Houtsiplou

When in Belgium, you must have some Belgian mussels. My favorite item here is their mussels in…read morecream and garlic sauce. The mussels are fresh and flavorful, and you can't help but slurp, I mean scoop up, some of the cream and garlic sauce in between each mussel. The other items are not bad, but nothing to write home about: Flemish beef stew, meatballs in tomato sauce, or even mussels with plain white wine (1 star off). Overall, Le Bistro is a good...bistro...option for some local foods.

Food was ok. We went for the rabbit stew on my birthday. Kind of tasted like chicken? Pork knuckle…read morehad a sweet and savory marinate. Salad was a center attraction. Lasagña was t bad either. You have to try Belgium waffles while in Belgium, obviously. Servers were friendly but forgot about a few of our dishes. We waited forever until everyone got their food. We sat outside during a rainy day but the restaurant itself seemed classic with a wooden rustic vibe.

0.7 km•Dansaert, Centre-Ville, Bruxelles

Interior upstairs

Burrata cheese salad with olive oil and balsamic glaze

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Le Fin de Siècle

4.3(539 reviews)

One of the best diing experiences we had in Brussels! The food was great and the service was…read moreoutstanding. Huge shoutout to Julian! He reminded us of a combination of Neil Fak (from The Bear) and Lazlow (from What We Do in the Shadows). He was coordinating the line, seating, and gave outstanding recommendations, as well as praise, when we picked our wine. We were quoted about 45 minutes to wait, as they don't take reservations. A two-top opened up inside and Julian was concerned that it would be too hot, so he made me go inside to check first. Thankfully, it was right by the open area leading to outside, so we took it and were seated in about 20 minutes, rather than 45. The place was packed the entire time we were there; its reputation certainly precedes it. Good energy and beautifully decorated with stunning art inside. Carbonades a la Biere (beef stew; 19.45 Euros) is their speciality and was delicious! So reasonably priced for the flavor and te size of the dish! After Julian mentioned that the lamb is the best dish on the menu, there was no question that I was ordering it. Jarret d'Agneau Roti (Roasted Lamb Shank; 27.35 Euros) was so very good! Full of Rosemary and so tender! As Julian was running by, I quickly asked him: "Tiramisu or Tarte Tatin?" No hesitation, he replied, "Tarte Tatin." I wasn't sure if he actually put the order in for us or not, but then it arrived at our table and it was delicious! Pear Tarte (8.65 Euros) with a side of ice cream. Not too sweet, with lovely spices in the pears. Cash only, always a line, but totally worth it!

You likely will see a line for dinner. Don't worry it does go pretty fast and likely faster than…read morewhat they may quote. The stew was fantastic! Tender meat bursting with flavor with some mashed potatoes to soak up the sauce. I enjoyed the lamb as well, however a bit too much rosemary for me. Get the pear dessert. The soft and sweet pear coupled with the ice cream was one of the best desserts I've had in some time.

0.6 km•Centre-Ville, Grand-Place, Bruxelles

Menu Sept 2025

Free bread

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Stoemp (sausages with mashed potatoes)

Brasserie de la Ville

4.3(45 reviews)

First night in Brussels and wanted mussels and fries and a Belgian beer. This restaurant had all of…read morethis and everything was well prepared and tasty. Great service too. Very close to Grand Place also.

We ordered a lot of food. I would recommend the salmon with bearnaise sauce and the spaghetti…read morebolognese. They were well prepared and delicious. The Finnish stew was a little tough and the sauce was quite sweet. The mussels in white wine sauce was light and a little too pungent for us. I wish we liked the Belgian favorites a little more. The Belgian beer paired well with the dishes. Service was also great. The place is small so get there early.

1.4 km•Saint-Gilles, Porte de Hal

Finnish stew

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Jupiter beer-light and refreshing!

Brasserie Verschueren

4.1(34 reviews)

•€

located just next door to the church Parvis de Saint Gilles, this bar is separated from the main…read morefull people pedestrian street where La Maison du Peuple is located. 100% local people, the terrace has this peaceful sensation where you almost feel on holidays (due to the church?) they have a good choice of beers and home cooked snacks like croque-monsieur, pasta and other easy going dishes my favourite beer there is Affligem which becomes hard to find in Brussels. if you want to avoid big crowds there you will feel at home.

