Les Brassins
Brussels
Avis
During the extremely hot week in Brussels, going out for dinner wasn’t exactly at the top of my list, but eventually hunger won. I was looking for a traditional Belgian brasserie near my hotel and Les Brassins caught my attention for one very important reason: online reservations. This may sound like a small detail, but it was one of the few restaurants nearby where I could book a table instantly. Just 15 minutes before arriving, I made a reservation and everything worked perfectly. Upon arrival, I was welcomed by a friendly hostess who offered me the choice of sitting inside or on the terrace. The interior looked beautiful—classic Belgian brasserie style, warm and authentic. However, it felt even warmer inside than outside, so I chose the terrace. Service throughout the evening was excellent. Menus arrived quickly, my order was taken promptly, and all staff members were friendly and attentive. In particular, the older gentleman serving tables was genuinely welcoming and professional. Unfortunately, the food did not live up to the service. I started with the cheese croquettes. As someone living in Portugal, where croquettes have evolved into an incredibly diverse and creative category, I found these surprisingly underwhelming. The portion was small, the presentation basic, and there was nothing memorable about them despite the relatively high price. For my main course, I ordered the traditional Belgian mussels in white wine sauce. The presentation was impressive: a large traditional pot filled with mussels. Unfortunately, the execution left me disappointed. The wine flavor was barely noticeable. What dominated the dish instead was a large amount of onion, to the point where it felt closer to onion soup than mussels in wine sauce. There were plenty of mussels, but they were relatively small, and the cooking was inconsistent. The mussels near the top of the pot were nicely steamed, while those sitting at the bottom had spent too much time in the extremely hot liquid and were noticeably overcooked. The difference in texture was significant and took away from the experience. The accompanying fries were another disappointment. In a city famous worldwide for its fries, I expected much more. The portion was surprisingly small, and neither the flavor nor the quality stood out. The highlight of the evening was actually the non-alcoholic wine selection. I ordered a rosé pét-nat and it was excellent. At around €29 for a bottle in a restaurant setting, I found it reasonably priced and genuinely enjoyable. It ended up being the best part of the meal. Of course, judging a restaurant based on one visit, two dishes, and a bottle of wine is never completely fair. Many people clearly enjoy this place, and my experience is only one perspective. However, I left feeling disappointed because I came hoping to experience traditional Belgian cuisine at its best, and unfortunately that wasn’t what I found. The service deserves praise. The food, unfortunately, did not. I’m happy to pay premium prices when the product justifies it. I can forgive slow service or a long wait if the food is memorable. In this case, the opposite happened: excellent service, but food that simply didn’t meet my expectations. For me, this was a 3-star experience.
First time the pork cheeks were 5*, the second time they were sold out, we went for vol au vent and stovlees which were good but nothing special, it was too loud. The cordon blue is very good.
Amazing! Why would you go anywhere else? We stayed in Brussels for 4 nights, 3 of those nights we had dinner here, and it was perfect! Ignore the complaints about waiting a long time for food to arrive.. they are always busy, and if you ever have chance to sit next to the open kitchen servery, then you will see the chefs hard at work preparing each dish uniquely and individually, and with so much attention and detail, they are the unsung heroes.. and work so hard to provide excellent fresh cooked food. The front of hours staff are friendly, attentive, and charming, they made us feel welcome and like locals. The owner who attended to us on every visit, was the icing on the cake.. thank you again for being so welcoming, accommodating, kind and generous. We will be coming back to Brussels later this year and we will be having dinner here every evening! With love from Stephen.. and The Queen x
Great food, with friendly and quick service (wow! So quick!). It was an incredibly chilled and vibrant place perfect for the warm night it was. Relaxed and unrushed. I was nervous about some negative reviews but ignore that, I can only assume it is Americans who does not understand European dining culture. Lovely staff and attentive. Just a good experience, would recommend. Thanks!
The food and service are amazing. I tried the mussels (white wine) with fries. Very very fresh and big portion. Not salty. Very well seasoned. The soup was great. I almost drank it all. (I tried another seafood restaurant last night with 4.8 star in google.. not fresh at all and pricey🥲) The gentleman in the restaurant is friendly and helpful. Made my solo dinner warm and happy :)! Thanks 🤍❤️ And other staff are also good looking 😂 bonus.
