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La Clef d'Or was one of the places open early so we decided to grab breakfast here. This place has an old school diner feel and the food follows with that vibe. I don't see this stand out from any other greasy spoon diner that I've ever been to and you get exactly what you expect. All of the food I had was okay, nothing blew me away or is very memorable. I ordered the spaghetti bolognese and... I don't have much to say about it really. Just gets the job done is all I can say. The portions here were pretty large.
Came here again for a late breakfast and ordered the Omelette Paysanne (peasant omelet). The ingredients include ham, bacon, onion, potato, tomato and cheese. Served with bread/butter. The egg was cooked very well (i.e. NOT overcooked). And, the ingredients were fresh and tasty. All in all a great breakfast and the house coffee was good as well. If I lived in Brussels, I could very well come eat here on a weekly basis. Since I came here around 3pm, the vendors at the flea market across the street were packing up. Nothing special about the flea market. A lot of old junk but for those treasure seekers there's always a diamond in the rough to be found.
A quaint little greasy spoon establishment right across from the early-opening Marolles Flea Market. I unfortunately made the mistake of embarking on a beercation in Belgium by myself with ambitions to try as much Belgian beer that one cannot obtain anywhere outside of the country in a period of seven days. This meant that breakfast would literally have to become the most important meal of the day for me to prepare my gut for a heavy day of drinking ahead almost everyday -- what I failed to account for is that breakfast isn't as huge of a deal in Belgium as it is back in the states, and there was not an abundant number of choices available to my jetlagged self at 7 am in the morning. Cue the Golden Key. The place was populated at 7:30 when I got to Place Marolles in the rain with local inhabitants, and flea market aficionados stopping by for a cup of coffee. What caught my attention was that most people that came in just shouted their order from the doorstep and the owner just gave them a sullen nod of acknowledgement with no sign of hassle whatsoever; if this doesn't scream "local establishment with local clientele" I can't imagine what else. I ordered a Omelette Paysanne with a cup of the Potage du Jour which was exactly what I needed for the busy day ahead; the Omelette Paysanne was simple, elegant, and perfect. I really don't know how else to describe an omelette with cheese, ham/bacon, and tomatoes, topped off with sprinkles of cheese other than it was well-executed and not at all burnt? It's one of those things that's either a 1 or 0 -- you either got it locked down or you don't. The service was cordial, which is a lot more than what you can ask for in this area, and the owner was kind enough to humor me while I spoke in my horrendous French, where others in this general area have repeatedly dismissed me while saying "Je ne comprends pas, monsieur. Qu'est-ce que vous voulez?" They also have a good selection of bottled beer and some local favorites on tap, if that's more of your thing as well.
Toen ik hier nog woonde, kon ik het niet laten om mijn dag te beginnen met een stevige pistolet of soep met ajuinen en geraspte kaas. Na het zwemmen of voor ik naar de V.U.B. reed met mijn fiets wou ik toch graag nog even een pistolet met kaas gaan eten of een "boulle" drinken voor 1 euro 20. Een bezoekje aan de markt nadien en mijn dag begon goed ! Ik zag er als vrijgezel ook tegenop om voor mijzelf een koffie te maken en die alleen thuis op te drinken. Ik ging liever onmiddelijk het huis uit en genieten van de sfeer van de rommelmarkt en de lieve mensen uit de Marollen. Op 5 minuten met de fiets van het centrum, de Zavel of het Zuidstation. De meest bekende pistoletplakker van héél de Marollen en de snelste minst begaaide service ook. Er wordt gewerkt in Le Clef d'Or en dat verdient een extra fooi. Tussen de ouderen en luitjes die hun sherry graag s'morgens drinken om 7 uur, zette ik me neer en las ik de krant of de agenda van de dag voor. Altijd zie je er oude bekenden !