Great local watering hole. Good beers, good soup, good terrace. Nice location and atmosphere.read more

0.9 km•Marolles, Centre-Ville, Bruxelles

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Extérieur (outside)

La Marmite

4.3(3 reviews)

1.5 km•Saint-Gilles, Porte de Hal

A real discovery for me this one! It's a vegetarian social restaurant, meaning you don't get to…read morechoose what you eat (a soup or a dish, veggie) but you can decide what you pay for it. The main dish is a big full plate of vegetarian comfort food, just as if it came out of your own (mother's) kitchen. When asking for the bill, it's up to you choose if you wanna pay peanuts because you're broke, a bit more if you want to pay just enough to cover the costs, or the highest price which is still very cheap if you are able and willing to support the project. I love the food and I love the concept, definitely adore the surpising mix of these two.

I like this place a lot, both for the food and the concept. It's a pay as you wish restaurant (4…read moreeuros if you are broke to 10 euros if you want to support the project). They serve a dish of the day always vegetarian (not vegan) or soup but there is no menu. Its' a welcomming little restaurant, not too far from the city center so if you are visiting Brussels and want to get away from the touristy, expensive restaurants, it's the place to go. A big plus: they have beers from the Brasserie de la Senne, the only brewery still operating in Brussels. They are great and usually more expensive than at La Marmite!

Le Louvre

4.8(9 reviews)

•€

Service was great. Bar was empty because I went at lunchtime. I am sure this spot is a happening…read moreplace in the evening when the target audience is widely available.

Romolo, the bar owner was very nice! Very good beer and spritz and the staff were sweet and…read morepleasant to talk to and hang around with. They treated us like family and knew that we were tourists so they recommended a few good places to get authentic food! Definitely coming back to this place if we ever come back to Belgium. A very memorable and special visit we are happy we chose this bar

0.7 km•Marolles, Centre-Ville, Bruxelles

Le Louvre

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Escargot mamie ;-)

Au Mouton Bleu

3.0(2 reviews)

•€

Came in here about a month ago to escape possibly the worst storm I have ever had the misfortune to…read morebe caught in. The friendly staff gave me some paper towels to dry myself off and served me a local lager at a reasonable price. I watched the Tour de France on TV and dried off a little bit. (before leaving and getting lost...and wetter....but that's another story). The customers looked mostly of a middle eastern origin, which may be the demographic in the area. A lot of them were smoking which was a bit of a surprise to someone so used to smoke free pubs now. This is a decent option in the area and I appreciate the port in the storm so to speak...quite literally, but this is not the place if you want a decent selection of beers!

0.7 km•Centre-Ville, Dansaert, Bruxelles

Elle a résisté au temps. Mais qui peut la dater ?

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Le Cirio

3.8(128 reviews)

I was excited to eat mussels in Brussels. I saw the decent…read morereviews for this place and was informed that there was seating right away, so I sat down and went straight to placing an order for my mussels entree. On first impression, it seemed quite busy. I'm not sure if it's always super busy, but the servers seemed very busy & overwhelmed with amount of tasks that they had to fulfill. It didn't really affect me, but just something I noticed. What disappointed & affected me the most however was the mussels that I was so anticipating. The presentation was nice, but the taste was not... The soup that was on the bottom was coating the mussels and it was way too salty for my taste! It tasted a lot like sea water. There were a decent amount of mussels to eat, but the saltiness really made it hard for me to eat each piece. It didnt have much flavor other than salt. The only saving grace was the fries. Overall, I would not recommend getting an order of mussels here...

Wow! This place is so cool and looks like it did 100 years ago. We sat inside and had drinks and…read morefood. We had the Carbonnades Flamande and it was delicious. Frites were cooked perfectly and could not have been happier. For a place in the tourist zone, there were so many locals and the prices were great. Would come back again tomorrow if I could!

