Food, glorious food!
There's more to the capital of Europe's cuisine than moules and frites. Here's a few of the
UP Front team's favourite Brussels brunch eats and restaurants.
Brunch eats
Le Perroquet
For something a bit different try this popular little bistro. There's a wide choice of spicy fillings on fresh pitta bread that you can scoff in original Art Nouveau surroundings. It's five-or-so minutes' walk from the Sablon, so it's a little off the tourist trail. But bear in mind that it still gets busy. A great spot for post-hangover comfort food and chats with friends. Reasonably priced, to say the least.
31 Rue Watteeu, 1000
02/512.99.22
O'Reilleys
In this archetypal Irish bar the all-day brekkie will set you back 9.80 € for the full monty. This includes bacon, fried eggs, sausage, baked beans, fries and grilled tomato, all served with toast. It's not for the faint hearted.
And those of you of a vegetarian disposition can tuck into fried eggs, mushrooms, grilled tomato, baked beans, fries and toast.
We're not so sure about fries for breakfast but, hey, each to their own.
If you can't manage all that, then spend just 6 € on a breakfast roll of bacon, egg and sausage in ciabatta bread. Then hit the Guinness...
Sheraton Airport Hotel
Hugely popular is the Sheraton's Jazz Brunch, held each Sunday In the Concorde restaurant. This features a buffet and a varying cast of jazz artists from noon to 3pm. Ok it's a bit of a trek and pricey but, for a one-off, why not?
Expect to pay the best part of 40 € per head. Ouch!
More details from 02/710.80.09
The Coffee Shop
Slightly off the beaten track, which is actually a bonus, you'll find The Coffee Shop.
It's located in a side street not far from Place Stephanie and UP Front reckons it scores highly on quality and value.
Started a few years back by Alex Archer, this bright, cheerful and airy café with its chunky tables is a fine place to sit and read papers while waiting to break your fast.
As for the food - well, the brunch menu is divided into two parts - eggs, or no eggs.
For example, for 5.80 € you can order deliciously scrambled eggs with one of the following: bacon, sausage, beans etc. If you want more than one, add it on (it'll cost a little more but you can basically build your own breakfast). As part of the price you get toast and a drink of your choice - tea, coffee, cappuccino (the huge mug of Earl Grey tea really hit the spot when UP Front dropped by).
If you don't fancy eggs, you can choose from soup, salads, quiche, crepes or croissant, cereal and yoghurt. Basically, with the exception of the huge Coffee Shop platter, everything should come in at under ten € - and it's all made on site.
Incidentally, if you mention that you read about The Coffee Shop in this magazine, Alex will give you your second tea or coffee for free. Cue an extra half-an-hour doing the crossword.
The major plus for the 'brunch culture' is that you don't have to crawl out of bed too early - always a bonus after a heavy Saturday night. So on a Sunday, Alex cooks and serves from 10am until 4pm. Frankly, it's all perfectly civilised.
The Coffee Shop is open seven days per week (7.30-3-30 Monday through Friday) although the scrambled eggs combos are served on Sundays only.
131 rue de Stassart, 1050. 02/503.07.75
Restaurants
Balthazar
A favourite of former European Commission Vice-President Neil Kinnock - the French and
Mediterranean menu, with the emphasis firmly on fish, plus an excellent wine
list, make this a night to remember - the grilled swordfish is sensational. It's
towards the pricey end of the market - expect to pay around 40€, but the
ambience and service are sophisticated and warm. Definitely worth the extra mile.
63 Rue Archimède, tel 02/742.06.00.
Open from noon Monday to Friday, 18.00 Saturday. Closed Sunday.
Outdoor seating available, dogs allowed. Children's menu available.
Chez Quentin
Simple, stylish, super - Quentin's bill of fare poses many a difficult decision in front
of the blackboard: extraordinary Gaume lamb, beautiful bread with Brie and
apples or vegetables roasted with Parmesan? The salads and soups of the day are
worth a try, too - just take it easy, OK?
7 Rue du Page, Ixelles, tel 02/537.85.97.
Open lunchtime Monday to Saturday from noon to 15.00, and evenings Tuesday to Friday, from 18.00 to 22.00. Closed Sunday.