As Joey T. says, I don't really understand the hype. Our train back to France was delayed so I came here to kill time and give Belgian food one last chance. Had a coffee, omelette & croque-madame and all were A-OK but nothing to write home about. Prices were also a bit steep for what we got. To top it off, service was pretty aloof so in the battle of European countries with good food, Belgium is most definitely playing "ketchup".
Food, ambience and service is top notch. Exceptional people watching location across the flea market. Staff are very friendly and food choice is very Belgian and not extensive. Everything is cooked really well and presentation is simple. I would happily go back here anytime for good tasty wholesome meals.
Spaghetti bolo for breakfast? Hell yeah! After a morning jaunt through the flea market where I snatched up a fab porcelain pastry plate for 2E, my local host suggested a mid-morning snack at this 100% authentic Belgian café. As soon as we walked through the door my heart started to flutter. The wood paneled restaurant with its large central Zinc bar, gruff but friendly waiters, formica table tops with little napkin dispensers looks like it hasn't budged in 50 years. In a word: adorable! After examining the menu thoroughly I settled on the house specialty of spaghetti bolo and a café russe to wash it all down. An incongruous blend, I know, but hey, in a 24hr Belgian diner anything goes. Needless to say the bolo was like nothing I've ever had. Served over slightly overcooked vermicelli and topped with grated gruyere, the peppery, chunky bolognaise sauce had a regressive, quirky, heartiness to it that made the whole dish super fun to eat. If I lived in BXL I could see La Clef d'Or becomming a regular post flea market spot. read more
12 years ago
I came here for lunch on my first day in Brussels. I was in town to visit friends and while walking around the city centre, they suggested we sit down at this place. My friend, who has been living in Brussels on and off for over 20 years says this place is very authentic for Belgian food. La Clef d'Or is popular among tourists and locals and the price is very reasonable for Brussels. Menu: Cheese! Nearly everything must have cheese on it! With a bit of guidance from my friend, I ordered a Bacon and Cheese Omelet, a Cafe Bol, and a Kriek Beer while there. My first impression is that this omelette isn't omelettey. Rather than folding the egg over itself to form a cover for the tasty bits and melting the cheese, the cheese and bacon (spek) sits on top of the circle-shaped omelette. I wasn't use to it, but it was interesting to try nonetheless. Cafe Bol literally translates into a bowl of coffee. But be aware that this coffee isn't 100% coffee, but a mixture of coffee and chicory (a coffee substitute during the depression). Finally for dessert, I had a light beer. Kriek is a girly beer: sweet and fruity, and a perfect end to a meal before you explore more of Brussels. If I could, I would come and try a croque monsieur or a stoemp... Even another beer as they had a massive selection to choose from. Atmosphere: There is a nice outdoor seating area where you can enjoy your coffee and people watch across the square where the flea market is opened daily till about 2pm. If it's too cold, or you cannot stand the smell of exhaust fumes from cars, you can sit inside. The decor inside is just as lovely with vintage art pieces that have not changed since they opened. Service: It seems that a lot of the servers are middle-aged men who are fast and efficient at their job. You can tell they are very busy, but they do try and make an effort to talk to you when they can. I would say what they offer is old-school, diner service. Which was lovely. read more
La Clef d'Or was one of the places open early so we decided to grab breakfast here. This place has an old school diner feel and the food follows with that vibe. I don't see this stand out from any other greasy spoon diner that I've ever been to and you get exactly what you expect. All of the food I had was okay, nothing blew me away or is very memorable. I ordered the spaghetti bolognese and... I don't have much to say about it really. Just gets the job done is all I can say. The portions here were pretty large. read more
14 years ago
