We were in seach of a quick lunch and this casual brasserie tucked down a side street fit the bill. The comprehensive menu serves breakfast to high tea and consists of pastries, eggs, soups, salads, sandwiches and large plates. We arrived a little before noon (what can I say? We were starving!) and were seated […]
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It Rains Fishes
This restaurant’s name first got our attention, then its French-oriented seafood menu caught our eye. The menu features mainstream choices like lobster bisque, mussels and sole à la meunière and more interesting ones like fishes curry and tempura scallops. After changing our minds a few times, we each opted for the market menu, which consisted […]
‘t Elfde Gebod, Antwerp
Everyone should learn the 11th Commandment (translated from Flemish), which clearly involves sampling a variety of Trappist beers while crowds of saints and angels peer down at you. It could be the easiest one!
Belgian Waffles
It’s impossible to walk very far in the city center without encountering a waffle stand. The enticingly sweet scent hangs in the air at almost every turn. I always try to withstand the siren call of the first one or two, but eventually I cave. I am a weak, weak person. Belgian waffles are served […]
G. Bastin Chocolatier, Antwerp
There’s a lot of family history behind chocolatier G. Bastin’s delicious pralines, which makes them even more special. The story: In 1908, Theofiel Adriaenssens opens the shop. He tires of it by 1918 and passes it to his sister, Leonie. Leonie marries Raymond Bastin, they have a son, Gilbert. Raymond dies when Gilbert is 18 […]
La chocolatière de Roger
A visit to France (or anywhere, really) would not be complete without sampling at least one chocolate shop. Patrick Roger, an award-winning chocolatier, turns out pralines, ganaches and a “best of”, which consists of seven varieties of cocoa. There are also delectable pastries, macarons and crusty loaves of bread. We discovered this by accident. During […]
Le Petit Roi de la Lune
Le Petit Roi de la Lune‘s interesting French-with-a-twist menu caught our eye as we wandered aimlessly around town seeking dinner. We had just passed up our targeted first-choice venue for being too stuffy but still wanted local cuisine. Le Petit Roi de la Lune was just what we were looking for: a casual, fashionable place […]
Belga Queen Brussels
This is one of those places that tries to be fashionable and forgets to make memorable food. The setting is a 19th century bank building with stained glass ceilings and marble columns. There’s an inviting oyster bar and expensive beer and cocktail bar. The former bank vaults in the cellar houses a cigar lounge and […]
Delirium Café
2,004 beers, 15 on tap. Cheese menu. We walked in here on Sunday afternoon and had a hard time deciding where to begin. So we started with a bitter Trappist beer, then moved to a dark house brew. We’re looking forward to sampling more on our next visit. We sat in the very comfortable basement […]
Mary Chocolatier
In Brussels, a city full of chocolate shops, Mary is a stand-out. Founded in 1919, the chocolatier uses natural, high-quality ingredients. Mary offers more than 70 pralines, many adhering to the original recipes. We carefully selected a wide assortment of 18. Each one was excellent – really, really beyond description. They were gone by the […]
