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Comme Chez Soi: Comme Chez Soi opened in 1925 and is now a three- star Michelin rated restaurant located in Place Rouppe 21 in Brussels. The Art-Noveau style bistro serves excellent French cuisine in a warm yet elegant ambience, all under the creative ministrations of chef-owner Pierre Wynants. The restaurant’s reputation as one of the best restaurants in Belgium has also made it one of the most popular, and reservations have to be made weeks in advance in order to get a table. Meals can be pricey but reviews of the restaurant and the dishes can make dining in Comme Chez Soi a worthwhile experience.
Bruneau: Owned by chef Jean-Pierre Bruneau, the French restaurant is located in the Avenue Broustin in Brussels. It opened in 1975 and has earned a reputation amongst gourmets and food critics for its innovative and imaginative cuisine that it has been awarded by Michelin with a two-star rating. The restaurant has two dining rooms, one of which has a garden where diners can enjoy their meals during the summer, and a salon/private lounge.
Aux Armes de Bruxelles. A restaurant that has been around for 80 years must be doing something right – and this is what this charming seafood restaurant near the Grand’Place in Brussels is all about. Diners swear by their fresh mussels best enjoyed in the warmly-lit banquet hall. Although its specialty is seafood, the restaurant also serves traditional Flemish and European cuisine.
‘T Fornuis. In Oude Stad, Antwerp lies a 16th century stonehouse turned into one of the city’s best restaurants. The ‘T Fornuis is a two-star Michelin restaurant that serves Flemish cuisine with French influences. As with most rated restaurants prices are on the high side but the experience is said to be incomparable, especially when chef Johan Segers comes to your table and explains the dishes which you have ordered. The wine cellar holds a collection of over 4000 wines. A permanent item in the menu is roasted sweetbreads with a wild truffle sauce.
Rooden Hoed. It is Antwerp’s oldest restaurant and one of the most popular. The 250-year old French-Belgian restaurant is located in the University District, attracting a varied clientele with its classy ambience, affordable prices and good regional food. Menu favorites include chicken waterzooi, choucroute d’Alsace (sausages with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes) and seafood dishes like eel in parsley sauce.
De Karmeliet. Another favorite amongst food critics and diners alike, De Karmeliet is the only restaurant in Bruges that has been given a three-star Michelin rating for 2010. Chef-owner Geert van Hecke oversees the French-Belgian menu with an eye for using simple and fresh ingredients and turning them into culinary masterpieces. Menu changes every two months but longtime favorites like potato bouillon with shelled shrimps and cod can be ordered anytime.
Den Gouden Harynck. “The Golden Herring” is another example of culinary excellence in Bruges. Located in Groeninge in the museum district, the restaurant is run by chefs Philippe and Marijke Serruys who surprise diners with an ever-changing menu according to the seasons and what is fresh and available in the market.
Maison du Cygne. Situated in the Grand’Place in Brussels is a fine dining restaurant popular amongst businessmen and dating couples. The Maison du Cygne serves French and Belgian dishes such as steamed turbot in hazelnut-mint sauce, King Crab ravioli with crustacean juice and cheek and calf’s sweetbreads with root vegetables. The wine cellar boasts of a collection of over 70,000 bottles.
In’t Spinnekopke. A favorite of locals, “In the Spider’s Web” is a traditional café/restaurant in Brussels serving diners for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Located near the Fish Market off Rue van Artevelde, the restaurant was built in an 18th century stagecoach inn. Entrees include old Belgian favorites like Sole Meuniere, Stoemp Mi Sossisse (Hotchpotch with sausage) and rabbit stewed in beer. Another popular crowd-drawer is the restaurant’s selection of over 100 artisanal beers aside from its aperitifs and wines.
Gin Fish. Chef-owner Didier Garnich made a gamble when he returned his Michelin star rating to open this seafood restaurant in Oude Stad in Antwerp. The gamble paid off – Gin Fish has been acknowledged with a Michelin star rating, rave reviews from food critics and the patronage of gourmands and gourmets alike. An innovative touch to the restaurant’s contemporary offering is that there is no menu. Gin Fish serves the freshest catch of the day, in a main entrée with dessert. Examples of chef Garnich’s creations include sea scallops cooked in a mushroom-sorrel stock or langoustines in a light curry sauce. Save room for their scrumptious desserts.
