12. May 2012: Restaurant Belga Queen
When you are in Brussels, you should definitely go to the Restaurant Belga Queen – not so much because of the food though but because of the location. I had the “Menu Light” (EUR 33.00) which started with the regular basket of bread which was okay.
As a starter I had the “Chartreuse of duo of Belgian asparagus, rillettes of smoked salmon and grey shrimps, mousseline sauce with lime” which was very artificial in taste and, therefore, not appealing. Eatable, yes, but definitely not more.
The main course, the “Skrei (fish) with tapenade of fresh herbs and olives, steamed potatoes, ginger and lime froth” was definitely better than the starter but far from great too. The fish was okay and the sauce was good but somehow it just lacked any kind of specialness.
The desert, on the other hand, was quite okay. The “sorbet of melon from Charentes and mint with dark chocolate wires” was definitely the most tasteful course of the night – but even then it was pretty mediocre.
You cannot expect much for EUR 33.00 for three courses in such a restaurant, okay, fair point. But it was so taste-less – in its literal meaning – that it was a huge disappointment.
On the other hand, the Restaurant Belga Queen has a huge upside – the atmosphere is absolutely marvelous and amazing. The restaurant is built in the entrance hall of the former national bank of Belgium (I have been told at least). The whole room is made of marble and the ceilings are high. It just looks beautiful.
The prices – besides for the menu as it was not worth the money – are pretty fair. A San Pellegrino bottle (1L) costs EUR 3.50, a bottle of Vittel EUR 4.50, and a double espresso EUR 5.00. The service is very friendly and mostly quite attentive. There is definitely room for improvement but it was okay.
Overall, the Restaurant Belga Queen is a great place and it is absolutely recommendable that you book a table quite much in advance. We only got ours at 10:30pm as it was booked before. In any case, the food is definitely not their strongest point but the place is worth a visit!
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Contact Details:
Restaurant Belga Queen
Rue du Fossé aux Loups 32 / Wolvengracht Straat 32
1000 Brussels (BE)
Tel.: +32 22 17 21 87
Fax: +32 22 29 31 79
E-Mail: info.brussels@belgaqueen.be
Homepage: http://www.belgaqueen.be
About the Author: Sven
I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org.
Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City. 
