Walking on the streets of Brussels, painted comic walls have quietly become one of the cultural symbols of the city. Tintin, the Smurfs, Lac Luke… These characters that carry childhood memories are intertwined with reality, adding a wonderful fairy-tale atmosphere to the city. And near these comic walls, there are some restaurants that are both design-conscious and can stimulate taste buds. They combine architecture, visual art and authentic Belgian flavors, making people feel like they are walking into an exhibition when they eat a meal.
Ⅰ. Restaurant recommendation
1. Restaurant Le Rabassier: The Art Palace of Exquisite Molecular Cuisine
Restaurant History and Background
Located in the center of Brussels, near the famous comic wall Tintin Square, Le Rabassier is a high-end restaurant specializing in French exquisite cuisine, co-founded by two Michelin-starred chefs. They cleverly combine classic French cooking techniques with molecular cooking techniques to create a double feast of vision and taste.
Food Features and Taste Experience
Le Rabassier’s dishes are exquisitely presented like art installations, with complex taste levels. The main foie gras trio combines three processing methods: smoking, condensation and fire roasting. Every bite is like telling a flavor story. The signature black truffle pan-fried scallops are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, paired with special cream pumpkin puree, with a sweet and salty balance and a long aftertaste. The dessert is an amazing chocolate ball explosion show – a chocolate ball with a shining shell is melted by hot cream, with sour cherries and vanilla mousse inside, which can be called a double climax of vision and taste.
Restaurant location and reservation information
Address: Rue de Rollebeek 23, 1000 Bruxelles
Reservation platform: It is recommended to make a reservation one week in advance through TheFork
Per capita cost: about 95-130 euros (including drinks)
Recommended crowd: suitable for anniversary celebrations, couples dating, and diners who love high-end cuisine
2. Restaurant Kwint: Panoramic terrace under the comic wall
Restaurants history and background
Kwint is located at the top of the famous “Mont des Arts” art hill in Brussels, only a 3-minute walk from Georges Lemi’s comic wall. The restaurant was designed by designers from the Belgian luxury brand Delvaux and is known for its high-end urban style. The restaurant’s interior is modern, full of metal and line aesthetics, and has a strong “Belgian modernism” design spirit.
Food Features and Taste Experience
Kwint is good at reinterpreting traditional Belgian dishes, and mainly promotes selected seafood and air-dried ham platters. The signature dish, langoustine pasta, is rich in aroma, and the sauce is made from crab roe and vanilla cream, which is amazing. Another recommended dish is the braised beef cheek with celery puree, which is soft and fragrant, and is decorated with pickles, full of Belgian flavor. The summer-only terrace oyster platter is also a refreshing choice strongly recommended by locals.
Restaurant location and reservation information
Address: Mont des Arts 1, 1000 Bruxelles
Reservation platform: You can make reservations through OpenTable, TheFork or TripAdvisor
Per capita cost: about 60-90 euros
Recommended for: photography enthusiasts, couples, tourists who want to dine with a view
3. Restaurant Humphrey: Retro industrial style and Asian fusion cuisine
Restaurants history and background
Humphrey is hidden on the side of the North Station, one of the comic wall pilgrimage routes in Brussels. The building where it is located was once an industrial warehouse. The chef has lived in the Philippines, New York and Tokyo, so the cooking style is boldly mixed. The space continues the workshop-style red brick walls, concrete floors and exposed metal structures, which are full of industrial era atmosphere.
Food features and taste experience
The restaurant focuses on “Asian-style tapas”, such as miso fried duck breast, grilled eel burger, Japanese kimchi fried chicken, etc. The recommended dish is spicy coconut milk mussel soup, which is rich in spices, refreshing and spicy, and very appetizing. Another dish you can’t miss is Belgian beer fried udon noodles, which is a successful example of the fusion of East and West.
