Dinner is served: The Bulletin’s pick of thrifty fare and gastronomic dining

 From chip stands to sushi and a growing posse of food trucks, it’s no hardship to find reasonably priced snacks and meals in Belgium. The daily menus of cafes and bistros are another reliable source for a tasty hot lunch. At the other end of the scale, the country has an enviable tradition of fine dining, with gastronomic restaurants thriving in the provinces. All share a passion for top-quality, seasonal and where possible locally-grown ingredients.

CHEAP EATS

Chicago Café

With a menu featuring quesadillas, burgers, pasta and baked potatoes, you won’t leave this place feeling hungry. It’s a large eatery that’s ideal for a relaxed meal, with a corner for the kids to play in. Enjoy a lazy continental, English or Moroccan breakfast until midday. And if the honey from the latter rouses your sweet tooth, there are homemade cakes and muffins too. 45 Rue de Flandre, Brussels

Au Bon Bol

A bowl of ramen is the ultimate Asian comfort food. Served in a rich broth, the noodles come with a variety of toppings to please both vegetarians and carnivores. If you’re not too keen on soup, try their fried ramen with chicken, beef, marinated pork, vegetables or prawns. Or order some spring rolls or share a platter of dim sum while you’re waiting. A tasty meal that won’t set you back more than €15. There’s a second outlet, Bon Bol II, at 6 Rue de la Bourse. 9 Rue Paul Devaux, Brussels

Le Perroquet

Le Perroquet in the Sablon area isn’t your average pitta bar. With its Art Nouveau interior and long list of fresh, cooked-to-order pittas, it’s a popular spot for a quick bite to eat. Choosing is difficult, but as the pittas aren’t very big there’s no shame in ordering two. The menu also features salads and sweet options, and there’s a large terrace for sunny days. 31 Rue Watteau, Brussels

Knees to Chin

These rice paper rolls filled with fresh ingredients are healthy, light, low in gluten and lactose-free. There are lunch specials during the week as well as sides, dim sums, extras and dessert. Also open for dinner.
125 Rue de Livourne, Brussels

King Kong

A trendy Peruvian joint serving a limited but finger-licking menu. Choose a hot or cold sandwich – the hamburger and chicken mayonnaise come highly recommended – and opt for a side such as the yuca chips or mixed bean salad. If you’re there around lunchtime, go for the rotisserie chicken, with potato salad, salad, apple sauce and a drink for just under €12. 227 Chaussée de Charleroi, Brussels

L’Oeuf au Plat

When in Liège, you have to taste the famous boulettes Liégoises: meatballs with a savoury dark sauce. Try them at l’Oeuf au Plat, a popular eatery with an affordable menu. They also serve a mean fry-up with eggs, bacon and sausage, which will set you back €11 if you go for the meal deal which includes a glass of wine, coffee and a shot of local schnapps at the end. 30 La Batte, Liège

Lombardia

What started as an organic grocery shop in 1972 grew into one of Antwerp’s most famous hotspots for healthy, veggie and vegan food. It bursts with colour, in its interior and on the plates. There are sandwiches, salads, burgers, juices and desserts, all homemade. How do you like the sound of a Mexican veggie cheeseburger, a Shanghai Express hot sandwich with spicy chicken or a big salad with at least 11 ingredients? All priced at around €12.
78 Lombardenvest, Antwerp

Potatolicious

For cheap, cheerful and healthy eating you can’t go wrong with this Ghent fast food outlet. It serves soups and salads as well as baked potatoes. The goat’s cheese option comes highly recommended, while meat eaters will enjoy the crispy bacon variety.  5 Verlorenkost, Ghent

Balls & Glory

Glorified meatballs – as the name suggests – are currently trending in Ghent, Antwerp and have now opened in Brussels and Leuven. There’s a varied range of homemade meatballs and sides, plus sauces, salads and Filliers gin cocktails. The concept extends to food trucks, some butcher’s and Delhaize stores.
6 Jakobijnenstraat, Ghent; Felixpakhuis De Markt, Antwerp; 171 Rue de Laeken, Brussels; 31 Tiensestraat, Leuven

GOURMET DINING

Va doux vent

A duo of daring young chefs, Stefan Jacobs and Romain Mouton, serve modern dishes here with a nod to retro cuisine. The name is a tribute to the French colonial Indian spice vadouvan; Jacobs’ passion for spice was aroused while working under French spice master Olivier Roellinger. Only 18 months after opening, the team, including former Comme Chez Soi sommelier Gontran Buysse, picked up a Michelin star in 2012. This compact Uccle townhouse was formerly occupied by Brussels culinary star Bon-Bon, now the bearer of two Michelin stars and occupying new premises in Avenue de Tervuren, Woluwe-Saint-Pierre. Generous portions and a preference for meat in the mains. Menus €35-€85. 93 Rue des Carmelites, Brussels

Aux Armes de Bruxelles

At the heart of the tourist trap restaurant quarter Rue des Bouchers lies this legendary address that’s perfect for traditional Belgian cuisine. The institution has been serving generations of visitors as well as loyal locals. On the menu: oysters, lobster, Belgian specialities such as shrimp croquettes, waterzooi, carbonnade, steak-frites and plenty of fresh fish. Service is impeccable. Mains €19-€57. 13 Rue des Bouchers, Brussels

