Cracking place. Don't expect high gourmet food and you will not be disappointed. That does not mean the food is bad...it's great. You go downstairs to a modern cellar, benches and tables. It's all open plan making the atmosphere very friendly. I have been many times with friends and the service has nearly always been fast. I don't eat seafood but have tried a few mussels and they were nice (big portions every time). I have tried the pork belly, duck, steak and sausages at various times. They are all great. Never had anyone come along who didn't enjoy it. HINT; women love Belgian beer. The goblets are small enough to try a few but I strongly recommend the Chimay Bleu...three glasses and you feel a bit giggly and stoned. Also, hit a rack of the Schnapps. I am smiling just thinking about Belgo. It is one of the most consistently reliable eating places in town, and I know...I AM A LONDONER. read more

Let it first be known that I am not the biggest fan of mussels, but my traveling companion was, so we decided to try Belgo. It's an interesting layout, because you are underground, essentially in a cave. It's not the most glamorous place to dine and it felt a bit industrial to me. I tried the chorizo mussels and the pot would have been big enough to share, they just lacked flavor. The couple next to us got one of the chicken dishes and it looked great, so if I was to return, I would try that instead. read more

After climbing the 2,038 steps from the base of the Covent Garden tube station and ascending into the "part of the world" Ariel wanted to join so much, I was exhausted. And starving. And sweaty. But mostly starving. My brother and I met up with a friend from high school who's living in London and she recommended Belgo Centraal so we walked 2 blocks, scanned the menu, and descended back into the dark world from which we just came. Turns out Belgo is German-Biergarten-meets-French-cuisine-meets-Medieval-Times. With a menu full of mussels, beers, duck and roasted chicken, anyone should be able to find something to meet their pan-European palette. We had a few mess ups with our drink orders (white wine instead of red, beers we didn't order but gladly drank), but our food came out as ordered and in great time. I went with the Wild Boar sausages with Belgian stoemp mash & berry jus. Everything was flavorful, well cooked and wonderfully presented. I ate every last drop. Cool find with a diverse menu. Would gladly come back the next time I'm on that side of the pond. read more

I really should've been studying at home that day, but somehow I ended up having a full day in London, taking la family from HK to see my two uni campuses and also venture into the wellcome museum. Anyways, my family LOVE seafood and I thought what's one place that's a bit unusual. And I had initially wanted to go the belgian mini UYE but decided to work on essay but obviously, that plan flew SO far out the window. So i dragged my family instead. The entrance was unusual, by that I mean, the lights on the floor bake you. It's the new thing. The reception is pretty much an alleyway in the building, and the actual seating areas are downstairs in the basement where men in dress robes will be waiting for you. It's okay, it's not about to get super weird. I promise. You're in a Belgian restaurant, it's got kegs everywhere. BEER O CLOCK. :) We decided to try the Passionfruit one, it's really sweet. More like a sparkling juice. (okay, more like COCKTAIL O CLOCK, but who's checking....) We ordered two pot of 1 kg mussels to share between the 8 of us. Classic and Traditional (with Cream). They were really delicious, the classic one was the best out of the two. I feel like there should've been a bit more seasoning with the cream but it went well with the double cooked frites. We also ordered the pan fried lamb and pan fried duck. Cooked to perfection. Pink in the middle. WIN. The beef stew my brother ordered was a bit sweet, but it was very rich. We also ordered garlic mussels and a seafood stew which were also very fresh. The former was a bit oily, I wish I ordered the one with lobster bisque now. :) I can't remember what else we ordered but we were so full even without dessert. It was also around £150 for about 8 of us. less than £20 per person inc. service charge. score. The place was buzzing on a tuesday evening, pretty much filled up when we left, so it's a rather popular place. Apparently, lots of hot girls according to the brothers and cousin. Bit disturbing whilst I'm eating but if you're there for good food and uh. girls. I'd highly recommend it. P.S: I do realise my review has everything a man wants. beer, food, girls..... read more