1.3 km•Porte de Hal, Saint-Gilles

Carbonades Flamandes

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Nice beer with friends

La Porteuse d'Eau

3.3(30 reviews)

Great experience, I was looking for a place that served stoemp and I came across this spot. It…read morewasn't my first pick and I ended up walking another 45 minutes before coming back here. Charming interior, friendly staff, extensive menu in French and English. The stoemp was delicious, the mashed potatoes were creamy but still chunky and had leeks mixed in. The sausage had a good bite to it and nice flavor. 10/10 experience, except I opted to sit in the direct sunlight so...my eye sight suffered.

This is a review based purely on the Creme Brulee…read more Shallow with a large circumference, allowing for maximum toffee top surface area. The custard underneath that burnished golden shell was delicious too. Parfait.

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Le 203

4.9(43 reviews)

1.9 km•Saint-Gilles

One of the best quality to price ratios in Bruxelles. High end gastronomy , locally sourced, all…read moredone right in front of you at the counter- it's hard to beat this lovely spot.

What a fantastic little place. The South African-born chef has (in my opinion) hit upon the perfect…read moreformula for a good restaurant in this era: small-scale, simple (2 starters, 2 plats, 2 desserts), casual, warm, and well executed. We got a duck salad, some perfect hummus, and some hanger steak. I got a Beerstorming Nordic Hopster in the bottle, very similar to an American IPA. Lunch was about 50 EUR for two.

Poêlée de champignons, amandes, raisins

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5 reviews that are not currently recommended

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Sami M.

10 years ago

If u want a terrible experience go there. The staff is rude and disrescpectful. The welcome is horrible and just makes u want to run away fast and far! Didn't even get to the food since they basically kicked me out for wanting to sit on a 4 ppl table when the place is empty! Never going back and definitely don't advice this place. The guy even cursed at me in Portuguese when I was leaving saying literally "Go fuck yourself". Very classy!!!! This place should be shut for having the most terrible people!! read more

Dominiqui F.

12 years ago

Un avis parmi tant d'autres mais j'aime beaucoup Houtsiplou. Les burgers sont vraiment très bons et les frites + la sauce maison qui va avec sont délicieuses. Les prix sont vraiment raisonnables surtout vu la qualité de la viande utilisée. Ok on est serré quand on mangé, c'est petit et il faut parfois attendre avant de pouvoir s'installer mais c'est comme ça. En contrepartie, le service est vraiment rapide. read more

Aaron M.

12 days ago

It no longer exists. Closed and is a different restaurant. Signs have been replaced. Don't know what else to say.

Johanna T.

14 years ago

Sooo goood ! thanks guys!

Olivier P.

Elite 16

127

122

14 years ago

Great burgers.

Houtsiplou - belgian - Updated August 2026

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La Roue d'Or

3.9

(45 reviews)

Love this place. Been coming here for over 25 years and the quality and service has stayed…read moreconsistent throughout. My favourites remain the seared foie gras, the mussels, and the steak frites. The escargot on pastry and the bone marrow are also great, as is the salmon. Yum!

Such a cool space with all of the unique art! It was quiet when I went in for lunch...only 3…read moretables and one server. The service wasn't very warm, but the food was good.

C'est Bon C'est Belge

4.3

(55 reviews)

The only problem with leaving a five star review is that it encourages others to go and get in line…read moreahead of us! ;) Ok, ok, ok kidding aside PLEASE visit this establishment. Quaint inside with limited seating and ALWAYS busy with a wait, it's easy to understand why. Simple, yet glorious dishes await your palate. We enjoyed our Carbonnade and practically liked our plates clean which would have been embarrassing for sure but worth it. Three cheers to the chef who can transform ingredients in to a plate with singing about!