Comocomo
Best to make a reservation here, particularly at nights and weekends - based on the principle of the Sushi conveyor belt, but with a wonderful range of Pintxos (the Basque equivalent of tapas) on offer instead, this is one of Brussels' trendiest eateries, in one of its trendiest quartiers.
The colour of the plate dictates the category you're eating, and you can choose from seven - sweeties, cheesies, veggies, porkies, garlickies, fishies and meaties, with seven or eight dishes on offer in each category. Sounds complicated? Don't worry, you'll soon get the hang of it and, anyway, owners Sebastian and Ramiro are on hand to help you out, backed up by service that's friendly and fast. The wine list is tip-top too, with recently introduced 'Chillout' tasting sessions available, details at www.comocomo.be. Go on - dare to dine different!
19 Rue Antoine Dansaert, 1000 Brussels. Tel 02 503 03 30.
De Markten
Healthy eating in Dutch - and a chilled atmosphere to boot. Salad-stuffed sandwiches,
falafels, hoummos and vegetarian dishes - you can feel good inside
and out for 20€ to 25€ a shot. Children are welcomed, so it's popular with
families and the terrace seating is delightful - here's to an Indian summer!
5 Vieux Marché aux Grains, centre, tel 02/514.66.04.
Open every day from noon to 23.00.
Easy Tempo
An Italian stallion. The coolest place to dine is the back room, which is
decorated with black-and-white photos of film icons with a connection to Italy,
such as Michael Caine and Terence Stamp. However, anyone sensitive to smoke
should opt for the front, where painted tiles from the days when the place was a
bakery still take pride of place. Not much to think about, plenty to ciao
(geddit?) - the antispasti, pasta and pizza pies are wonderful. Warm service,
hot crowds, 25€ to 50€ per person. Bella!
146 Rue Haute, centre, tel 02/513.54.40.
Open from noon to 14.30 and 18.00 to 22.30. Closed Sunday evenings and Monday.
Fin de Siècle
This charming and civilized cafe-bar is home to the arty twenty- and thirty-something set who
come for the vibrant atmosphere and top-class Italian, Greek, and Iranian food.
The decor's pretty impressive as well, especially the original Art Nouveau
facade and stained-glass windows. On the downside, you often have to wait for a
place at one of the long stripped-wood tables - no bookings allowed. It's cheap,
too - around 12€ for most main courses. If you're feeling intellectual, why not
have a beer and a game of chess next door at Le Greenwich?
9 Rue des Chartreux, tel 02/513.51.23.
Open daily from 17.00 to 3.00; kitchen open till 1.00.
L'Air de Rien
Between traditional brasserie bites and boastful haute cuisine
cuts, this delightful little discovery is resplendent in its rarefied décor of
natural colours and oak furniture. Expect to pay around 35€ per head - but it's
worth it to be in the hands, so to speak, of chef Patrick Meirsman.
559 Chausée de Waterloo, Ixelles, tel 02/345.35.25.
Open Monday to Friday, noon to 14.30 and 19.00 to 21.30. Closed Saturday lunchtimes and Sunday.
La Mirabelle
To be found near the campus of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel/Université Libre de Bruxelles
- the clientele seems to be made up more of professors than students, but
there's a lively atmosphere in this large but cozy restaurant. Excellent,
traditional brasserie fare (steaks, chops) with Portuguese influences -
expect to pay around 25€ per person. Booking is recommended, as it's usually
crowded.
459 Chaussée de Boendael, Ixelles, tel 02/649.51.73.
Open daily from noon to 15.00, 18.00 to 3.00.
Le Deuxième Elémént
A great Thai restaurant situated on the gourmet's grove that Rue St Boniface has become.
It's a stylish looking, but relatively inexpensive eatery, which is invariably
busy not least because the choice is broad and the service is knowledgeable,
smiley and swift.
As well as packing the restaurant, diners have the options of sitting on the
terrace during the summer or out in the covered garden, which has heaters.
There's an ample wine list and, if you can't make your mind up, don't be afraid to ask!
