10 Belgian Specialities to Absolutely Try During Your Visit to Brussels

Fries, chocolate, beer and waffles. If you’ve ever planned a trip to Brussels, there’s a good chance those four words appear somewhere on your list. But reducing Belgian gastronomy to that quartet is a bit like summing up the Grand-Place as a pretty cobblestoned square. Belgian cuisine is generous, rooted in centuries of Flemish and Walloon tradition, and it has plenty of surprises in store for those who take the time to look beyond the obvious.

From mussels simmered in a creamy sauce to perfectly crispy grey shrimp croquettes, from the comforting stoemp to waterzooi (that creamy chicken or fish stew enjoyed for centuries), or the spéculoos that flavours every morning coffee, each dish tells you something about Brussels. Brussels is internationally recognised as one of Europe’s gastronomic capitals, and you only need to explore its historic brasseries to understand why. This guide takes you through ten Belgian specialities you absolutely must try during your visit to Brussels and the Grand-Place, with a few tips to make sure you don’t miss the essentials.

Belgian fries, a global icon and national pride

Everyone thinks they know Belgian fries. In reality, very few people understand what actually sets them apart from their foreign counterparts. The secret lies in the double frying. Brussels fries are first submerged in beef fat at a moderate temperature to cook the inside, then removed and plunged back in at high temperature to achieve that characteristic golden, crispy crust.

It’s this technique, passed down from generation to generation in Belgian chip shops (known here as “baraques à frites”), that makes all the difference. In Brussels, the friterie is as much a social hub as a place to eat. You queue with the regulars, choose your sauce with care, and eat your cone of fries standing in the street. It’s a social ritual in its own right.

Homemade mayo remains the undisputed classic, but other sauces have their devoted fans too. If you’re unsure, ask what the regulars are ordering, it’s rarely a bad strategy.

If you’d like to enjoy your fries in a slightly more relaxed setting, Le Roy d’Espagne has its own friterie on the side of the building, with a stunning view over the Grand-Place. A simple, authentic way to start your Brussels trip on a satisfyingly delicious note.

The great brasserie classics you can’t miss

Belgian brasseries are true Brussels institutions. Not quite restaurants, not quite cafés, they’re the kind of places where you take your time, where the menu blends traditional dishes and local classics, and where beer accompanies a meal as naturally as wine does elsewhere. The dishes below are the ones you’ll almost always find there, and it would be a shame to miss them.

Moules-frites, the duo that sums it all up

Moules-frites, the great Belgian classic, embody the philosophy of the cuisine all on their own: simple ingredients, careful execution, and a result that far exceeds the sum of its parts. The mussels used in Brussels are generally Zeeland mussels, prized for their size and briny flavour. They arrive in a large steaming pot, served alongside a generous portion of fries.

The most popular preparation is marinière, made with white wine, shallots, celery and parsley. But Brussels menus often offer around ten variations: with cream, garlic, Roquefort, or beer for a more local and aromatic take. The locals’ tip: dip your fries in the cooking broth. A small habit that changes everything.

Mussel season generally runs from July to April, with peak quality in autumn. Outside that window, you’re better off choosing something else.

Carbonades flamandes, the beer-braised beef stew

Carbonades flamandes (or “stoofvlees” in Dutch) takes its name from the charcoal over which it once simmered for hours. It’s a beef stew braised in dark Belgian beer, with onions, thyme, bay leaf, and a touch of sweetness from brown sugar or Liège syrup. Some recipes add a slice of gingerbread spread with mustard, placed on top of the meat while it cooks: it thickens the sauce and gives it that slightly caramelised flavour that makes the dish so distinctive.

It’s a dish that demands patience, prepared over two days and improved after resting overnight. A brasserie that puts it on the menu is making a serious commitment. Served with fries or stoemp (see below), it’s the kind of warming dish you particularly savour when the temperature drops. But honestly, even in the middle of summer, it’s hard to resist.

Vol-au-vent, the pleasant surprise on Brussels menus

A quick note on terminology: in Belgium, you say “vol-au-vent”, not “bouchée à la reine”. The difference goes beyond the name. The Belgian vol-au-vent is considerably more generous, served in a large puff pastry shell (a hollow, golden, flaky case) filled with chunks of chicken, mushrooms, meatballs and a rich, creamy sauce. It impresses every time, even regulars.

Brussels residents are so attached to it that the city has been running an annual competition since 2025 to crown the best vol-au-vent in the capital. Organised by ASBL BXLove and presided over by Brussels chef Christophe Hardiquest, the competition brought together around twenty restaurants in May 2025. Le Roy d’Espagne took the bronze medal in this inaugural Brussels edition, a well-deserved nod to a 100% homemade vol-au-vent, prepared without veal sweetbreads and designed to suit everyone.

Grey shrimp croquettes, the treasure of the North Sea

Grey shrimp croquettes are probably the most underrated Belgian speciality among visitors, and one of the most beloved among locals. They were born on the Belgian coast, in Ostend, where fishermen brought back small grey shrimp from the North Sea every day: smaller than tropical prawns, but far more flavourful, with a firm texture and a delicate briny taste.

