My new spot in Orange County! Walking into Brussels Bistro I felt my shoulders drop and my spirit smile. I felt like I was in Europe :)
We had reservations on a Friday night, but kept getting delayed on our way there so we called the hostess and gave her a heads up. Even though we were over a half hour late she held our table and we were seated the minute we got there.
The waiter and bus boys were super! Every wish or need we had was met before the words were finished coming out of our mouths. We had Belgian beer, and I was so glad to see they had a melon and prosciutto appetizer on the daily specials board. Summer isn't summer without prosciutto and melons. We also tried the brie wrapped in bacon appetizer which paired with their complimentary house bread was outstanding!
For dinner I had roasted peaches topped with fresh tuna salad. I could eat this dish all day long! Whoever thought of pairing peaches with tuna? The rest of my dinning companions loved their fish and steak entrees as well.
For dessert we had delicious Belgian coffees and tried the sugar tart and mousse au chocolat Belge.
I know for a fact I will be back to try the goat cheese salad with a peach beer sauce and the Endive, Gouda & Jambon salad. There aren't too many places like this in Southern Calfornia where they are open late and allow you the ability for a few hours to pretend that you are in Europe.
Mildly overpriced but the food is delicious. It's hard to find parking, but that's no deterrent for the fries that await you. They're thin and seasoned to perfection. Also a lot of beers on tap to try. I got something flambé for dessert, I think an apple pie. Worth a try and friendly staff.
Review Source:Moules frites si'l vous plait!
Two of the best things I had on our trip to Belgium (not counting the beer, chocolates, and waffles) were their mussels and fries. Imagine how ecstatic I was to have discovered this place on Yelp while looking for a restaurant to have dinner before hitting Pageant of the Masters!
Here's the icing on my cake...I found out they offer AYCE mussels and fries :D every Mon-Wed including a glass of wine (red/white) or Belgian beer on tap (Stella, Hoegarden, Leffe) for $26. Score!!!
We were the first patrons of the night but little by little people started trickling in and the place was happening. It was packed! Servers were really friendly and helpful. They chatted with us for a while, bringing the experience to a personal level.
HERE'S WHAT I TRIED:
**Mussels---There are 8 selections total and all of which are cooked with onions, celery, and butter in a casserole. You can try up to 3 selections in smaller pots and then decide which flavor you like best. Your mussels will then be served in a regular pot (which is pretty huge) if you still have space for more. At that point I was pretty much stuffed so I went for my 4th and last small pot with my flavor of choice--garlic and cream! Didn't care much for the Hoegarden beer as it was more sweet than anything while the grain mustard didn't rock my boat at all. The garlic cream on the other hand was sublime! I was digging into it like soup and dipping my bread in there. Just can't get enough of it! Mussels are steaming hot when served and easily falls off the shell with a single poke of your fork. Soak it in the sauce or use your spoon like I did. Good stuff!!! <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/brussels-bistro-laguna-beach?select=5spoRbKjd9UjNfjO6kVv_g#ZxnBqoCfDUwlPqgjAzoKUw">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
**Belgian Fries---Thick cut, real potatoes, and deep fried to perfection! I love every bit of it! Be sure to ask for mayo and ketchup for dipping. <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/brussels-bistro-laguna-beach?select=5spoRbKjd9UjNfjO6kVv_g#F1k2RFTcgEBVathUpP48DQ">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
**Vol au vent de poulet et champignons---creamy chicken and mushrooms in puff pastry also served with Belgian fries. This was a good dish. Would have been better if served warm. It felt like it was sitting out there too long before it was served. Our server was really apologetic and offered to replace it but we were already halfway through our plate so that wasn't necessary. Flavors were awesome though...a comfort dish if you will. The one thing that really stood out to me on this one was the puff pastry which was buttery yummy with the perfect texture. $22 <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/brussels-bistro-laguna-beach?select=5spoRbKjd9UjNfjO6kVv_g#oLYfD6hzlV961U0k5OG52A">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
**Waffles with bananas and chocolate syrup---you'd think they would nail this one but geez, that was disappointing! The batter and texture of the waffles was just wrong. Nothing like what I had in Belgium :( Bananas were not sweet or ripe yet and the chocolate sauce tasted just like the Hershey's syrup. No good! Luckily, this was on the house for the cold vol au vent. $9 <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/brussels-bistro-laguna-beach?select=5spoRbKjd9UjNfjO6kVv_g#J4RcLXrvGoN5hccHMYD2QQ">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
Overall, the experience somewhat transported me to Belgium. The ambiance was very European! They had black and white photos of landmarks in Brussels on the walls and a miniature statue of the 'Mannekin Pis' as you walk down the stairs. Love their Belgian beers on tap especially the Leffe Brün. A good find indeed! 'Til next time..
Street parking only and free after 7pm. Meters accept credit cards.
JCVD frequents this bar. No, he doesn't but wouldn't it be awesome if he did!? They play music here on weekend nights so I always imagine him drunkily stumbling on to the dancefloor doing the splits Kickboxer-style. Sadly the muscles from brussels lives here only in my mind.
Aside from JCVD nostalgia, I come here for the Belgian beers on draft. They have the usual suspects with Stella and Hoegaarden but they'll also sprinkle in some craft varities on tap as well. Come here for happy hour and get all you can eat mussels and fries for $26 and of course cheaper beer, Danke Schoen!
HHHHEYYYYYY HOOOOOOOOO HHHHEEEYYYYYY HHOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!
I threw it down here!!!!!
Let me tell you.
I got my dance on.
European style.
I felt like I was back in Greece for the summer.
House music galore.
I threw it down with the Moscow Mules.
Delish by the way!!!! (Especially if you tell the bartender to add Jameson instead of Vodka)
I will definitely be back. What I liked most was that there was people of all ages.
Get it boo!
The food was very good and well prepared. The pear beer/cider was amazing! I went for my birthday, and I'm already planning on going back very soon! The service is great and you won't be disappointed! The only downside is that the place is a bit small, but that does make it nice and cozy.
Review Source:Great ambiance, excellent service, an authentic slice of Europe in downtown Laguna Beach. If it's beer you're after you've come to the right place, but don't order Budweiser, as beer is treated like wine at The Brussels Bistro. The sea bass served in parchment paper is to die for. Brussels Bistro is my new favorite restaurant in Laguna Beach.
Review Source:All you can eat mussels and Belgian fries every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. It comes with a glass of red or white house wine or one of their Belgian beers on tap. It's only $26 per person. Granted, it is a lot of mussels and I could barely finish the one pot they gave me. Combine that with the fries they also give and I was stuffed to the brim.
I got the Nature (vin blanc and garlic) sauce on my muscles which was pretty good. I couldn't finish my first pot so I couldn't try any other flavors. I would like to come back here just to try the other flavors with the muscles. I like mussels and I like that they have a variety of sauces to put on the mussels, but I suck at AYCE mussels and fries because they are just so filling. I would say it was still worth it since the mussels were so soft and flavorful. The came off the shells so easily. I liked to take them off with my fork and leave it in the sauce that gathered at the bottom for extra flavor. Yum!
The location of Brussels Bistro is ideal. It's located in Laguna Beach so you can walk around the beach or all the little stores after feeling very stuffed. As for inside the restaurant, it is a bit underground and has the dim lighting going. The waiters all can speak french so if you want to try out your french, this is a good place for that. Overall, I had a good experience and was pretty pleased with my food.
I'm still looking for the perfect bistro in S. Cal. Â This wasn't it, because when I'm dining at this price point, I want to feel like I had a truly outstanding meal. Â This was satisfying but not outstanding. Â The moules frites: somehow the mussels, which were perfectly prepared, had too much gristle. Â Another in our group enjoyed his steak tartare. Â Another appreciated the duck tacos but thought the pieces of duck were a little too large. Â The lamb was well-reviewed. Â
Really the dish that I found most delish was the crepes Suzette (though they call it something else). Â I would return after the dinner rush just for that!
