The best bistros and brasseries Bruxelles - Brussel

The brasserie setting, with its white tiles and dark mirrored banquettes, sets the tone. Olivier's grandfather was a beer merchant and wine taster before becoming a member of the sommeliers' guild... The menu is evolving, with French gastronomy with a local accent, some of which is offered orally. The autograph menu is already an invitation to a moment of quality! The service is professional, the plate is meticulous and the wine list boasts three hundred labels.

An institution in Evere for three decades, the Lion Belge owes its good reputation to its numerous wood-fired grills and its well-stocked brasserie dishes. Dimitri, the owner, mixes in his menu the classics of the French-Belgian, Italian and Greek cuisine. In addition to the menu, there are weekly suggestions that change with the seasons, without forgetting the mussels. For starters, the mezze are particularly recommended. Bar and terrace for the occasional sunbeam. Pleasant piano bar on weekends. Reservation recommended.

At Brasseries Georges, they know how to turn sauerkraut into a moment of pure bliss. And their seafood platters are second to none, as are their traditional dishes in general, which, without being creative, are beyond reproach. What's more, the fries are old-fashioned, and their shrimp croquettes have been voted the best in Brussels. What else? A veritable institution that continues to attract a new clientele of well-born gourmets, as much as it retains the loyalty of Ucluse's fine pedigree. A fine traditional address!

In Brusseleer, Schieve lavabo means "crooked sink". Burgers, pasta dishes, salads, etc. are all (r)-safe preparations such as parmesan fondues, dumplings in tomato sauce, vol-au-vent and suggestions that change all the time. Not forgetting the famous Schievelavabolo, which is an ogre in its XL version! As in all the other "Schieve" (Altitude 100, Place Jourdan, Uccle, Auderghem and La Hulpe), the brocante decoration (woodwork, numerous enamelled plates...) is inimitable! What more could you ask for?

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

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.