When UP Front did so the waitress suggested an alternative bottle of white wine
to the one on the menu at the time: 'Because I think it's better and costs
less.' That won't always be the case, but how's that for service? Expect to pay
20 € upwards per person - it's well worth it.
7 Rue St Boniface, tel: 02/502.00.28
Open daily.
Les Perles de Pluie
One of the finest Thai restaurants in Brussels - a temple of delight and serenity, in a
small dining area arranged around a Buddhist altar. Enjoy authentic dishes
prepared by the Thai chefs - choose from the buffet of the day (as much as you
like, 13.50€) or the various menus (from 29€ to 49€). The Sunday brunch is also
very popular.
25 Rue du Châtelain, Ixelles, tel 02/649.67.23.
Open daily from noon to 15.00, 19.00 to 22.30. Reservations required.
Le Variétiés
If zebrano decor (the African wood popular in the 1950s) is your thing, and
unfussy grills get your juices flowing, Variétiés should be the spice of your
life. Simple, delicious dishes, (think beef, lamb, and ham) are the order of the
day - and 30€ per head should cover most appetites.
4 Place Sainte Croix, Ixelles, tel 02/647.04.36.
Open daily, noon to midnight, with cold dishes and pastries served between 14.30 and 18.30.
Mumtaz
One of Brussels more established Indian restaurants, it was opened in 1986 and is
named after the queen for whom the majestic Taj Mahal was built.
The much-praised food is cooked in the Balti style and offers all
that you'd expect from a top-notch Indian. Tandoori dishes are a
speciality. Note, though, that the 'continental' version of Indian food is
cooked to a palate less hardened than, say, your average Brit's. So, if you want
your meal to be on the extra spicy side, then ask the waiter for an "Indian
hot".
From UP Front's experience, you could do a lot worse than mixing the spicy spinach Sag
Baji with, say, Chicken Do Piazza and a Garlic Naan. A taste explosion!
Wandering in to the restaurant, which is not far from Chaussée
d'Ixelles and Porte de Namur Metro, you'll get a friendly welcome from the
multi-lingual staff. Be aware that the engaging manager Azan, as well as being a
top bloke, is something of a cricket expert. So, unless you fancy an analysis of
the recent Ashes Test series before your meal, don't mention the thwack of
leather on willow!
As an aside, he also went to school with Ray "Butch"
Wilkins, the mercurial Chelsea, Manchester United and England midfielder, so if
your knowledge of cricket is limited to knowing Freddie Flintoff's real name,
there's always the safe option of 'the beautiful game'.
Other than sports-daft Azan, expect to rub shoulders with a happy mix of Belgians,
plus the usual EU/international crowd and many others all enjoying a quality
Indian washed down with a variety of beers.
Mumtaz obviously also offers a selection of wines and digestifs and, for the whole lot,
expect to pay upwards of 20€ each.
Also, while the atmosphere at Mumtaz is usually lively and comes highly recommended,
the restaurant also offers a takeaway service for those who fancy a night in
front of the telly. 10% discount if you collect the food yourself.
64 Chaussée de Wavre, tel: 02/512.54.27
Open daily 12-15.00 and 18.00-00.30.
Soul
Fancy healthy (but stunningly tasty) eating in cool, surroundings? If so, Soul is just the place for you.
Opened just less than a year ago, the restaurant (whose motto is 'Food for thought') is run by a Finnish sister double-act; the much-travelled Nina Rosas and her younger sister Linda (Nina is on the right in our picture).
The restaurant has a relaxing atmosphere created with dim lighting, candles, earthy colours and big pictures of colourful vegetables on the walls. Sipping an organic beer, The menu is balanced, healthy and 'aimed at giving people energy' and strives to heal the body, mind and soul - but still stimulate the taste buds."
Think tuna in sesame seeds, tandoori chicken in coconut dip, Argentinian beef with pesto, parsley and nuts, mussels and combinations of coriander, ginger, lemon grass etc. A definite must-try.
20 rue de la Samaritaine, close to the Sablon, tel 02/513.52.13.
Open Wed-Sun evenings:
www.soulresto.com
