Belgium and Luxembourg (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

276 TRAVELLERS’ NEEDS

frequented. Visitors will find that it is

best to be wary of eateries that openly

court tourists rather than cater to the

local clientéle. Luxembourg’s

cuisine exhibits all the skill

of French cooking but also has

its own range of robust dishes. As

in Belgium, establishments that

cook and serve fine food are treated

with respect and win loyal custom.

WHAT TO EAT WHERE

It is possible to eat just about
any kind of food anywhere
in Belgium and Luxembourg.
Each region, however, has its
local specialities (produits du
terroir or streekproducten),
which change with the season.
The coast, for instance, is the
best place to eat seafood,
while game is a speciality of
the Ardennes, particularly in
winter, and hop shoots are
a spring-time treat in Western
Flanders. Eels are best at
Donkmeer, near Ghent, while
Ghent itself is the true home
of the creamy chicken or fish
waterzooi. The most delicious
strawberries are found at
Wépion, on the River Meuse.
Geraardsbergen is the place
for mattentaart pastries and
Dinant for flamiche leek tarts.
When in Arlon, visitors should
drink a maitrank apéritif, but
jenever in Hasselt or pékèt
gin in Liège. Luxembourg has
its famed Moselle wines (see
p249), but excellent wines are
also produced in the Hageland
region of Vlaams Brabant.

B

elgium has some of the best

food in Europe served by res-

taurants of all price brackets.

Food that is all presentation and
no substance is rarely tolerated

as Belgians pride themselves on
delicious cuisine that is carefully

prepared with fresh local and
seasonal produce. Restaurants that do

not satisy these criteria are simply not

WHERE TO EAT

HOW TO CHOOSE

A RESTAURANT

Hotels and tourist offices will

often willingly suggest good

local restaurants. Most eateries

display menus outside, and

visitors can ascertain the bill

of fare and price beforehand.

It is best to avoid tourist-trap

places where waiters win cus-

tomers by importuning them

on the street, or where menus

are posted in six languages by

the door. Good restaurants will

be full of people eating hap-

pily, not waiting to be served.

It is also possible to eat well

in brasseries and cafés. Here,

it is often best to choose main-

stream fare such as steak-frites

or moules, rather than more

elaborate dishes that might

CUISINES ON THE MENU

The food of Belgium and

Luxembourg is solidly North

European and an expression

of what the land produces.

Should the palate tire of this,

there are other options. North

African cuisine is available

in the outlying districts of

the larger cities, and the well

cooked tagines, couscous and

pastry-based briks are good

value. Food from the Congo,

Rwanda and Senegal is a spec-

iality of the Matonge district

in Ixelles. Italian and Chinese

restaurants are fairly ubiqui-

tous and there are also some

Portuguese, Spanish, Greek,

Turkish, South American, Thai

and Indonesian establishments.

Indian restaurants are often

upmarket and relatively rare.

Japanese food also tends to

be expensive but is generally

of a high quality.

tax the establishment’s

equipment and personnel.

Meals can range from 10–20

euros for a simple brasserie

meal to more than 70 euros

for a full three-course dinner.

Beers too are brewed to

high standards in all quarters.

Locally-produced brews, such

as Boeteling, which celebrates

Veurne’s annual Procession of

the Penitents, are also highly

recommended. Some restau-

rants, such as Den Dyver in

Bruges (see p288), specialize

in dishes cooked with beer.

Art Nouveau decor in Brussels’s highly praised Comme Chez Soi

Thai chef

in Brussels

Enjoying drinks, snacks and
sunshine on a pavement terrace