Incredible organic products served with love by a fabulous few, chocolate transformed into contemporary art sculptures and Pierre Balthazar bringing together three variations of cuisine in a trendy establishment. From checking in at The Hotel to traveling back to Amsterdam I was captivated by the versatility in city offerings. Brussels instantly became one of my favorite cities during a weekend press trip and I can’t wait to head back and taste more of all the exquisite things this city offers. Based on many recommendations by readers and other bloggers I narrowed my foodie must-do list down to a few places that you really can’t skip when visiting this cosmopolitan town. Today I’m sharing my 2 foodie must-do’s and a guilty pleasure. Make sure to scroll down and comment if you’ve visited one (or all!) of these places, as I’d love to hear how your experience was.
Les Filles (brunch-lunch-dinner)
With tons of online recommendations and people mentioning Les Filles (plaisir cullinaires) we had no choice but trying out their (infamous) Sunday brunch. The collection of Le Creuset pots, a beautiful staircase and even a shop where you can buy some of their goodies was already a great start to our Les Filles food adventure. On a rather large floor with separate rooms (and a kitchen of course!) they’ve set-up communal tables where you simply join other hungry earthlings to enjoy their food. It was so much fun to observe how people dealt with this concept. Some came with a group of four, greeted their fellow table guests and enjoyed a champagne brunch with their friends. Others came alone or with two and almost naturally started a conversation with others at the table. We were sold before even trying out the food at this point! As for the food, for only 18 euros you can scoop up as much of their fabulous offerings (buffet style – awesome cutleries and plates!), with a wide arrangement of cold and hot food. Everything comes from local suppliers and all items compliment one another very well. As always I will let the images speak for themselves. Can’t wait to go back and tryout their dinner!
The Restaurant by Pierre Balthazar (breakfast-lunch-dinner)
Located in one of our favorite hotels in Brussels (The Hotel) Belgian chef Pierre Balthazar launched The Restaurant, a stylish restaurant with contemporary design, fabulous food and beautiful people. Although you’d expect mostly business people make reservations at this type of establishment, there are countless young couples and groups of younger friends who enjoy great food before hitting the cities bustling nightlife.
As for the food, Pierre Balthazar gathered three chefs (French, Thai and Spanish) to use the same 9 seasonal products and create (together with Pierre) their stunning interpretations of dishes. This cool concept results in various flavors in each course served. Spectacular! The whole setting of a trendy, yet gastronomic restaurant reminded me a lot of the Manhattan concept of high dining (and drinking!) in beautiful hotels. I love that this is becoming increasingly popular in Europe as well. Make sure to book your table ahead for a fabulous Saturday night dining experience after some shopping in this gorgeous district of Brussels.
Chocolates by Patrick Roger
It almost feels as if you stepped into an art gallery, ready to observe the latest exhibition. That’s what the brilliant Patrick Roger has created in the heart of Brussels. With very earthy, minimalistic interiors this chocolatier has truly managed to stand out in a city of (oh so) many chocolate things to do. His marble bonbons were absolutely delicious, but what truly leaves you breathless are the objects that he made (e.g. check out the hats in the pictures below!) from chocolate. The staff was happy to tour us around the shop and for a blogger this was (obviously) photography paradise. All the beautiful colors came together quite well and it’s cool to see how his signature (mint) colored boxes stand out so well. Forget the big brands and chains, and make sure to visit Patrick Roger…for some guilty pleasure! 🙂
For more information about The Restaurant click here!
For more information about Les Filles click here!
For more information about Patrick Roger’s Chocolaterie click here!
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