Aux Armes de Bruxelles, Brussels

Aux Armes de Bruxelles offers a glimpse into the city’s culinary past. Opened in 1921, the restaurant has preserved the atmosphere of a classic Belgian brasserie, where dining is as much about tradition and setting as it is about the food itself.

The interior reflects this old-world charm. Wood-paneled walls, stained-glass windows decorated with coats of arms, and comfortable, formal dining rooms evoke the elegance of early twentieth-century Brussels. Waiters in formal attire move briskly between tables, maintaining a style of attentive service that has largely disappeared from modern restaurants. The setting feels deliberately traditional, offering visitors a sense of stepping back into a quieter era of the city’s dining culture.

The menu celebrates many of Belgium’s best-known dishes. Guests can choose from classics such as eels in sorrel sauce, veal kidneys in mustard, beef carbonnade slow-cooked in beer, and the creamy chicken stew known as waterzooi. Seafood also plays a prominent role, with oysters, lobster with mayonnaise, and sole meunière among the specialties.

According to tradition, the latter dish was particularly favored by Leopold III, who reportedly visited the restaurant regularly. Meals typically end on a sweet note with Belgian waffles, rich crêpes flambéed with liqueur, or other classic desserts, completing an experience that reflects a century of Brussels’ gastronomic heritage.