Brussels’ culinary specialities

Brussels is the capital city of chocolate! It was here that the praline was invented, more precisely in a pharmacy in the Galerie de la Reine: Jean Neuhaus first had the idea of coating his medicines with chocolate before switching them, in 1912, for filled chocolates. The praline was born! In 1915, his wife, Louise Agostini, invented the ballotin, a packaging designed to protect the chocolates and make them more appealing. Alongside Neuhaus, countless chocolatiers offer you their delicious creations in Brussels. Discover our favourites and all the unmissable chocolate-themed activities available in our capital.

Originally from Ghent, waterzooï means “water that boils” in Dutch. It's a fish-based dish cooked in a broth of local vegetables (potatoes, carrots, leeks or celery). An egg yolk is added to the cooking juices to give the dish a creamy texture. Nowadays, fish is often replaced by chicken and you can find both variants on the menu in restaurants.

Flemish stew consists of pieces of beef served with a gingerbread and beer sauce, to which brown sugar is added to give it its brown colour. The French name 'carbonades' comes from 'charbon', the French word for charcoal, which was what the dish was cooked on in the past. The stew is eaten with potatoes or chips.

Brussels has made shrimp croquettes its speciality. So much so, that every year, it organises a competition to find the best shrimp croquette in the capital. The inside of the croquette is made of grey shrimp with a béchamel sauce. The whole thing is breaded and then deep-fried. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, it's served with fried parsley and a lemon wedge.

To sample some delicious shrimp croquettes, head to Fernand Obb Delicatessen, they won the first two editions of the croquette competition. Brasseries Georges is another must. And don’t forget Bouillon Bruxelles and Journal, the two most recent winners. 

Belgium is the land of beer and Brussels is its epicentre. With centuries of brewing tradition behind it, craft breweries are flourishing. There are almost twenty of them throughout the region, and more and more are opening their doors. Brewers are revisiting classic beers to offer you their own creations.. Cantillon, the oldest active brewery in the capital and the undisputed queen of lambic-style beers. Discover our selection of the best breweries, bars, restaurants and shops in which to drink and buy this famous beverage. If you also like chocolate, combine these two Brussels specialities during an original guided tour by Bravo Discovery, Hungry Mary or other guided tour companies.

In Brussels, savour other typical dishes and local produce: the famous mussels and chips, grilled endive, vol-au-vent, américain (a Belgian take on beef tartare), tomato and shrimp... Enjoy a pistolet, a small round bread with a golden crust and a soft crumb. At Pistolet Original, it’s their speciality and they offer a range of little sandwiches inspired by local dishes: américain, white pudding, chicory, tomatoes and prawns, with Liège syrup…

If chips are your guilty pleasure, here’s our selection of chip shops and other addresses where you can devour a batch. To learn more about the taste of winter in Brussels, read our winter gastronomy article and browse our selection of our favourite restaurants in which to sample it. If you want to know where to taste all these Belgian and Brussels specialities, make sure you pick restaurants that hold the Brusselicious label, which certifies establishments which celebrate Belgian cuisine and do it justice.