I have walked by Brussels 40 or 50 times and have never really given it a shot, until this past Sunday and really only because they allow small dogs in upstairs patio area, so we sat down. Â
The food was amazing, absolutely really really good. Â The fish is so fresh. Â We had a shrimp dish that I will always order when we go back, we also tried White Asparagus - imported from Belgian - over a cream sauce topped with smoked salmon, the combination was so good. Â
I watched so many couples pass by and look at the menu and keep waking. Â So I have to be honest and say the hostess out front really didn't say anything to the "potential" customers about how good the food is since the menu is a little tough to understand if its your first time, I almost wanted to speak up and tell them myself. Â The hostess should share more about the menu, and that Brussels is a 4 star on yelp. Â
I really recommend stopping in, the service is great and they will recommend dishes that won't disappoint, but will leave you with knowing you will come back.
We came here with the intention of drinking and only drinking... but ended up ordering the octopus carpaccio and tequila shrimp. Â OMG...... I have never tasted anything quite like the octopus capaccio. Â It literally melts in your mouth. Â We just had to order another plate of this dish because we couldn't get enough. Â
The tequila shrimp was also delicious. Â Friendly service, great food, and I liked the setup of the restaurant... it was different. Â I regret that we had already eaten dinner prior to coming here so we were too stuffed to order an actual dinner. Â If I'm ever back in town, I will come back.
Sat at the bar and was helped by Zach who was a great bartender (younger guy, kind of shaggy hair). Â He let me taste a few of their specialty Belgian beers on tap until I found the Leffe Brown. Â Excellent!
He also convinced me that even though I don't like black licorice that I should go for the tomato/basil mussels which has a bit of liqueur that smells like licorice. Â Great suggestion, the dish was more complex and I was glad I listened to his advice.
The bread basket was nothing to eff with either. Â Soft and hot in the middle, crunchy on the outside, and a nice dunking compliment to the broth left over in my mussels pot. Â
Lovely Tuesday night dinner or bar spot. Â Definitely need to come back for a full dinner on the weekends and stay for the crazy house music scene that it turns into after 10? or so.
Really hit the spot after a hard afternoon of sightseeing in Laguna Beach.
The owner, the eponymous Belgian, guided us through the menu and made good suggestions.
My wife had, but of course, moules frites. Â The double fried french fries were great, as was the broth from the moules sopped up with excellent baguette. Â I had a salad of grilled vegetables on top of leafy greens. Â It was topped with grilled scampi. Â The hot, grilled vegetables wilted the arugula underneath. Â This was a new standard against which other salads should be judged. Â BTW it didn't need the scampi.
The Belgian beers were great.
My only complaint is that BB was understaffed on a Sunday afternoon. Â I finally went to the bar to pay my bill. Â Otherwise I still might be there. Â Come to think of it, that might not have been such a bad result.
I came here for the AYCE mussels & french fries ($26 per person). You also get a complimentary glass of the house wine or a Belgian beer on tap. Considering it's regularly priced at $26 for just one pot of mussels and fries, the AYCE is a great deal (it's only offered Monday-Wednesday).
I've never tried mussels before, so I was a little overwhelmed by the choices and by what I saw when they brought out my pot of mussels. You pick your flavor - I stuck with the Mariniere (celeri, onions, butter). To be honest, I didn't really taste much flavor, but what do I really know about how mussels taste? I'm not a huge seafood lover to begin with, so I was pleasantly surprised that the mussels didn't taste or look slimy or unappetizing. They were also super easy to eat and must have been steamed for awhile because they came right out of their shell without any effort. The french fries were pretty typical but I love all things french fries, so they complimented the mussels really well.
In terms of atmosphere, Brussels is kind of like a bar/gastropub, so it's smaller, darker and a little more intimate. It's not a super classy joint like I kind of expected. Our waiter was okay. He checked on us pretty often but towards the end of the meal he started to act kind of dismissive, which was weird. But overall, it was a nice experience and I'd recommend it if you have $26 to shell out for mussels and french fries and would like to check out an authentic Belgian restaurant.
