*For a decent price close to touristic locations
1. El Greco
Restaurant El Greco is the place to be if you want to enjoy a delicious meal with a nice view. This cozy restaurant is located on the famous Grand Place, which makes it ideal to do some people-watching. You would think that, because of its fabulous location, eating there would be expensive… However, it is not. You can get a mixed grill for only 12,50 euros, which is a decent price. Especially the giouvetsi is a must-try! This dish costs 16 euros. An appetizer is included in the dish. The interior is a little outdated, but the staff is really friendly and the atmosphere makes up for it!
Opening hours:
Tuesday – Sunday:
11h – 23h
Address:
Grand Place 36
1000 Brussels
Website:
http://www.elgreco.brussels/en/
2. Le Grand Café
Le Grand Café is located in the Boulevard Anspach, in front of the Brussels Stock Exchange. The café has an authentic, opera-like interior that gives it a “chique” yet cozy aura. The brasserie combines the Belgian kitchen with a few classic, international dishes such as a carbonara. It is the best restaurant to catch your breath after a long day in Brussels. A lot of citizens come here to enjoy a meal as well, so you technically blend in with the locals. Dishes are a bit more expensive than in other restaurants but very worth it. The staff is French-speaking and don’t show any effort to switch to English or Dutch, which is a bit of a letdown. Overall, the staff was still very friendly and the food was very flavorful and tasted as if it was made by a chef from a top restaurant.
Opening hours:
Monday – Tuesday:
10h – 24h
Friday:
10h – 1h
Saturday:
10h – 1h30
Sunday:
10h – 24h
*Kitchen opens at 11h until 1h before closing time.
Address:
Boulevard Anspach 78
1000 Brussels
Website:
https://legrandcafe.be/legrandcafe/
3. Bavet
Bavet has proclaimed itself as the spaghetti specialist. Considering they have seven locations across Belgium, the general public must think the same! I can’t blame them… As a spaghetti-lover myself, I must admit that this has been the best spaghetti I have ever eaten in my whole life! A nice extra to their beautiful location near the Saint Catherine’s Church and their cozy interior, is their menu. The menu consists of a bunch of funny names for their dishes such as “OMG They Killed Kenny!”. The dishes also come in portions: mouse, dog or horse (small, medium or large). To avoid stains on your beloved clothes, you get a bib, which is well-thought and a nice plus, knowing that the name of the restaurant means “bib”.
Opening hours:
Every day:
11h30 – 22h
Address:
Place St. Cathérine 1
1000 Brussels
Website:
http://www.bavet.eu
4. Pasta Divina
Pasta Divina is another pasta restaurant for an affordable price. Its interior doesn’t compare to the cosiness of Bavet, but the owners went for a more “chique” interior. Don’t worry if you don’t like pasta, because this restaurant also has a bunch of pizzas on the menu, as well as Italian desserts. The restaurant is very close to the Grand Place. Unfortunately, the restaurant is very small so sometimes it comes in handy to make a reservation beforehand. Pasta Divina is a family-run restaurant. The mother makes the pasta and sauce from scratch, whilst the father explains everything with a lot of enthusiasm, which can sometimes be a bit irritating when you just want to enjoy some food. The daughter is in charge of the good customer service. You can combine your favorite pasta with any sauce. My personal favorite is the divine combination of linguine and tomato sauce.
Opening hours:
Every day:
11h30 – 15h
18h30 – 22h
Address:
Rue de la Montagne 16
1000 Brussels
Website:
http://www.pastadivina.be/#!/
5. Ballekes
Ballekes (in English “Meatballs”) is a rather new restaurant (founded in 2016), yet they have three locations in Brussels already! This hip restaurant got started with one goal: the owners wanted to share their grandmother’s recipes with the world. And they succeeded: the meatballs do taste like they are made by a grandma with a lot of passion. The whole concept of the restaurant is based on the Belgian cuisine: meatballs, fries and beer. Don’t worry if you are vegetarian: you can combine to make a meatball of your taste and “veggie” is an option, which is also gluten free! Further you can choose your sauce and side dish. This restaurant is very popular amongst students and other young people.
GRAND PLACE
Opening hours:
Monday – Thursday:
12h – 22h
Friday – Saturday:
12h – 22h30
Sunday:
12h – 21h30
Address:
Rue des Chapeliers 3
1000 Brussels
SAINTE-CATHÉRINE
Opening hours:
Monday – Thursday
12h – 15h
18h – 22h
Friday:
12h – 15h
18h – 23h
Saturday:
12h – 23h
Sunday:
12h – 21h30
Address:
Rue Sainte-Cathérine 37
1000 Brussels
JANSON
Opening hours:
Monday:
18h30 – 22h
Tuesday – Thursday:
12h – 14h30
18h30 – 22h
Friday:
12h – 14h30
18h30 – 22h30
Saturday:
12h -15h
18h30 – 22h30
Sunday:
12h30 – 15h
18h30 – 21h
Address:
Chemin de Charleroi 174
1000 Brussels
Website:
http://www.ballekes.be