Restaurant location and reservation information
Address: Rue Saint-Laurent 36, 1000 Bruxelles
Reservation platform: It is recommended to make a reservation by phone directly
Per capita cost: about 40-70 euros
Recommended for: young people who like exotic fusion cuisine, art lovers, and design industry practitioners
4. restaurant La Quincaillerie: dining in an antique hardware store
Restaurant history and background
La Quincaillerie was originally a 19th-century hardware grocery store, which still retains the old screw classification drawers and railroad shelves, and the overall design is full of retro atmosphere. Today, the restaurant has transformed the old store structure into a two-story dining area, with a bar on the upper floor and an open kitchen and main seating area on the lower floor.
Food features and taste experience
The restaurant specializes in local Belgian meat and seafood. Signature dishes include beer-braised ossobuco, cream-braised mussels, and charcoal-grilled dry-aged steak. I especially recommend their roasted snails with beef marrow, which are crispy, tender and layered with fresh bread. For dessert, the hazelnut chocolate mousse has a dense texture and is the perfect ending after the meal.
Restaurant location and reservation information
Address: Rue du Page 45, 1050 Ixelles
Reservation platform: Reservations can be made through TheFork or TripAdvisor
Per capita cost: about 60-100 euros
Recommended for: retro lovers, family gatherings, and historical building enthusiasts
5. Restaurant Beaucoup Fish: Minimalist aesthetics and seafood elves
Restaurant history and background
Beaucoup Fish is one of the representative restaurants of Brussels’ minimalist style. The restaurant is based on white walls, gray floors and wooden structures. A large amount of blank space design highlights the artistic sense of the dishes. The restaurant is next to the famous “Blue Smurf mural” and is recommended by many local photographers as a dining background.
Food features and taste experience
The restaurant menu is updated weekly, all with fresh seafood of the day as the core. Recommended dishes include pan-fried sea bass with mustard green bean puree, squid ink risotto, and crab meat and mango tartare. The dishes focus on original flavor and heat control, and do not cover up the freshness of seafood with heavy seasoning. They are suitable for travelers who like light and healthy food.
Restaurant location and reservation information
Address: Rue Antoine Dansaert 210, 1000 Bruxelles
Reservation platform: It is recommended to use Restobook and Resengo
Per capita cost: about 55-85 euros
Recommended for: people who pay attention to healthy diet, love seafood, designers or people in the construction industry
Dining against the backdrop of the comic wall is a unique romantic experience in Brussels. This city quietly weaves art into every corner of life, even in a plate of fried duck breast or a bowl of langoustine pasta. Those restaurants with exquisite appearance and authentic core are not only places to satisfy taste buds, but also spaces that carry stories.
If you want to leave a set of dinner photos during your trip that are as good as those in a photography exhibition, you might as well go into these design restaurants hidden next to the comic walls – let the food and space together tell the story of your unique night in Brussels.
Ⅱ. Some things to note when tasting food in Brussels
1. Advance reservation is essential
Brussels’ popular design restaurants are often hard to find, especially on weekends and holidays. Popular restaurants such as Le Rabassier and Kwint need to be booked more than a week in advance. It is recommended to use TheFork, TripAdvisor or call the restaurant directly to ensure that there is no worry about the seat.
2. Table etiquette needs to be understood
Belgians pay attention to dining etiquette, and try not to make loud noises when dining. When dining, pay attention to the order of using knives and forks, and do not change seats at will. After the meal, a proper tip (5%-10% of the bill) is a basic respect for the service.
3. Pay attention to the dinner time arrangement
Most restaurants in Brussels have dinner time between 18:30 and 21:30. Some restaurants will be temporarily closed from 14:30 to 17:30. It is recommended to go during off-peak hours or check the business hours to avoid disappointment.
4. Pay attention to the special menu or dish of the day
Many design restaurants offer “Chef’s Special” or “menu dégustation” (tasting menu). This type of menu can give a more comprehensive experience of the chef’s creative style and is suitable for first-time visitors or diners who want to try a variety of dishes.
5. Be careful when choosing drinks
Many restaurants in Brussels offer a wide variety of local beers, wines and specialty cocktails. When choosing drinks, it is recommended to match them according to the dishes ordered, such as seafood is suitable for refreshing white wine, and red meat is suitable for rich red wine. In addition, some high-end restaurants charge for water, so when ordering, you need to specify whether you need mineral water or tap water (usually marked as “eau du robinet”).