I want to love this place. I really do. As a Laguna local, I've been here more times than I can count. Bartenders have come and gone but there is a consistency to the amazing draft beers that lures me in. Lately though, I just had a few things that nag at me. One, it feels more like a "bros" club. The bartenders give the best service to their friends and other customers seem to come second. Number two. Small pet peeve but as a small business owner this is a 10 for me. I came in around 9:40 and asked if the kitchen was closed. They said yes. Around 10pm I noted three separate tables get food that came in after me. They clearly ordered after I arrived. I'm not sure why but damn I just wanted an order of fries with my beer. Â I just left with a bad taste in my mouth. Cheers to the beer. Jeers to the rest.
Review Source:Excellent mussels and escargot! We arrived 15 minutes early to our 7:30pm reservation as we're seated right away. Duck tacos appetizer and meatball entrees were out of this world tasty :) also ordered the creeps and ice cream with Belgian chocolate on top and will absolutely be back for more !!
Review Source:Started with escargot, slathered in butter but excellent though, we used the bread to dip in the extra butter sauce.
Girlfriend had the pot of mussels. The first ones were a little fishy but as she got into them they were less so because of the sauce, almost like a mushroom soup.
I had the Creamy chicken and mushrooms in puff pastry which was very rich, but not overly heavy, good portion of chicken. The pastry was very light, a nice touch.
Fries of course were crispy but not overly done.
Disappointed because several people were having the shank around us and the waiter forgot to tell us about the specials. Half way through the meal I looked up and noticed the specials written high up on the wall in chalk.
Will definately return and try other things.
If you like privacy, don't go here. The tables are very close together and the interior has a European like cafe feeling.
Disappointing.
Came here for dinner before heading to a friend's house in the area. They are known for their mussels so I ordered that which came with fries. Had to send it back. The mussels were very small and anorexic, besides that it seems like they left it on the steamer too long bc it was dried out and flavorless. The fries were decent, but nothing special. I had to send the mussels back and the waiter seemed pretty miffed about it because for the rest of the night he ignored our table, another nice waitress who was waiting on tables next to ours even asked how our meal was but not our waiter. He only came by to take the check at the very end. I don't know what his problem was, it's not like I ate the whole pot of mussels and then sent it back, we had about 3-5 and I knew I didn't want to have any more. I even ordered, and paid for, a replacement meal item. Besides the unappetizing food, the service left an even worse taste in my mouth, definitely will not be back so here's your one star.
Oh my, mussels and oysters galore!
Pot of Mussels and Frites
$25 For a huge pot of mussels. I've been craving mussels and fries since... I had some in Italy, finally found a place that makes more than just decent mussels. A little on the pricey side, but hey, we're in Laguna, what do you expect? They have ayce mussels Mon-Wed, so if you guys are free, come down for the ayce, it's definitely worth it.
Vol au Vent
For those of you that like creamy, this is a good dish, enjoyed it, with puff pastry, the chicken was good, a tad dry, but loved the creamy sauce...although I'm more of a mussels fan :P
Happy hour (4-7) beers:
Stella, hoegarden, Leffe blond on tap, if I remember correctly, $4/ea.
The owners/staff let us try some beer they just imported from Belgium, nice stuff. Really gotta come back for their beers.
Beligian beer....YUMMMMMMM!!!!!!
A professed Belgian beer snob...we have all seen Delirium, Duvel, Leffe and the other usual suspects invade almost every other bar these days. Â What the other bars don't have is this stuff on tap....Brussels Bistro does....oh and they have pretty damn good food as well. Â Lots of variety, for those that truly love Belgian beers....this is your place in OC and perhaps all of Southern California to go.
Native Belgian here and revisited the Bistro after a long time. I had the tomate aux crevettes, this is a typical Belgian dish with fresh tomatoes where they take the inside meat from the tomato and fill it up with North Sea gray shrimp. The shrimps are imported from Belgium or Holland and are super tasty. They mix them with mayonnaise and then fill the tomato. It's served with Belgian fries.
My experience: they should have had more green on the plate and then sprinkle some shrimp around the tomato and add some hard boiled egg or whatever to have the dish look more appealing. The taste was good. Good selection of Belgian beers from bottle and tap but pricey.