Hertog Jan

This three-Michelin-star establishment opened in new premises in 2014, in a renovated barn just outside Bruges. Pared-down pure design, the dining room is dominated by large glass walls overlooking a farm garden. The green view is reflected in the menu, which feature colourful and seasonal veggies, and the lack of clutter continues in every dish: the very best ingredients served simply with tantalising flavours and accompaniments. Chef Gert De Mangeleer and host Joachim Boudens took over the former Bruges bistro Brasserie Hertog Jan 10 years ago. It’s now one of Belgium’s top culinary addresses, as reflected in the prices. Dishes from €60-€90; menus €115-€315.
52 Loppemsestraat, Zedelgem

In De Wulf

At 23 and with only a few years of experience at high-end restaurants in the Netherlands and Spain, Kobe Desramaults took over his parents’ struggling French bistro in deepest Flanders and transformed it into an award-winning, Michelin-starred restaurant that promotes local ingredients. When he isn’t growing his own herbs, Desramaults is sourcing from neighbouring farmers and buying fresh fish in nearby Dunkirk. The tasting menu (from €140) features many regional delicacies and the results of the chefs’ foraging in the rich soil of the agricultural land. Accommodation also available. 1 Wulvestraat, Heuvelland

The Jane
Arriving on the Antwerp restaurant scene in 2014, this restaurant has provoked as much discussion on architecture and design blogs as it has for its food. At the restaurant & Bar Design Awards in London in October 2015, it was awarded the most beautiful restaurant in the world award. Dutch chefs Sergio Herman (formerly of Oud Sluis in the Netherlands) and Nick Bril offer exquisite eight-course menus, and earned a Michelin star in 2014. Built inside the chapel of a former 19th-century military hospital, the building retains arching ceilings with more modern accents, including a massive spindly chandelier, stained-glass windows and a glowing neon skull. The Upper Room Bar is the place for cocktails, food and music. Menus €60-€90. 1 Paradeplein, Antwerp

Vrijmoed
One of Flanders’ rising chefs, Michael Vrijmoed cut his culinary teeth as sous-chef for the legendary Peter Goossens at Hof van Cleve before opening his own place in Ghent in 2013. The cuisine is experimental yet honest and simple; dishes are based on regional and seasonal products. Vegetarians are also catered for. Menus €48-€89.
22 Vlaanderenstraat, Ghent

L’Air du temps

Sang-Hoon Degeimbre is a culinary star in Wallonia. One of the co-founders of the region’s chef collective Generation W, the South Korean-born chef is passionate about promoting Wallonia’s culinary heritage abroad. He presides over the kitchen of this two-Michelin-star restaurant in a renovated farm in Namur province. Once a pioneer of molecular cuisine, the former pharmacy student and sommelier now focuses on technical precision and creativity, while exploring the potential of 3D food printing. Menus €95-€140. From 6 October you can enjoy a pared-down experience around the concept of bowls at his new Brussels address, San. For lunch, you have the choice of two, three or four bowls, the evening, three, four or five. Prices from €30 for two bowls, €45 for three, €55 for four and €65 for five. 2 Rue de la Croix Monet, Liernu; San, 19 Rue de Flanders, Brussels

La Cuisine d’un Gourmand

The city of Namur prides itself on being the gastronomic capital of Wallonia. It’s excellent and lofty hotel school located at Namur’s citadel may be one explanation for why the region is a foodies’ delight. Recently-opened downstream, overlooking the river Meuse, this airy contemporary-styled restaurant is one of many addresses in the area that offer affordable gastronomic fare. There’s a table d’hôte for groups next to the bar and service is friendly and attentive. Menus €37-€70. 8 Avenue Général Gracia, Profondeville

Le Cor de Chasse

Chef Mario Elias and his wife Aurore regained their Michelin star in 2013 after moving the highly-reputed Cor de Chasse to a renovated farm in the picturesque village of Durbuy. The rustic-chic quarters offer en-suite accommodation and breakfast rooms, indoor and al fresco. Overlooking the garden, swimming pool and bucolic countryside, is a 40-person dining room, communal table d’hôte and visible, light-filled kitchen. Elias creates multi-sensory and personalised seasonal dishes, some with an Asian twist. Menus €55-€73; lunch €35.
16 Rue des Combattants, Wéris

Arabelle Meirlaen
As much an artist as she is a chef, Arabelle Meirlaen cooks in a way that looks at the whole system, from taste to sourcing to nutrition, preparing what she calls intuitive cuisine. She grows many of her own herbs and plants, as much for their medicinal properties as their texture and flavour. Her self-named restaurant, between Namur and Liège near Huy, has earned itself a Michelin star and a rating of 18 out of 20 in the Gault Millau guide. Menus €45-€95. Vegetarian and vegan menus available on request. 7 Chemin de Bertrandfontaine, Marchin

L’Impératif
Gastronomic surf and turf at this unassuming and convivial one-Michelin-star restaurant, next to Nato’s military base, Shape, near Mons. Chef Benoît Neusy specialises in fish and seafood, giving diners a choice of preparations when they choose fish as a main. Local artisan Jacquy Cange supplies the cheese course. Menus €70-€85.
208 Rue Grande, Maisières

Photo: Hertog Jan, © K Vrancken

This article was first published in the Bulletin’s Best of Belgium 2015