Came here again for a late breakfast and ordered the Omelette Paysanne (peasant omelet). The ingredients include ham, bacon, onion, potato, tomato and cheese. Served with bread/butter. The egg was cooked very well (i.e. NOT overcooked). And, the ingredients were fresh and tasty. All in all a great breakfast and the house coffee was good as well. If I lived in Brussels, I could very well come eat here on a weekly basis. Since I came here around 3pm, the vendors at the flea market across the street were packing up. Nothing special about the flea market. A lot of old junk but for those treasure seekers there's always a diamond in the rough to be found. read more
A quaint little greasy spoon establishment right across from the early-opening Marolles Flea Market. I unfortunately made the mistake of embarking on a beercation in Belgium by myself with ambitions to try as much Belgian beer that one cannot obtain anywhere outside of the country in a period of seven days. This meant that breakfast would literally have to become the most important meal of the day for me to prepare my gut for a heavy day of drinking ahead almost everyday -- what I failed to account for is that breakfast isn't as huge of a deal in Belgium as it is back in the states, and there was not an abundant number of choices available to my jetlagged self at 7 am in the morning. Cue the Golden Key. The place was populated at 7:30 when I got to Place Marolles in the rain with local inhabitants, and flea market aficionados stopping by for a cup of coffee. What caught my attention was that most people that came in just shouted their order from the doorstep and the owner just gave them a sullen nod of acknowledgement with no sign of hassle whatsoever; if this doesn't scream "local establishment with local clientele" I can't imagine what else. I ordered a Omelette Paysanne with a cup of the Potage du Jour which was exactly what I needed for the busy day ahead; the Omelette Paysanne was simple, elegant, and perfect. I really don't know how else to describe an omelette with cheese, ham/bacon, and tomatoes, topped off with sprinkles of cheese other than it was well-executed and not at all burnt? It's one of those things that's either a 1 or 0 -- you either got it locked down or you don't. The service was cordial, which is a lot more than what you can ask for in this area, and the owner was kind enough to humor me while I spoke in my horrendous French, where others in this general area have repeatedly dismissed me while saying "Je ne comprends pas, monsieur. Qu'est-ce que vous voulez?" They also have a good selection of bottled beer and some local favorites on tap, if that's more of your thing as well. read more
15 years ago
Toen ik hier nog woonde, kon ik het niet laten om mijn dag te beginnen met een stevige pistolet of soep met ajuinen en geraspte kaas. Na het zwemmen of voor ik naar de V.U.B. reed met mijn fiets wou ik toch graag nog even een pistolet met kaas gaan eten of een "boulle" drinken voor 1 euro 20. Een bezoekje aan de markt nadien en mijn dag begon goed ! Ik zag er als vrijgezel ook tegenop om voor mijzelf een koffie te maken en die alleen thuis op te drinken. Ik ging liever onmiddelijk het huis uit en genieten van de sfeer van de rommelmarkt en de lieve mensen uit de Marollen. Op 5 minuten met de fiets van het centrum, de Zavel of het Zuidstation. De meest bekende pistoletplakker van héél de Marollen en de snelste minst begaaide service ook. Er wordt gewerkt in Le Clef d'Or en dat verdient een extra fooi. Tussen de ouderen en luitjes die hun sherry graag s'morgens drinken om 7 uur, zette ik me neer en las ik de krant of de agenda van de dag voor. Altijd zie je er oude bekenden ! read more
As Joey T. says, I don't really understand the hype. Our train back to France was delayed so I came here to kill time and give Belgian food one last chance. Had a coffee, omelette & croque-madame and all were A-OK but nothing to write home about. Prices were also a bit steep for what we got. To top it off, service was pretty aloof so in the battle of European countries with good food, Belgium is most definitely playing "ketchup". read more
Food, ambience and service is top notch. Exceptional people watching location across the flea market. Staff are very friendly and food choice is very Belgian and not extensive. Everything is cooked really well and presentation is simple. I would happily go back here anytime for good tasty wholesome meals. read more
9 years ago
11 years ago
The spaghetti, the soul of the day, and a bowl of coffee! Absolutely unique and wonderful. Would recommend for those cool, winter, Brussels mornings! read more
11 years ago
12 years ago
11 years ago
12 years ago
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More info about La Clef d'Or
Place du Jeu de Balle 1
Vossenplein 1
1000 Brussels
Belgium
Marolles, Centre-Ville, Bruxelles
Directions
02 511 97 62
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