20 adresses to eat on a Sunday evening

Every Sunday, it’s the same story. After wandering aimlessly around the internet, you end up slumped on your couch with a takeaway box on your lap — even though, deep down, you would have loved to go out. But where to?

We did the work for you and gathered our favorite spots where you can (really) eat well on a Sunday evening.

And to be perfectly honest, we also did it for ourselves.

Ötap – The place that’s always fully booked on a Friday night, when you try — in vain — to snag a last-minute reservation. But come Sunday, that’s when you go, you run. Small plates to share and natural wines — everything we love.

Monella – The ultimate comfort food spot. Bombe fritte, schiacciata… and plenty more where that came from. It’s the very best of Italian street food gathered in one place. And hey, it’s Sunday night — you’ve earned it.

La Bottega de la Pizza (Saint-Gilles AND Sablon) – A place we love to bits, for its pizzas as much as for its atmosphere. Tiny tables covered in red-checkered tablecloths, spritzes in hand, and lavender panna cotta with mango coulis to finish. Let’s be honest: takeaway just isn’t the same.

Friture René – Got friends visiting Brussels for the weekend and waited until the last minute to take them somewhere “Belgian”? This is it. Friture René is an institution — for moules-frites, cube roll steak, croquettes… and yes, even the Chinese tea ceremony. For real.

Tontons – If there’s one place we dream of curling up on a Sunday night, it’s chez Tontons. Pasta gratin with ham and Comté, or spaghetti bolognese (but honestly, it’s as good as a proper ragù, with perfectly al dente pasta). And for dessert? Swiss meringue with double cream. We haven’t found a better cure for the Sunday blues.

Maru – It’s Korean, it’s stylish, and it’s seriously good. Kyky, the owner, takes care of everything. Sit down, and if you’re unsure what to order, don’t worry — she’ll decide for you. And trust us, you’re in safe hands. Bibimbap, japchae, or spicy squid… we love it all.

La Meute – Vegetarians, this one’s not for you. For everyone else — welcome. Exceptional meats, natural wines, craft beers — that’s their tagline. We’d add: between the aged ribeye and the carpaccio, we can never decide. So why not both?

Menma – Here it’s all ramen, all the time. The ultimate Sunday night comfort food. Best enjoyed at the counter, with homemade gyozas, a Japanese beer, and a side of fermented bamboo shoots (menma), the house specialty.

Yamato – Almost the same, except here we also come for the katsudon. Easily in my top 3 most comforting dishes ever. A giant bowl of rice (seriously, share it or save half for tomorrow) topped with crispy panko-coated pork, then simmered in a dashi broth with egg and leeks. Just amazing.

Rebel – You already know Naomi, whose small plates put nearly every bar in the city to shame, and Léo, one of the funkiest — and cheekiest (lol) — sommeliers we know. With all the success they deserve, finding a table on Friday night is almost impossible. That’s why we rush there on Sundays. You’ll thank us later.

Standard – This is the place we love for big pizza nights with a long table full of friends. And why don’t we ever see those friends on a Sunday night? Because nothing’s open. Wrong, totally wrong — and Standard proves it.

Mangiavino – This is the Sunday spot. And the Monday one. And Tuesday and Wednesday too. It’s where you go for a casual midweek dinner, a plate of pasta and a glass of wine. Simple, super tasty, straight to the point. Kind of like our Gazzetta for Sunday lunch — except this one’s for Sunday dinner.

Nona – The Neapolitan pizza that needs no introduction. One of the best value-for-money pies in Brussels, with dough that bubbles up, puffs perfectly, and chars just slightly at the edges. Belgian ingredients of the highest quality (shall we talk about that mozzarella from the Ardennes?). If you were still looking for a reason to go, Sundays just got added to the list.

Saussice – One of our latest favorites. And when it’s a crush, there can never be too many opening days. We’re just glad we can enjoy such a great restaurant — without any compromise — on a Sunday night.

Al Bacio – La Pizza des Pouilles is excellent, no doubt. The dough is unlike the other Neapolitan-style pizzerias that are now more famous in Brussels, that’s true. And the mortadella, stracciatella, and pistachio pizza alone would be reason enough to go just for the food. But that would be such a shame. Al Bacio is also about the music spilling out onto the street, spritzes sipped in the sun, some of the best value wine by the glass in Brussels, and the disco ball Claudio pulls out when the room heats up. It would be a real shame to miss out on all that.

Le Wine Bar des Marolles – From “the Sablon of the Marolles,” if we wanted to be precise. This place has a story, and its owner Vincent is always happy to tell it. You go for the foie gras au torchon with apple caramel, as much as for the homemade bread, baked three times according to his grandmother’s recipe. But you also go for the intimate, hushed atmosphere that invites confidences. And what better night for confidences than Sunday?

Dam Sum – The first to position themselves as specialists of handmade, freshly prepared dim sum in Brussels. And still the best, if you ask me. Yes, you can now have them delivered at home. But not the xiao long bao. And we go exclusively for the xiao long bao. My favorite? The beef one. Not sure what a xiao long bao is? That’s just one more reason to go.

Primo – Fresh pasta, Italian classics, and not-so-classic Italians. At Primo, it’s pesto (but pistachio), burrata with confit tomatoes. But it’s also vegan fricadelle (yes, really), bergamot and yuzu spritz, or celeriac carbonara. Creativity is everywhere. A tip: let Mario guide you — he’ll happily take you across Italy… and far beyond.

Le Bain des Dames – Another bar that could easily be called a restaurant, because the food deserves just as much attention as the wine. Go there only to drink, and you’ll miss the essence of one of our true favorites. Here it’s golden panisse, fish ravioli, grilled razor clams, mussels with chorizo… and pâtisserie-style desserts galore. A little gem of a place, and we couldn’t be happier to learn it has an extra opening day during the week.