Brussels Restaurants

Brussels is a great place to indulge in culinary delights, with eating establishments everywhere serving up tasty local and international cuisine. Many of the tourist areas, such as the Grote Markt, have hundreds of quality restaurants, cafés and stalls, while there are plenty of upmarket dining options in the Upper Town. Eating out is an important part of Belgian social life and whether it is a light snack at a café or a full-blown six course dinner, the meal is drawn out by plenty of lively conversation.

Local cuisine

While some of the most famous local dishes are snacks such as Belgian waffles, frittes and an assortment of cheeses, there are some great items on restaurant menus to sample. Many dishes use Belgian beer as a base, such as lapin à la gueuze (rabbit cooked in beer) and Flemish carbonades. Other sumptuous dishes include stoemp (meats cooked in a potato, carrot and onion sauce) and Ghent waterzooi (creamy chicken stew). For dessert, there is no beating delicious Belgian chocolate!

Where to eat

There are many quality dining establishments located in and around the Grote Markt, with restaurants, cafés and food stalls catering to all tastes and budgets. For those who want to splurge on the best Belgian food, try the restaurants in the Bourse district, Vismarkt and Place du Grand Sablon. Budget diners have plenty of choices in the cafés of the Marolles district, a melting pot of ethnic cultures.