13 rue Jules van Praet, 1000 Ixelles instagram – site – 02 502 87 66 from wed to sun from 12 to 2:30pm from wed to mon, from 6pm to 11pm closed on tuesdays dims sum : 7€ – 12€ noodle soups : 15€ – 22€ cocktails : 14€ – 16€
It’s impossible to spend an evening in the center of Brussels without stopping by Yi Chan. Tucked away amidst the Thai restaurants on the bustling street between the Bourse and Saint-Géry district, this place has everything to surprise you. Unlike most eateries around here, everything is homemade.
91A chaussée de charleroi, 1060 Saint-Gilles instagram – 0456 70 51 98 every day from 7am to 6pm
Welcome to Stella. The place is small. A wall covered with Polaroid portraits of dogs, a counter filled with pastries, a few seats on the benches, and a handful of tables and chairs in green metal on the sidewalk for sunny days. Here, presumably, one either comes to soak up the sun, if lucky, or grab their coffee to go.
200 avenue chazal, 1030 Schaerbeek instagram – 0470 62 42 11 wed from 5pm to 11pm thurs to sat from 5pm till midnight small plates : 3,50€ – 18€ wines by the glass : 6,50€ – 10€
When we heard that Barbara, the former sommelier from Barge, was opening her own wine bar, we couldn’t wait to check it out. And you should do the same.
Located in the heart of Schaerbeek, the place is warm and incredibly welcoming, reminiscent of the best neighborhood bars. Except here, the wine selection is impeccable, and the small plates are on another level. Since there were three of us, we indulged and ordered a variety from the menu: mimosa eggs with bottarga (€3.50), simple but always effective, black pudding croquettes with creamy apples, a sensation – we almost ordered a second plate -, delicious homemade ricotta with fennel (€9), Belgian ham sliced paper-thin (€12), incredible Opal Coast seaweed tartare (€9), dried for three days – apparently, that makes all the difference –, and delightful mini mushroom arancinis (€10) to finish.