The recipe involves mixing them into a thick, seasoned béchamel, shaping them into croquettes, coating them in breadcrumbs and frying them until the crust is golden. The inside should be runny, almost creamy. It’s that contrast of textures that makes them utterly irresistible. They’re served as a starter, with a wedge of lemon and fried parsley.

A word of warning: some tourist establishments serve industrially made croquettes, often with frozen shrimp from far-flung origins. For an authentic experience, it’s worth choosing a brasserie that makes them in-house, like Le Roy d’Espagne.

Stoemp, Brussels’ ultimate comfort food

Stoemp is a purely Brussels speciality, born in the 19th century in the city’s working-class kitchens. It’s a mashed potato dish mixed with seasonal vegetables (carrots, leeks, spinach or Brussels sprouts), seasoned with thyme and bay leaf. Served with a grilled sausage or bacon lardons, it’s the quintessential everyday dish: affordable, filling and genuinely good.

You might call it grandmother food, and that’s meant as a compliment. Stoemp doesn’t try to impress, it simply comforts. If you spot it on a Brussels menu, it’s generally a good sign about the kitchen.

Typically Brussels: chicons au gratin

“Chicon” is the Belgian word for endive, a term Belgians rarely swap for any other. Cultivated in Belgium since the 19th century, this slightly bitter vegetable has become one of the country’s most iconic, and chicons au gratin is without a doubt its most popular preparation.

Chicons are cooked in water or steamed, then wrapped in a slice of ham, coated in a creamy béchamel and baked in the oven with grated cheese. The result is a warm, generous dish, with that slight bitterness of the endive hiding beneath all that creamy richness. It’s typically the kind of dish Brussels locals eat at home on a Sunday evening, and take great pride in letting you taste.

Chicons au gratin is a seasonal dish, offered from autumn through to early spring. If you’re visiting Brussels in summer, the chances of finding it on a menu are slim. But if the season is right, it’s one of the most authentically Brussels culinary experiences there is.

Brussels’ sweet temptations

Belgian gastronomy doesn’t stop at savoury dishes. It’s also, perhaps above all, a world of sweet things. Waffles, pralines, spéculoos: three classics whose simple appearances conceal a richness of tradition and craftsmanship that deserves more than a passing glance.

The Brussels waffle, and why it’s not the one from Liège

It’s a common mix-up, and it matters. Belgian waffles come in two distinct families with very different characters: the Brussels waffle on one side, the Liège waffle on the other. The Brussels waffle is rectangular, light and airy. Its leavened batter gives it a crispy exterior and a soft interior, and it’s traditionally eaten plain or with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

The Liège waffle, on the other hand, is smaller, irregularly shaped, denser and sweeter, with pearl sugar that caramelises during cooking to form small, crunchy pockets. It’s often eaten straight out of hand, without toppings, because the flavour is already rich enough on its own.

In Brussels, both are easy to find in the streets of the city centre. Do watch out, though, for stands selling waffles reheated to order: a freshly made Brussels waffle straight off the iron has no equal. As a fun fact, the Brussels waffle is said to have appeared as early as 1842, and the traditional recipe calls for exactly twenty pockets, not one more.

Belgian chocolate and pralines, a national obsession

Belgium has around 300 artisan chocolate makers and more than 2,000 chocolate shops across the country. Those figures give you some idea of the place chocolate holds in Belgian culture. But what truly sets Belgian chocolate apart on the world stage is the invention of the filled praline by Jean Neuhaus in Brussels in 1912: a chocolate shell encasing a creamy filling (praliné, ganache or caramel). A revolution at the time, an absolute classic today.

In Brussels, the concentration of chocolatiers around the Grand-Place can quickly become overwhelming. A few pointers to help you navigate:

• Major names like Godiva, Leonidas and Neuhaus are among the most famous Belgian chocolatiers in the world, with highly visible boutiques in the city centre.
• For a more artisanal experience, names like Pierre Marcolini or Laurent Gerbaud are well worth the detour.
• A good chocolatier can be spotted by several signs: display cases without vacuum-sealed products, a short ingredient list, and staff who can tell you about the origin of the cacao.

Spéculoos, much more than a coffee biscuit

Spéculoos is one of those products that everyone has tasted without necessarily knowing it’s Belgian. This dry, slightly crunchy biscuit, flavoured with cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg and cloves, was born in Belgium in the 17th century. It’s traditionally served with coffee, but also finds its way into desserts, spreads (as a paste) and even some savoury recipes.

In Brussels, Maison Dandoy, founded in 1829, is the absolute reference. Their spéculoos are made according to a traditional recipe and sold individually or in decorative tins that make excellent souvenirs. It’s hard to leave empty-handed.

Which beers to pair with Belgian specialities?