I will revisit the Bistro, great ambiance
Dined here this past Sunday afternoon. The inside tables weren't crowded at all and we were seated immediately. The waiter took our drink order right away and went over the daily specials and gave his personal recommendations. My mom ordered the special Seafood Gratin and I ordered the mussels in garlic herb broth. Both dishes were superbly prepared and so fresh! The seafood gratin came cooked in the shell and contained the most delicately spiced bechamel sauce that perfectly highlighted the shrimp, mussels and crab within. The steamed mussels were plentiful for a lunch portion and were served in a very light garlic broth. The fresh herbs in the broth added a very earthy balance to the briny mussel taste.
Our waiter (very French and super hot) was extremely attentive and so friendly! Loved the food, service and decor! 5 stars all the way!
Walked in and I was greeted by a typical French waiter- stuck up and very non chalant.
I ordered their tartrate on toast, a traditional French dish of raw ground beef with an assortment of mixes. The ketchup they added to the tartare was overwhelming. The point of the tartare is to appreciate the quality of the meat- not to drench it with everything you put in a hamburger. The tartare also lacked a sophisticated quality- important when eating raw foods because if prepared briskly, it can be dangerous.
I appreciated their effort to Frenchify Laguna, but it was mediocre at best.
I came here for an early dinner on a Saturday with a friend. She had been here before and said the burger was amazing, and god knows I love a good burger.
Parking is kind of a pain in Laguna Beach, but I'm of the philosophy that when within reasonable distance, it's far better to just park the car and walk rather than continue to deal with traffic.
My friend and I both got the burger, which has gruyere cheese, caramelized onion, and greens, along with amazingly crispy and well-seasoned fries and a little salad on the side. Plus fresh warm bread to start. I know, everyone talks about their mussels, but mussels kind of gross me out. And I can't speak to their supposedly amazing beer selection. But five stars for the amazing burger. Although I do have to say that our waiter seemed reluctant to give us the check and looked like he was hoping that we would order dessert or something else. But that's better than feeling like you're being kicked out, so whatever, plus he was adorable.
Mondays - Wednesdays, they offer a special with AYCE mussels (any flavor) and AYCE fries plus 1 complimentary glass of house wine (white or red), Stella, Hoegaarden, or Leffe Belgian beer for $24 per person. Â It's a great deal, considering one big pot of mussels with fries is $25 at the regular dinner price (which doesn't include a drink).
Both my husband and I went last Tuesday night (made reservations for 6:45 pm) and got the AYCE special. Â We arrived during Happy Hour (4 - 7 pm), and our server suggested we order any drinks we wanted during Happy Hour so that we would get a good price on those drinks on top of the one free drink that was included with our dinner. Â
I'm not a big drinker, so I asked if I could combine our two included drinks and get my husband a sampler. Our server said that they couldn't substitute, so I got Hoegaarden (light beer) and my husband got Leffe (dark ale) which neither of us have ever tried.
- Hoegaarden - A bit sweet and very refreshing; tasted a bit like lemonade
- Leffe - Dark ale with a difficult taste to describe; my husband LOVED it and wanted another one, if not for him already having to drink most of my beer as well plus saving room for lots of mussels. :)
Our first pots of mussels were the big full size pot, and additional rounds of mussels came in the smaller pots that you get if you were to get the appetizer size. We tried pretty much all the different flavors, except two (since we were so stuffed by then and couldn't eat any more). I suggest your first pot being the one you think you would like best, since it's the one you get the most of. Â You can order any flavor you want. Save the ones you aren't as interested in for last, since you may never even get to those. :) All the flavors are pretty light and the broth watery (though good), except for maybe the blue cheese which is a bit creamier and heavier. So here's what we thought of the ones we tried.
- Garlic (cream and garlic) - This was my first and biggest pot, and also one of my favorites since I love garlic (though the garlic flavor wasn't that strong). They give you a spoon with your first pot, so I pulled off my mussels with my fork and then used the spoon to scoop some broth with each mussel. It was delicious, and I drank the broth like soup! I was surprised that it wasn't as creamy as I thought it would be.The broth had cream in it, though it wasn't creamy overall.
