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Where to eat in Brussels: my 15 favourite restaurants

Nobody eats well following the tour buses. These are the 15 restaurants in Brussels I'd send a friend to: the cheap neighbourhood place, the one locals keep to themselves, the splurge that's genuinely worth it. No photo menus.

Chez Léon$$ · Belgian, moules-fritesJust off the Grand-Place on the buzzing Rue des Bouchers, Chez Léon has been serving moules-frites since 1893 and remains one of the surest places to eat in Brussels for the classic pot of mussels and a mountain of golden fries. Directions
Aux Armes de Bruxelles$$$ · Traditional BelgianA grand old brasserie on Rue des Bouchers, Aux Armes de Bruxelles has been a fixture since 1921 and feels like a proper occasion: white tablecloths, waiters in long aprons and a menu that reads like a tour of Belgian classics. Directions
Maison Dandoy$$ · Waffles, speculoosMaison Dandoy has been baking speculoos and pain à la grecque since 1829, and its shops near the Grand-Place are where Brussels goes for the real thing rather than the greasy street version. Directions
Fritland$ · Belgian fries, frituurNo trip to Brussels is complete without a paper cone of fries, and Fritland, a few steps from the Bourse, is the friterie locals and night-owls swear by. Directions
Delirium Cafe$$ · Belgian beer, pub foodTucked down a little alley off Rue des Bouchers, Delirium Cafe once made the record books for the sheer number of beers it stocked, and the list still runs into the thousands. Directions
Comme Chez Soi$$$$ · French fine diningComme Chez Soi is Brussels dining at its most storied, a Michelin-starred kitchen that has been in the Wynants family for generations in a jewel-box Art Nouveau room designed in the spirit of Victor Horta. Directions
Fin de Siècle$$ · Belgian comfort foodFin de Siècle is the kind of dark, candle-lit bistro locals guard jealously, a no-reservations, cash-friendly spot where the chalkboard menu is packed with Belgian comfort food. Directions
Nüetnigenough$$ · Belgian, beer cuisineNüetnigenough is a tiny, warm gastro-pub near the Grand-Place where the whole idea is cooking with beer and pairing it beautifully. Directions
Peck 47$$ · Brunch, breakfastPeck 47 brought proper all-day brunch to the city centre and quickly became the go-to for a slow morning near the Bourse. Directions
58 Rooftop★ 4 · BarA rooftop bar on top of a parking building near Sainte-Catherine, with one of the widest sunset views over the centre of Brussels. Directions
Ballekes★ 4.3 · BelgianBelgian meatballs done properly: a short menu of ballekes in different sauces, from tomato to the beer-based Brusseleir, with fries or stoemp on the side. Directions
Halles Saint-Gery★ 4.2 · Free · BarA 19th-century covered market turned cultural hall, surrounded by one of the liveliest bar squares in the city. Directions
Le Roi de la Gaufre★ 4.4 · WafflesLocals argue about waffles the way Italians argue about pizza, and this small counter near the Bourse wins more of those arguments than anyone else. Directions
Maison Antoine★ 4.1 · FriesThe most famous fritkot in Brussels, frying on Place Jourdan since 1948 and a regular lunch stop for EU officials from the offices nearby. Directions
Wolf Food Market★ 4.4 · Food marketA former bank hall turned food market with around seventeen kitchens under one roof, from Neapolitan pizza to Asian street food, plus its own microbrewery in the middle. Directions