It's a tricky thing to review a restaurant when all you've had is their cheapie 8 quid special, but as far as that goes, you'll walk out fairly satisfied here at Belgo. By far the best choice is the chili sauce half chicken, which is exactly that, a huge half hen all plump and juicy, served with quite fantastic belgian fries. The fries do resemble those I had in Belgium, halfway between the shoestring style and not at all the British wedge cut or homestlye fry, ( also unlike what the americans think Belgium fries should look like.) All that served with a half of lager, by far the most boring brew served here but for the price the whole ensemble delivers well enough. The steak is a sad little tough cut, so don't do that. But enough about the food, who are you kidding, you go here for the ale, right? Belgian Ale kick all sorts of ass, and they have the twenty page beer menus here.. none cheap, but most start at 6% and destroy most of the otherwise boring crap you find in pubs in the area. My Brugse Zot on wasn't as amazing as I remembered it in Brugge, but it hit the spot. Oh yeah, the waitstaff walk around in trappist robes which kind of lends an odd cultist look to them, but their little symbols imprinted dead center of their chests kind of look like Decepticon logos, and in that light it' a neat little cross-cultural twist. read more

I love Belgo Centraal! It has great atmosphere (better than the one on Kingsway, I think), and is great if you're looking for a place to bring family and friends. I brought my mother's coworker's family here tonight, who were on vacation from out of town. They loved it. The men thoroughly enjoyed the wide selection of beers, and the servers were great at making recommendations for them. As always, the mussels are good. My favorite is the Green Thai mussel pot, but I've also had the Mariana (garlic, white wine, cream) which is good but could be a bit more flavorful, as well as the Florentine (which is good but a bit too rich for my taste). The staff dresses in monk's robes to go with the whole Belgian monastery-brewery theme, and the entire left side of their alcohol menu has monastically-brewed beers. They also have a kid's menu, which makes it family friendly. I recommend making a reservation so you don't have to wait. read more

Good spot in London for some Belgian food and beer. The service is quick and the food is tasty once you get seated. They have a fine selection of beverages that go well with your meal. Interesting bathroom too... with the fountain-esque sink. read more

This place is solid and reliable, good beers, the service is really not up to the quality of the rest of it; they are kind and try hard but need more training. Its all about process here, not people. Its inexpensive, child friendly, and a fine place to stop in if you have a lively party or just need to drink a lot of excellent belgian beer. I like the other downtown one better; feels a bit less like being processed for whatever reason. Nevertheless, I'm sure I'll be back and this is a neighborhood where good midrange options are hard to find unless you go Chinese. read more

Holy cow. Everything about this place was delicious. From the mussels to the chips to the beers to the waffles. You will not regret going here if you like any of the above. read more

Superb mussels. Great atmosphere for anyone, including kids. This particular location is awesome since there's lots to do nearby. read more

Belgo is an excellent restaurant with great beer, delicious food and friendly service. This was perhaps the best meal I've had in my 2 weeks in Southern England and London. The Thai Curry mussels were exquisite, as well as the goat cheese starter. My meal of roasted duck breast was easily the best at the table; it was cooked perfectly on a bed of silky smooth mashed potatoes and perfectly seasoned sauce. The service at this restaurant was brilliant, renewing my faith in English customer service. It was a complete 180 degrees from your disgruntled London pub barkeep. (Who were probably annoyed with me because I was a tourist but hey, in this town who isn't?) This was actually my second time at Belgo, the first being for beer and desserts. The chocolate cheese cake is light and delicious and perfectly hits the spot. If you are interested in Belgian beer, this is definitely the place to go. For the full beer menu, you need to go downstairs to the restaurant. The small upstairs bar as a very limited menu. All in all Belgo is a great restaurant. And with plenty of room downstairs, they will have room for you on a busy Saturday night when every place else is filled to the brim. read more

Belgo Centraal - Roasted Duck Breast - Belgian Near Me - London, XGL

One I always make a point to come to while in London! Cool sub-basement setting where you can dine in the restaurant portion or the beer garden (common table seating). The beer list is fantastic, the setting is trendy/cozy, and the mussels are not to be missed! Looks like they have opened up many more locations, but this one by far has the coolest vibe and setting. I was a little bummed they no longer great you with schnapps at your table, but they seem to still have it on the menu as an option. Ah well, just make up for it with another round of beer! read more

I booked our company's Christmas dinner here last year, after several people enthusiastically recommended it. Fast forward a couple of months. 'Jessica, do you remember that awful meal you booked at Christmas?' Fast forward to me booking another event venue. 'Make sure the food is better than that place you booked at Christmas.' Fast forward to any discussion of food in the office. 'God, do you remember when you booked at Belgo? That was terrible.' You can't see me, but I'm shaking my fist menacingly in the air, in Belgo Centraal's general direction, because I am never going to live that shit down. read more

