Here’s some good news for a change…. a Belgian business that is actually booming.
Based on what we hear and see every day you’d be forgiven for thinking it was all doom and gloom just about everywhere.
But there’s at least one business here that is most certainly thriving, so much so that it’s expanding in a sector currently struggling badly (evidence of which can be seen via “J’aime mon Horeca”, a campaign to boost support for the resto/catering industry).
Manhattn’s is the name of the business and the two brothers who founded it – 10 years ago this month, in fact – Jerome and Philippe Vandermeulen, have marked this significant anniversary by just opening their 10th burger restaurant.
The new one this time is in the historic Flemish city of Bruges and the pair will be hoping the success they have enjoyed over the past decade all over Belgium (including Brussels, Gent and Antwerp) will be replicated at their latest resto.
This new 10-year milestone highlights Manhattan’s successful expansion and confirms their influential role in redefining not just Belgian but the European fast-casual dining experience.
One thing is certain and that means the concept remains the same. The idea of Manhattn’s, as the name might suggest, is that people in Belgium get a sort of taste of New York (yes, that’s the Big Apple but America is home of the burger, after all).
“Every restaurant we open,” says Jerome, “is a step forward in our mission to provide a unique dining experience. With Manhattn’s Brugge we are taking our vision to a new level.”
Jerome has a good idea of what it takes to serve a good burger and also offer diners the kind of friendly hospitality that America is well-known for. Back in 2011, the Belgian worked for a spell in a food truck in New York and, while selling something that Belgium is well known for (waffles) in Central park, he dreamed of spreading the New York vibe in Europe.Together with his brother Philippe, who was actually trained at the Spermalie in Bruges, the pair opened their first Manhattn’s (164 Avenue Louise in Brussels) in October 22 2014.
Several have opened since, including in the EU Quarter at the very foot of Avenue Tervueren and a stone’s throw from one of the nicest parks in the city, Parc du Cinquantenaire.
The menu is pretty much the same as all the others, with the emphasis very much on serving good, wholesome, fresh and very tasty burgers.
To mark the 10th anniversary of the business they have brought out a special burger which, like the others, is sourced from grass-fed Irish Angus beef. This is one of the best you can get when it comes to cuts of meat and this shows in the quality of the burger here – not your chewy, flavour-less offering at some places but quite the opposite.
The names given to the burgers are typically inventive too: Empire cheeseburger, Harlem chicken burger, Brooklyn falafel burger and Rockefeller burger – all places that are symptomatic, of course, of the Big Apple. Whichever you opt for you will not be disappointed.
To go with a burger you need frites of course and they, surely, do not come any better than here (nice names too: “Godfather Fries”; “Yankee Fries”). A good choice of extras includes things like black truffle mayo (recommended).There is also an equally great range of Belgian beers to accompany what is a fantastic burger, served either as small or a pint. If you have room, check out the lovely “Liberty” milkshakes to finish off what is sure to be a very satisfying visit to this (or any other) branch of Manhattn’s.
It is not just the art of cooking damn good burgers that Jerome brought back from the States but also the Americans’ ability to put customer satisfaction at the top of the agenda (please note some other establishments here…). So, at the Merode resto, for instance, you will be met by at least a couple of very welcoming and friendly and efficient members of Team Manhattn’s: Anastasia, the branch manager, and equally affable colleague Arwa, whose family hails from the UK.
Both give diners a great welcome and go out of their way to explain the menu and how everything works (for instance, you’re given a small device on ordering and this sends an alert when the food is ready).
Their first rate attitude sums up the way customers should be treated so all credit to them and the Vandermeulen brothers for “upping the game” in Belgium when it comes to both burgers and customer service.
Manhattn’s
Avenue Tervueren, Brussels
02 424 0339
https://www.manhattns.com/location/merode