Belgian beer isn’t just something you drink, it’s something you choose. With more than 400 active breweries in Belgium and hundreds of different styles, beer here is what wine is in France: a considered accompaniment, discussed and matched to the dish. It’s no coincidence that Belgian brewing culture has been on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list since 2016. Discovering Belgian beers at the table is also discovering a typically Belgian way of eating.

Some pairings work particularly well with Belgian specialities. Here’s a broad overview:

• White beer (witbier): with moules-frites and grey shrimp croquettes. Light and slightly tart, it doesn’t overpower the seafood flavours and refreshes the palate between bites.
• Amber beer: with carbonades flamandes and vol-au-vent. Fuller and maltier, its caramelised notes naturally echo the flavours of the dish.
• Lightly roasted dark beer: with chicons au gratin and stoemp. Its depth provides a welcome counterpoint to saucy dishes.
• Lambic or gueuze: worth trying on their own, or alongside the simplest dishes. These spontaneously fermented beers, unique to the Brussels region, are slightly acidic, complex, and often surprising for the uninitiated.

Le Roy d’Espagne offers a menu of 43 Belgian beers, including 10 on draught. Plenty to explore the major families throughout a meal, with recommendations to help you find the pairing that suits you.

Tips for making the most of Belgian gastronomy in Brussels

A few practical pointers for food lovers looking to discover the best Belgian specialities in the historic centre of Brussels. Getting the most out of Belgian cuisine in Brussels takes a little effort, so here’s how to avoid the traps and find the real thing.

• Telling the real from the fake: the streets around Brussels’ Grand-Place are home to as many good addresses as tourist traps. A menu translated into ten languages, laminated photos at the entrance and a waiter accosting you on the pavement are all warning signs. Before you sit down, check whether the dishes are made in-house. Establishments like Aux Armes de Bruxelles or Bouillon Bruxelles, two institutions in the heart of Brussels, remain safe bets for traditional Belgian cuisine.
• Ordering with the seasons in mind: Belgian cuisine is deeply seasonal. Mussels are best from July to April, chicons au gratin tend to appear in autumn and winter, and white Belgian asparagus makes its entrance in spring.
• Don’t overlook the starters: grey shrimp croquettes or filet américain (Belgian steak tartare, served with fries and sometimes a quail’s egg) are a good indicator of the overall quality of a kitchen.
• Allow plenty of time: eating the Belgian way isn’t a twenty-minute affair. A Brussels brasserie is best experienced at the pace of a long lunch or a dinner that stretches out comfortably. That’s the spirit in which the dishes are cooked, and it’s how they’re best savoured.

FAQ: your questions about Belgian specialities in Brussels

What is the most typical culinary speciality of Brussels?

It’s hard to pick just one, but if you had to choose, moules-frites remain the most emblematic dish of Brussels and Belgium as a whole. Accessible, generous and deeply rooted in local culture, they feature on almost every Brussels brasserie menu. Stoemp, carbonades flamandes and grey shrimp croquettes are other unmissable classics not to be missed on a visit.

What is the difference between the Brussels waffle and the Liège waffle?

The Brussels waffle is rectangular, light and crispy, with a leavened, airy batter. The Liège waffle is smaller, irregularly shaped, denser and sweeter, thanks to the pearl sugar that caramelises during cooking. Both are easy to find in Brussels, but a freshly made Brussels waffle straight off the iron is an experience in a class of its own.

What is Belgian stoemp?

Stoemp is a typically Brussels dish made of mashed potatoes mixed with seasonal vegetables (leeks, carrots, spinach or cabbage), flavoured with thyme and bay leaf. It’s generally served with a grilled sausage or bacon lardons. It’s a traditional Belgian dish, hearty, filling and comforting, born in the 19th century in Brussels’ working-class kitchens.

Where can I eat authentic Belgian specialities near the Grand-Place?

Le Roy d’Espagne, located at number 1 on the Grand-Place, offers a menu of Belgian specialities made in-house: moules-frites, carbonades flamandes, vol-au-vent, grey shrimp croquettes, stoemp and many other classics. The establishment won the bronze medal at the 2025 Best Vol-au-vent in Brussels competition, organised by ASBL BXLove.

Which Belgian beers should I choose to accompany a meal?

The choice depends on the dish. A white beer (witbier) pairs well with seafood and grey shrimp croquettes. An amber beer is a great match for carbonades flamandes or vol-au-vent. A lightly roasted dark beer goes well with saucy dishes like stoemp or chicons au gratin. Lambic and gueuze, spontaneously fermented beers typical of the Brussels region, are also worth tasting for their unique character.

What exactly are grey shrimp croquettes?

They’re a Belgian speciality born on the Belgian coast, in Ostend. Grey shrimp from the North Sea, smaller and more flavourful than tropical prawns, are mixed into a thick béchamel to form the emblematic croquettes of Belgian cuisine, breaded and fried. The inside should be runny and creamy, the crust well-browned. They’re served as a starter, with a wedge of lemon and fried parsley.