasons. The result is colorful, gourmet dishes that are just right. The wines selected by Marie Houx, the new sommelier, also hit the mark.

Damien Vanderhoeven's neighborhood restaurant, a member of the Jeunes Restaurateurs d'Europe, has become a fine gastronomic establishment with a national reputation. His cuisine is creative, modern, based on seasonal products, flirting with Japanese gastronomy... and probably a bit too expensive for small budgets. Inspired by painting, he seems to have fun projecting colors on the plate like an artist. Cooking classes to try to reproduce his works at home. And always the smile of Agnes to punctuate the service..

Manhattan ambience (like the name of this Chairman's district) in this classy brasserie, all in black, with orange banquettes, circle-shaped light fittings and large windows. The menu takes you around the world: burger, green curry, linguine alle vongole, schnitzel and that good old American filet. Honest cooking, fast and attentive service, especially at lunchtime when there are a lot of offices around. It's at cocktail hour that the Chairman really comes into its own. A good idea after a shopping spree on Rue Neuve.

A small neighborhood restaurant opened in 2023, Crush already has its regulars, especially at lunchtime. Is it its emerald walls and wooden furniture? Its short but effective menu of Franco-Belgian cuisine? Or its lunch menu that highlights seasonal produce? We're also very partial to the friendly, smiling service provided by Aurélie (the partner of chef Jonathan, an ex-Counter des Galeries employee). Add to that a well-thought-out wine list and one of the prettiest terraces in the city center, overlooking the Béguinage church.