Page 274 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Belgium & Luxembourg

272  TR A VELLERS ’ NEEDS

WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK

Belgium offers some of the best food tourists rather than cater to the local
in the world, at restaurants of all price clientele. Luxembourg’s cuisine exhibits
categories. Belgians take pride in a not just the skill of French cooking, but
flavourful cuisine that is carefully also has its own range of robust dishes.
prepared with fresh, local and seasonal As in Belgium, establishments that cook
produce. Visitors will find that it is best and serve fine food are treated with
to be wary of eateries that openly court respect and win loyal customers.

standards in all quarters. Cuisines on the Menu
Locally-produced brews, such The food of Belgium and
as Boeteling, which celebrates Luxembourg is solidly North
Veurne’s annual Procession of European and an expression of
the Penitents, are also highly what the land produces. North
recommended. Some restau- African cuisine is available in the
rants, such as Brasserie Erasmus outlying districts of the larger
in Bruges (see p283), specialize cities, and the well-cooked
in dishes cooked with beer. tagines, couscous and pastry-
based briks are good value.
Food from Congo, Rwanda and
How to Choose a Senegal is a speciality of the
Restaurant Matonge district in Ixelles. Italian
Hotels and tourist offices often and Chinese restaurants are fairly
willingly suggest good local ubiquitous, and there are also
restaurants. Most eateries some Portuguese, Spanish,
Enjoying drinks, snacks and sunshine at display menus outside, and Greek, Turkish, South American,
a pavement café visitors can get an idea of prices Thai and Indonesian establish-
beforehand. Avoid tourist-trap ments. Indian restaurants are
What to Eat Where places where menus are posted often upmarket and relatively
It is possible to eat just about in multiple languages by the rare. Japanese food also tends
any kind of food anywhere in door. Good restaurants will be to be expensive but is generally
Belgium and Luxembourg. Each full of people eating happily, of a high quality.
region, however, has its produits not waiting to be served. It wasn’t long ago when
du terroir or streekproducten It is also possible to eat well French was the standard
(local specialities), which in brasseries and cafés. Here, language of food across the
change with the season. it is often best to choose region. In Flanders, now, it is
The coast, for instance, is mainstream fare such as steak- more usual to see menus in
the best place to eat seafood, frites or moules, rather than Dutch, sometimes with a French
while game is a speciality of the more elaborate dishes that transla tion. Many restaurants
Ardennes, particularly in winter, might tax the establishment’s also provide English translations
and hop shoots are a spring- equipment and personnel. or even separate English menus.
time treat in Western Flanders. Meals can range from €10–20 Staff can usually explain, or
Eel is best savoured at for a simple brasserie meal to failing that, the menu reader
Donkmeer, near Ghent, while more than €100 for a full three- (see p277) and phrase book
Ghent itself is the true home course dinner in a top restaurant. (see pp340–44) will be useful.
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 and pékèt gin
in Liège. Luxembourg has its
famed Moselle wines (see p253),
however, excellent wines are
also produced in the Hageland
region of Vlaams Brabant. Beers
too are brewed to high Art Nouveau decor in Brussels’s highly regarded Comme Chez Soi (see p281)

272-273_EW_Belgium.indd 272 18/10/16 3:03 pm
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Practical template “UK” LAYER
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Date 5th March 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm