The 5 coolest places to eat in Brussels

Richard and Mathilde have created a warm, welcoming place that feels like their private home. Richard does the cooking in an open kitchen, where he creates contemporary French-Belgian dishes with hints of his travels in Vietnam and Australia.

This discreet Brussels bistro was once a corner grocery store. It has kept its old tiled floor, wooden shelves and vintage Berkel scales. But it is now an ambitious neighbourhood restaurant with the creative chef Jean Callens in the kitchen. He works with local ingredients to create interesting sharing dishes such as black pudding with caramelised apple, and roast squid served with mashed potato and chorizo.

One of the most exciting spots to eat in town, La Buvette occupies a former butcher’s shop furnished with the original polished wood, tiled walls and steel meat hooks. The young French chef Nicolas Scheidt offers two set meals involving some sublime dishes including his signature chocolate tart.

This bustling restaurant has carved out a reputation as a modern Brussels bistro. It has a cool white interior decorated with an eccentric collection of hanging lamps. The menu looks like a newspaper, listing unexpected dishes like Provençal soupe au pistou along with some surprising wines.

Named after the American expressionist Franz Kline, this bustling restaurant is hidden down a quiet street in the Dansaert district. The interior has a brutalist industrial look that fits well with the edgy location close to the canal. But the place has a friendly Brussels atmosphere, and the kitchen serves up a creative menu using locally-sourced ingredients from small farms around Brussels.