I found this place because it had pretty good reviews, had some specific Belgian dishes we were…read morelooking to try, and was close by to where we were. We got there at around 12:30 on a Saturday and it was pretty filled already. I ordered the C'est si Bon combo platter, which included a salad, stoemp (mashed potatoes), meatballs in tomato sauce, carbonnade (Flemish beef stew), and vol au vent (chicken in white sauce). It wasn't bad. It's probably not really for my taste buds because it's so heavy but I'm glad it was a little bit of everything so I at least got to try it. I don't think I could have finished a full size of any of these entrees alone. I liked the beef stew more than I thought I would because the beef tends to be dry, but it was pretty tender here. The vol au vent was creative because the dish normally inside a puff pastry but since this was a sample, they put a miniature pastry ring on top, which was cute and made it less heavy. Hubby had La Dinantaise (assorted duck plate with foie gras, smoked breast, gizzards, rillettes, terrine) served with a salad. I enjoyed the foie gras and duck breast but the rest was meh, but more of a texture thing for me. Overall, the food was okay but if you're looking for a variety of dishes to try, this would be a good option.

Les Brassins

3.8

(88 reviews)

Amazing food and service in a wonderful ambience. It was recommended to us by our concierge and it…read moresurely didn't disappoint. The food items were fresh and tasty and the drink menu extensive. Fast and courteous service.

I found out about Les Brassins just a few months before moving away from Brussels, and since then,…read moreI think I've visited about ten times. Everything I've had there has been excellent, and it's my go-to for when visitors say they want authentic Belgian food. Their beer selection is of course great, but more surprisingly, they have a good wine list with a lot of half bottles on offer. Service is good and reasonably fast. And they are open every day! Even Sunday! Even Monday! I recommend making a reservation if you're going at peak dinner hour with more than two people. Top notch!

La Taverne du Passage

3.3

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Every time I pass by Brussels, I visit this memorable place. I always take and recommend the…read more"croquettes de crevettes" as a starter, and the "filet americain" as a main course. A must in Brussels!

Stirwen

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•€€€€

The food here was magnificent. I visit Brussels for business and this restaurant came highly…read morerecommended by a colleague. The food was delicious and beautiful plated. Ariane was incredible with her service. She was very very knowledgeable about the wines and the dishes, which made the experience that much better. I would definitely recommend this place. It's not very big, but the ambience is very calm and classy.

Sigh. I was talked into Stirwen by a travel mate who has a thing for fine dining. I, too, enjoy…read morefine dining on occasion, but as someone who doesn't eat beef or pork, I have to thoroughly vet the restaurant beforehand to make sure I don't end up eating an air sandwich. Well, that is exactly what happened at Stirwen. I ordered the "Black truffle and winter vegetables (vegetarian)". Turns out it was literally a spoonful of risotto and then a pot of carrots and other root vegetables that I had to share with a friend that ordered the same. I was also promised a vegetarian amuse bouche that never arrived. Thanks for nothing, guys. The final straw was when my travel mate (the one who originally chose the place) had an issue with her wine and ordered a replacement. This girl has traveled/lived all over the world, is a connoisseur of all things lux, and definitely knows her wine. The sommelier was incredibly rude to her. At this point, we were over Stirwen. Two stars (rather than 1) because one of my other travel mates actually enjoyed her "Suckling pig Iberico de bellota". Hey, I'm annoyed, not petty.

La Quincaillerie

3.7

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I'm usually not the biggest fan of Belgian or French food, but I figured I should try some of the…read moremore local cuisine while in Brussels. A few Belgian friends recommended we try La Quincaillerie during our trip, so we decided to give it a shot...and thank goodness we did! It was such a fun dinner, and I, shockingly, really enjoyed the food. The space itself is quite cute, with ample indoor and outdoor seating, plus absolutely gorgeous decor. It gets pretty crowded but mostly from locals vs. the surge of tourists in central Brussels, given this spot is a little bit out of the way. The service is remarkably friendly and attentive -- often asking to clear our plates within seconds of us finishing our last bite and refilling our water cups with a shocking frequency. Food-wise, we started the meal with the burrata. The cheese was creamy and rich, and it went beautifully with the fragrant sun dried tomatoes and peppery arugula. It was also topped with a few croutons -- which were tasty and clearly house-made, but I was a little confused on how to eat them with the cheese (vs. the more classic method of putting burrata on a slice of toast) -- and a flavorful sauce. All around a great combo of flavors and textures, making it the perfect start to our meal. For our mains, my friend got their duck and I ordered the pollock. They both had pretty generous portions, especially the duck. The pollock was perfectly tender and flaky inside, with a delightfully crispy skin / herb crust on the top. It was topped with fresh herbs and served in a super flavorful sauce -- truly could not have asked for a better entree. The dish was relatively light but extremely flavorful and filling, and the fish just fell apart in my mouth. I'm not quite a French / Belgian food convert yet, but I'll happily come back here anytime.