A recent UYE saw a motley crew of Yelpers club on down to Belgo Centraaaaaaal for some moules-frites - Belgian style! Nice place is Belgo Centraaaaaaaaaal, looking a little like a 1980s vision of the future, well, the upstairs at least, while downstairs, once you descend the stairs and pass through a rather innocuous looking door, is a room which I expected to be larger than it actually was. Communal seating is the biggest order in this Belgian basement, they'll cram you in somewhere in amongst these long tables. I mentioned Belgian style moules-frites but I, perhaps feeling contrary, opted for Thai style (who knew I'd find that here?). And as it turned out, they were quite nice though I would have liked more chips/frites than I received. I found the service a little haphazard. I needed to remind one waiter that my drink hadn't arrived when I ordered it about 20 minutes prior while another waiter was providing us with parts of our cutlery midway through the meal. All the staff I dealt with appeared keen and friendly but, perhaps, not the most diligent. Also, a number of the staff wear what look an awful lot like cassocks but do not provide any explanation or apparent reasoning behind this decision. I quite like this. All in all, this is a decent place. A place one is not likely to be terribly disappointed with but, at the same time, a place which is unlikely to ever wow you. I don't know the Flemish for 'meh'. Ian read more

I'm going to have to go back and try them again, the food was good, but I and one other on our table were just really disappointed by what we received. We were a large group and while it was mostly okay, we had a couple of problems... For a place that prides itself on beer, please learn how to pour it! The guy serving us seemed to think that the greater the height you poured it from the better it would be... We ended up with massive foamy heads on our beers that would overflow the glass. Not the way it should be done. The beer is exceptionally tasty though! Secondly a couple of us got the mussel platters, and were really disappointed by it, on my platter, they were overcooked, and seemed to be missing the pancetta, the other guy who had the same dish definitely had at least some on his plate. Also the size of the dish compared to the others was disproportionate. Literally got what seemed like half what anybody else ordered. That said, it was a good night, I will go back but I'll be ordering something else and pouring my own beer... read more

We had a small UYE here yesterday so was excited to go back to Belgo Centraal after a long break. The menu is interesting and has many tempting options so clearly well thought out. I decided to order the classic moules + frites but with an interesting sounding champagne and lobster sauce. The food came fairly quickly and the moules themselves were pretty good: smooth and cooked just to the right level and very clean. The sauce was pretty good and well flavoured and did indeed have a good lobster taste. Had to ask for a spoon two times for the soupy moules sauce. Why wouldn't they provide a spoon I wonder since no one else seemed to get one either? The frites weren't really Belgian Frites, they were frozen chips which is not the same thing at all and tasted like the fries you get at any fast food joint. ie pretty boring so have to deduct a point for that. Had to ask for Frite sauce (took two attempts). In the past they used to provide that with the frites which I remember being proper frites and so better than this. My request for the sauce was met with some uncertainty and the waiter thought I wanted so clearly not a regular request so bought a mini pot of standard mayo. Beer was good since you can't really go wrong with Belgian beer, especially the bottled varieties which are usually excellent and they have a good range with decent descriptions. Service was a little haphazard and intermittent and does feel a bit like a production line, as others have mentioned. In terms of value, again A-OK. Not cheap but then the quality A-OK also.The subterranean brick vault / industrial vibe works well and for a spot to go for informal lunch or dinner in Covent garden, it's a good choice. My last two visits to the Chalk farm branch, Belgo Noord were so much better all around and seems like the centraal branch doesn't have to try so hard since with the central location in crowded Covent Garden there is often a queue outside so go with mid expectations and you will be satisfied. read more

One of my most frequent restaurants in London, thanks to my sister! My first Belgium food experience was also at this restaurant and my first impression was a great one, I remembered stuffing myself with some good steak. The place is often crowded and sometimes have to wait for a while for our table. Service was great, once it was our turn, they showed us to our table and paid attention to us (positively), making us feel comfortable and often ask us whether were were satisfied and anything else they could get us. Thumbs up for this service! The interior of the restaurant makes it feel like being in an underground or something but I thought its pretty present, only thing is it can get very noisy when its full. Lots of diners chatting at almost the same time is not very pleasant for our ears. However, the food made up for it! read more