- Provencale (tomato, basil, pastis) - Very light tasting like what you would get if you were to order seafood marinara at an Italian restaurant, though even lighter. Â
- Blue cheese - This was the creamiest of all the ones we tried, though it wasn't as thick as a creamy soup would be. There weren't any chunks of blue cheese (which I was hoping for), but it was still good. It was a bit heavy, though it didn't have a very strong blue cheese taste. This was one of my favorites too.
- Curry (cream and curry) - This broth was also very light. You would like it if you like curry, since it gives the mussels a little kick. We really liked this one.
- Hoegaarden beer (cream and beer) - For our very last little pot of mussels, we had to decide between this one, the Marinere, or the Nature.  Our server recommended this one, and we decided on it since it was more unique than the others. It was surprisingly VERY flavorful. It had a garlic and lemon taste to it. We were both full already at this point (having also ordered another order of fries to share), but we both thought this was one of the best, if not the best, of all the flavors we tried. That says a lot, considering things don't usually taste as good  once you're full.
The mussels were all very tender, plump, and juicy. Â And some mussels were pretty big. I was surprised we didn't run into any that were chewy or rubbery. Â The mussels didn't have a strong fishy taste to them either. Â They tasted very fresh.
As for the fries, some of them were a bit crispier than your usual fries (which is the way I like it). They don't have any unique flavoring to them, though the ones that were extra crispy out the outside and moist on the inside were the absolute best. This is probably why their fries are better than other places.
Okay, so in the end, we ate way more than we probably should have. I LOVE seafood, so I drank very little beer and water and avoided the bread so that I could allocate all my stomach space to mussels and fries. I have to admit that I felt a bit sick afterwards, but didn't regret it one bit! I would definitely go again next time we have a seafood craving. It was a fun and enjoyable evening, especially including our walk along the beach afterward to walk off some of the food we ate.
I highly recommend doing the AYCE special. They were suppose to have live music (since on their site it said there would be live music on Tuesday nights), but there wasn't any. It's so small in there anyway, it's a wonder where they would even fit a band. Â
Check out the pics I'm posting too.
I like mussels from Brussels here. No, not Jean Claude Van Damme, as that would be muscles from Brussels. For around $25, their AYCE mussels from Mon-Wed is legit. You also get all the pomme frites (fancy words for fries, lets face it) you can eat, plus your choice of alcoholic beverage. Stellaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Their mussels are large in size and, for the most part, incredibly tender. There are a few that are chewy and like rubber. Just don't eat them and drown them in the broth. Speaking of, you have your choice of broth -- you can't go wrong with the usual butter, garlic, and white white. But try the curry flavored broth. It's real subtle on the curry, so it's not too strong. Just enough so that it gives the mussels an added dimension.
The big pot of mussels is enough to feed most normal people. But since I'm not normal, and I wanted to get my money's worth, I ordered another pot of the same size for my second helping. The waiter hesitated and asked if I was sure, because most of time they will give you a smaller bowl for refills. I insisted on the big pot. It was just delicious as the first pot, but I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't sick of mussels after that night.
TGFY (THANK GOODNESS FOR YELP)! Â I found Brussels Bistro thanks to the Yelp app on my phone and this discovery made my day. Â This is one of the first times I have used the monocle, and let me tell you, I am now sold. Â I try not to use my phone too often as I try to avoid getting sucked into the never ending universe of a smart phone, but this was so worth it. Â After a nice hike up the hill at Top of the World trails, I pointed my phone to see where I could get some good grub around Laguna Beach, an area I don't know too well, and the decision was made the second I saw Brussels in the title.
If I were to have one last meal on earth, it would hands down be moules and pommes frites along with a flight of my favorite Belgian Beers. Â Luckily I don't have to wait until the world is coming to an end to enjoy this dish. Â I am so glad places like Brussels Bistro exist.