An original restaurant in a former hardware store. The oysters and seafood platters are just…read moredelicious, and if you do not want fish as a main, just try the chicken Bresse (poulet de Bresse).

Le Petit Boxeur

4.3

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As a tourist in Brussels, I counted on Yelp to guide me to good eating and drinks!! I was not let…read moredown, this place was great!! The food was outstanding, one of the best meals I've had all week in Brussels. I had the sole and it was delicious. The sauces and veggies were great and large portions! I was stuffed. My girlfriend got the salmon pasta with sun dried tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, it was also delicious!! Very impressed. The atmosphere is romantic, although I went with my girlfriend and it was still fine! The service was great, the waiter was very friendly and helped us with the menu. Highly recommended!

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Lola

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I think this restaurant was subpar to the many different options in Brussels. We paid about 137…read moreeuros for two people with drinks, two entrees, an appetizer(snails), and bottled water. We were seated immediately inside without reservations so that was nice. The staff spoke moderate English and the inside was clean. It's higher maintained than a casual restaurant but not upscale. I thought the wait was a little long for what we ordered. The snails weren't something I'd get again but fresh. The sea bass was the best out of the whole meal. The lobster was not spicy at all and felt a bit overcooked and the pasta undercooked.

Very nice restaurant and I am glad we got a reservation the day before. I was on a business trip…read moreand looking for some nice places to eat and this was a recommendation from a colleague. We ordered a nice bottle of Sancerre, I had the beef carpaccio and had the Vol au Vent for my main. My colleague had escargot and sea bass for her main. Dishes were beautifully presented, I thought the carpaccio was the highlight of my dinner. While the flavors of the Vol au Vent were great, it was a bit heavy for my taste. Service was great and very attentive. Ambiance was very modern and we enjoyed our dining experience. Overall, I would come back and try some of the other main dishes.

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AMAZING SERVICE!! Atiem was incredibly accommodating and genuinely pleasant! I'd recommend this…read moreplace 10/10! Food was great and so were the drinks!

So, my sister says, "Everyone says I have to get the mussels if I'm in Brussels". So I'm like, "Ok…read moreso lemme call Jean-Claude Van Damme real quick....*commence frantic search on cell phone for JCVD's home number* Then I remembered I had to take his number out of my phone after...well....I don't want to talk about it. Anyway, after recognizing my sister meant the bivalve mollusk and not human tissue we headed over to Skievelat. It was just up the street from where we were staying. I had already ate a Chipotle burrito I brought over from England, so I was looking for dessert. The place was pretty full on a Friday night which was great for the ambiance. Both floors seemed pretty busy. The waiters looked stressed out though as it seemed to be only 2-3 of them for the whole two floors. We ordered our adult beverages and waited since the waiter forgot to give us menus. Now, my sister ordered a large beer and it was much bigger than she thought so I had to help her finish it later on, but be aware that large is actually huge. It wasn't quite Oktoberfest stein huge, but it was pretty big. I ordered crème brulee and my sister got the pot of mussels which came with frites (fries). So the waiter comes out like 10-15 mins later (yes..they're quick) with this medium pot of mussels but honestly two people can probably share a pot. I actually think you're supposed to share them but since I'm vegetarian I told my sister that was all on her. And....she still had that big glass of beer to slam. Anyway, the crème brulee was ok. Not the best I've had and really nothing overly special. My sister fully gorged herself on the mussels pot and felt bad for leaving a few in the pot. I told her that to just let go and let god because I could see that over-stuffed miserable wince in her face and she didn't seem to like the painful reminder that her big beer was only half gone. So...she tapped out but got her money's worth. It's a great restaurant and the people that sat nearby were sociable. It wasn't too touristy either so it seemed like actual locals eat there.

Café Georgette

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