Great location, industrial decor, and consistent menu. Although I love the moules frites, I've been experimenting with the menu, and have not been disappointed. It's sad that the old seafood platter and creamed spinach of Ladbroke Grove fame is no more. read more

I quite enjoyed my meal here. I wasn't overwhelmed by anything in particular but if you're not completely unfed an order of mules-frites and a starter/side is quite satisfactory for two. You enter into the restaurant via a dark but futuristic style tunnel to be greeted by a woman with one of those head set microphones conferring with the waiting staff downstairs about availability (which there was lots so I don't quite understand our long wait under curved corrugated steel and tubular lighting), the interior decor is, well, interesting. When you finally venture down into what looks like a would be medieval dungeon -especially given the waiters knight-style dress- it appears to have been confused with an industrially retrofitted nuclear bunker. Nothing wrong with this but just so you know... We ordered the croquettes (note- there are two croquettes only, the minimum on a plate to enable the use of a plural here) with a sort of limp side salad. We went for the Thai style mussels, which wasn't spicy at all, (that that concerns you either way), just a coriander, coconut milky sort of marinade which would have been great for bread dipping (note to self about obtaining a bread basket next time). Impressive selection of beers at mostly reasonable prices, which I would definitely venture back to try more of. When the bill came I'm delighted to say we had something called "Mussel Madness" scrawled on the end which was a deduction of a few pounds (maybe 10%? I'm not sure what or how much but thank you Belgos!) so I can't complain about that! Next note to self- it was a Monday maybe that's the madness day... read more

Visited this place on a whim on a Friday night with my CB. We were curious about the good reviews, we love Belgian beers/framboise and were in the area so we decided to check it out. Location! minutes away from Covent Garden tube station and the main hub so it is easy to locate. The entrance is somewhat deceiving as it looks like a club from the outside, the sign is subtle and the dining area is not visible and but you can smell the mouth watering food being prepared somewhere. As we approach the hostess, we were worried because there was a group in front of us waiting to be seated but likely this place is easy in accommodating 2 people so off we go. I heard it is important to make reservation for big group so be aware. Anyhow, we journeyed to the dinning area which is really interesting as it is underground. It totally reminded me of Hawksmoar restaurant down the street. The decor is pretty minimalistic but cool. The service was quick and food was good. I had the beef carbonade and CB had the traditional mussels and frittes. Both dishes were tasty although my carbonade was on the heavy side (at least for me). The frittes were nice and crispy while the Floris Apple beer was sweet and smooth. The prices of the food here is pretty reasonable but the beer as it is imported from Belgium is a big expensive. Good news to the Delirium Tremens beer drinker as you will find you such here. Verdict: Good Atmosphere, quick service and pretty good food. read more

Belgos is a hit an miss place most of the time. The only redeeming factor is that they serve Strawberry Fruli. In my younger days (before Yelp) I only knew of this place and Porterhouse in Covent Garden serving this beer. Now I know better! De Hems does it, I think the Slug and Lettuce had it on Lisle Street too! Plus, now there is Rekorderlig which is basically the same thing you can buy from supermarkets/get from most bars/pubs! No more need to feel bound to Belgos just to get a drink! THE PROS - Strawberry Fruli on tap, other Fruli flavours on bottles - Mussels, mussels and more mussels. Seafood offers. Loyalty cards. Beat the clock offers (pay the time you order the food before 630 I think?) THE CONS - Sometimes food is waiting at the front of the kitchen so long it becomes cold when it arrives. I once ordered a steak which was COLD when I got it. - Some mussels (like the garlic butter one - which is basically replacing French snails l'escagot with mussels) are super small for the price you are paying, it's almost not worth it. - The place is always packed. Most of the time it is also packed with big groups of loud and rowdy people. - Our order literally took over 1 hour to arrive. We were a group of 18 or so people. Really? Most of us ordered mussels! You just put different sauce in! - However, the manager agreed with our complaint and took off the price of starters (but only a few people ordered starters) read more

I love this little "hidden" belgo resto around covent garden, not only the mussels are amazing but the atmosphere is great! the servers are always nice, plus, they give u good beer recommendations ! Thumbs up :) read more