We went all out as we had burned tons of calories on our morning hike. Â My friend and I shared a pot of the creamy garlic moules that came with pommes frites and each got a flight of some killer Belgian beers (4 tastings for $10). Â The bartnender was so knowledgable and convinced us to live life on the edge and try some beers we have never before tasted. Â All were delicious. Â The mussels were fresh, flavorful, and cooked to perfection and the pommes frites were thick and tasty. Â They came with three dipping sauces, one that was mayonaise, ketchup and whisky, a combination I would never dreamed tasted so heavenly.
They also have daily happy hour! Â $4 beers everyday from 4-7 is something I absolutely support. Â I would definitely make the trip back to Laguna Beach just to go back to Brussels Bistro.
I have to agree with a couple of the other reviewers about this place.
First of all, the fries are nothing special at all. They are standard cut diner fries with absolutely no flavor at all. The Ketchup tasted right out of the bottle. I was pretty disappointed considering they featured "Belgian" fries all over the menu.
The roasted chicken was also nothing special. The sauce was heavy rather than flavorful, and I left feeling bloated.
Ultimately not worth the price. The food was in no way memorable.
The atmosphere was hip and lively, but our server was also curt and rushed.
Not a place I would run back to.
EXCELLENT STAFF, GREAT BEER SELECTION, AMAZING HAPPY HOUR.
I came here last Friday with my bff and decided to grab some happy hour since we were nearby. We were immediately greeted by Laetitia, the GM, who was as sweet as a button. I wasn't familiar with Belgian food, so Laetitia explained her favorites on the menu to us which was incredibly helpful considering their huge variety of foods and drinks! (Plus, you can trust whatever she says because she's actually FROM Belgium!)
We started off our order with the escargot. The only other time I've ever had escargot was in France, and I'd have to say---these were exceptionally tasty with the perfect amount of saucy garlic. (I was trying my best to stay carb-less for the night, but Laetitie convinced me to dip the house bread into the leftover sauce. A MUST DO....it was SOOOOOOOO good that we ate the whole basket of bread!)
Next we had the large pot of mussels in a white wine and garlic sauce. Â ('Natural') You can choose between a number of different marinades for the mussels. The serving size was of epic proportions so if you plan on also ordering entrees for each person, then we'd recommend getting the smaller portion or splitting an entree and getting the large pot.
Finallly, we had the Vol Au Vent De Poulet Et  Son Cornet De Frites. Essentially, it was a chicken in a creamy mushroom sauce with a puff pastry baked on top. If you're in the mood for comfort food, it's a great option. It almost tasted like a deconstructed chicken pot pie! Oh, and the Belgian fries that come with all the entrees are spectacular. The outside of the french fries have the perfect crunch and a really hearty soft potato on the inside! :)
All in all, we had a surprisingly enjoyable time at Brussels Bistro. (We had only been there before for drinks at night, so we were excited by how much fun we had with just the dinner.) We will definitely be back soon. Thanks, Laetitia!
My Belgian grandfather loved his heritage, god bless him, but he didn't do a good job introducing us to the food of his homeland, other than ham relish, Lukken cookies, and some sort of pickled fish. So trying out a belgian restaurant was kind of an eye opener.
A lot of folks will come here just for the beer, and that would be enough. Our server was very informative regarding their daily specials and beer selection. They have an extensive list of beers, with some tried and true favs (Stella. Hoegaarden), as well as some lesser known heavy hitters (Piraat, Delirium). You can order a tasting flight to get a range of samples before committing to your next beer.
We tried a few things here: Kumamoto oysters, Charcuterie plate, Belgian onion soup, and mixed croquettes. But the go-to item to have here is their Mussels, Casserole De Moules. You can customize the order with a special sauce, ranging from Bleu Cheese to Provençale. As an entree this is a big ol bucket of mussels swimming in broth. And they are delicious. We sampled the Curry and the Nature (White wine and garlic), and they were both great. Nature was a bit more traditional, but the curry was an unexpected change of pace.
I should also mention their onion soup. This wasn't like a brown french onion soup, but more like a thin cream-based soup. The onion flavor was melted throughout, no chunks left swimming about. But it still comes with a chunk of bread and cheese on top. Â Between a beer, a bowl of soup and a bucket of mussels, you can't go wrong.
Definitely worth trying out.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