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We came here for lunch party of 4 during the weekend. No reservations were needed the restaurant was really large and there were plenty of seats opened. The service was good and the food was ok. We ordered the different Moules mussels options. They have a lot of beer options and it's a good spot for a larger group. read more

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An underground tunnel of excitement! This restaurant is not for those who wish to have a quiet sit down meal. Waiters bustling around in over sized monk like gowns, serving every type of flavoured Belgium beer with delicious food; green Thai mussels, frites, steak and duck to match. Put your name down and find a posie in the bar and be prepared to wait up to 4o minutes - it will be worth it! The staff are always so friendly, willing to suggest their favourite dish. The toilets are a fun adventure with spaceship like doors and a shared circular hand basin. The kitchen is open in the centre of the restaurant resulting in delicious smells and a very warm atmosphere. read more

A totally reasonable place to eat lunch on Kingsway, but not all that remarkable. The weekday lunch specials are a great value, the mussles are good, and the sandwiches are fine. I'd imagine it's excellent for big groups, as they have big tables available and there seemed to be large gatherings of LSE graduate students enjoying a slow lunch while I was there. Enjoy. read more

It makes me sad that I felt quite disappointed after eating at Belgo Central because I truly wanted to like it. I thought the place was awesome when we went down to the 'dungeon', as someone has called the huge underground beer garden of Belgo. Service was nice, atmosphere was relaxed and funny, it's a place to have a great time, really. But my goat cheese salad was small, didn't have the roast tomatoes announced in the menu, the 'croutons' where 3 small pieces of chewy baguette... don't know, at £9.00 with apple juice plus service, I think it's better to go to Food for Thought nearby. Also, I wanted to try the mussels, but either you order them with fries (which I wasn't going to eat) or you order a huge amount for more than £11, that it's good for sharing but not for myself. I don't know, they should have the option of ordering them alone, but I guess everybody loves fries... read more

If you want to have excellent belgian dishes like Moules Frites or Carbonnade, as well as a variety of the best Belgian beers (they're all the best anyway :), without hopping on a Eurostar to Brussels' rue des Bouchers, then Belgo is the place to go !!!! read more

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This was not my first visit to Belgo's... but it might possibly be my last. It's a great place to go with friends and have a loud evening out, drinking fruit beers and eating mussels. On this occasion, I was sat next to such a group, which isn't half as pleasant. But ambience isn't a deal-breaker for me. I'm all about the food. Before we get to the food, I must say, one of the best things about Belgo's is there extensive "Beer Bible" - each one as delicious as the next, if I do go back anytime soon, it would be to check off some more of these beers. We got the classic mussels and the poppei - mussels baked with cheese and pancetta, and some sort of green pesto. I've had both of these before, and they were well executed, but this time, it saddens me to say, they were far below expectations. Now granted Sunday night before a bank holiday Monday is definitely not the quietest of times and they probably rushed through thousands of orders that night, so in part, I am to blame...kinda. But the mussels were overcooked, the chips were dry, the sauce with the poppei was just tame and awkward, I couldn't find any pancetta if my life depended on it. It's disappointing because I've had better at Belgo's. With hindsight, I think I'd like to give you another chance Belgo's, and I think I will, I'll just be mindful of when I visit... read more

Make a reservation!! There was a wait and almost ran out of moules. I came back the next day and it was much better. Beat the clock deals make coming here worth it as well. I ordered the mussels and fries with the cream based sauce. Tables here are arranged close together and coat hangers do get taken up quickly during the winter hours. Next time I visit London, I'll be back! I just love a good cream sauce. read more

Good belgian food that fills you up and is cheap too! Go before 7pm to get their special pricing for mussels and fries, and you will not be disappointed. Perfect for a group of friends as they have large tables and very informal setting. They also have a wide selection of beers to try! read more

I like this place feels like a industrial Soho place one floor down in the underground. Place is simple cheap and vibrant. Mussels are not good at all, actually very bad(belive me it not so hard do cook mussels), the starter and dessert was great actually. read more

Whenever I am in London, I try to try out new places. This time, we went for Belgian. The place looks really small from the outside, but the actual place is huge, it coveres the entire downtown area. The menu is not big, but has a good selection. The portions are also huge and the service super quick, for us, paying took some time though. I opted for the fish, which was just more like basic fish'n chips. But friends opted for chicken, which were really good. The mussels are obviously the speciality here, and they looked delicious. The prices are also what you would expect in the area around 12-15 per portion. All in all a good option to go to when in the area and in the mood for some hearty food. read more

Meh. I went with a friend and we each ordered a kilo pot of mussels with a side of chips. How were the chips? Frozen. Most likely, frozen. There was nothing special about them. The mussels at least tasted fresh, but A) there were a large number in my pot that didn't open and therefore wasted, and B) they have four different types of sauces the mussels are made in, but because the pot is tall and deep, you can't really get to the delicious sauce without either eating half the mussels or dumping half of them out. I wish they were served in a shorter, wider plate so you could actually taste the difference. My friend and I each got different "flavours" of mussels but the difference wasn't clear until about midway through. As for the atmosphere, I cannot figure out why half the staff is wearing monk-like costumes. Or why half the place is in a well-lit room and the other half (the room we were in) is dark and dungeon-like - complete with low ceilings. My not-very-tall friend found herself ducking to enter the room, which was a first for her. Not sure I'd go back, unless it was during a beat-the-clock special (from Monday-Friday, 5pm-6:30pm, you can get half a kilo pot of mussels and you're charged for whatever time you order them - so, order at 5:30, pay 5.30). I was surprised by how crowded the place was when we arrived, but when we left we were the only ones in the room. Food arrives very quickly; here seems to be a fast turnover. read more

A restaurant nestled in Covent Garden with friendly staff in weird outfits and incredible mussels! My friends and I ordered the green thai curry and provencale mussel pots, and the portuguais mussel bowl. However, the thai green curry mussels were by far the best! I count this dish as one of the two most delicious things I've had during my 4 month stay in London. The sauce was so flavorful, the best green thai curry I've ever had. I actually don't even like mussels that much because it usually ends up being too chewy, but these were cooked perfectly. Each portion comes with a Kilo of mussels, which is good enough for two people to share. It also come with a side of chips. The other flavors we ordered were good, but they weren't memorable and were clearly no match for the green thai curry ones. We only had mussels during my one time there, but looking around to the food on other tables, they all looked quite good. So, therefore, the green thai curry mussels are what compels me to give this place 5 stars! Please order this if you come here! The only downside to this place, in my experience, was that we couldn't take home our leftovers, which was a shame! read more

We went there for lunch to try their mussels with beer. A fun experience traveling down the lift to the underground dining area, their service was average, and the food was pretty good though not the best I've had, and the drinks were really nice. read more

I went to London to visit a friend and this was one of the restaurants she took me to. I still think about it pretty often and wonder why we don't have a restaurant like this in San Francisco. I was never a fan of mussels until I came to Belgo. I've recommended this place to people who travel to London and they all seem to enjoy it. read more

Very busy place this time of year. We weren't able to get a seat in the main area downstairs, but we were lucky to be served near the bar. The hostess was very sweet and accommodating. Decent beer selection. I tried mussels and frites + fish and chips. HOWEVER, I obviously can't say with certainty but something gave me food poisoning that day... (and the only other thing I ate was a pastry that morning so I'm thinking it was from here). So be weary! read more

Got the steak and cheese platter here, it was good food and really cool basement area. Friends got various beers, almost all of which, they enjoyed. Not a seafood or shellfish guy, so I'm not the perfect reviewer for their big menu items. Cool place to go on a date or with a group of friends though! read more

Cool place. Kinda silly with the "trappist monk" waiters but excellent selection of beer and pretty good food. I really enjoyed their (again very silly) Octoberfeast: http://londonist.com/2008/10/oktoberfeast_at_belgo.php Good one to keep in mind when the out-of-towners come to visit. read more

A tight stairway or industrial elevator transport you to another world, where trappist-robed servers lead you to long benches in a brick-vaulted-ceiling cellar. A must-see every time I visit London. This place has excellent mussels, crispy frites, and of course, beer. The menu is worthy being a text for a lesson in Belgian beer-making history. They also offer several flavors of Genever, a fruit liquor almost impossible to find outside of Belgium. Unisex bathroom stalls with a shared sink are a clean adventure, and the price is right. Who could ask for anything more? read more