Valentine’s Day is the perfect occasion to treat your loved one to something a bit special.
So, why not fire up the feel-good factor and savour some super special treats being cooked up by some of the best restaurants and chefs across Brussels.
For those who want to celebrate love in Brussels without emptying their wallets, we have rounded up (in no particular order) some of the best addresses in Brussels Capital Region.
You can mark the official day of love by tasting some lovingly-created dishes at any number of restos. In no particular order, we have listed a “top ten” here:
Bocconi at the Amigo Hotel in central Brussels plans a romantic candlelight Valentines menu 4 course dinner, designed by Fulvio Pierangelini with champers by Laurent-Perrier.
This consists of either amuse-bouche, tuna, ravioli and turbot or lamb chops and spiced chocolate soup. The dinner is from 7pm and is €95pp.
Meanwhile, another fine Brussels resto – Mess – has two menus for Valentine’s Day: one fish and meat, including Norwegian Skrei and roasted free range chicken tagliata and a gluten-free veggie and vegan option, including celery ravioli, which are both available on February 14 (and also the 15th). It costs €60pp, excluding drinks.
The same menus are also available as a take-away for €54pp. You can also treat yourself to a Valentine’s Day cocktail consisting of pamplemousse, gin, prosseco,campari, citron vert & thyme frais, for €12.
A resto in the same stable, called Chalet Robinson, has a single Valentine’s Day menu,priced at €60. This consists of an appetiser, slow cooked veal and a chocolate-themed dessert.
At Tangla Hotel, on the outskirts of Brussels, you have the choice of another treat which features tuna sashimi, filet de bar, noix de veau and pavlova. The price is €60pp including a cocktail.
For Valentine’s Day, Cupid has put down his arrow at Osteria Romana, located just off Avenue Louise, and trusted its Italian-born owner/chef Filippo with a special recipe for spaghetti with meatballs. This one, it should be noted, is for customers to try at home and is not available in the restaurant itself.
One of the most popular and longest established Chinese restos in Brussels is Cite Du Dragon in leafy Uccle and it, too, has cooked up something rather special for the 14th. It is a magnificent “buffet Cupidon” which comprises a large selection of starters, mains and dessert at a very reasonable 40euros pp (drinks, either softs, wine or beer, are extra and cost 20 euros).
The resto owners have also come up with a nice, romantic message for the day: “l’amour n’est pas seulement un sentiment il est un art aussi” which roughly means love is not just a feeling but also an art.
Elsewhere, Da Mimmo, chef Louis Verstrepen has created a 7-course menu, available on February 14 and 16 to “celebrate the authenticity and elegance of transalpine gastronomy.”
On the programme: tagliolini with black truffle, lobster with black pepper and wasabi sauce or suckling lamb enhanced with candied garlic. A gourmet score that ends gently with sweet creations mixing yuzu, Alpaco chocolate and Amalfi lemon.
Meanwhile, a couple of same-ownership restos in the city centre, Zotte Mouche and Ricotta & Parmesan, are kindly offering a complimentary cocktail and a dessert to share for couples celebrating with them on February 14.
Zotte Mouche plans to prepare a surprise dessert for two, accompanied by a romantic cocktail.
For Ricotta et Parmesan diners will also offer a dessert for two. The owners are still deciding on the final choice, but it will most likely be either a Nutella focaccia or a strawberry tiramisu for two.
Another Valentine’s Day special is available at Brasserie de l’Aérodrome de Namur: a 3-course menu (€55) available from February 13 to 16. The choice includes a foie gras candy with smoked duck breast mousse or scallops enhanced with Frégola Sarda, plus a fillet of turbot with clam juice or a duck breast with grilled tangerine. For dessert, a Valentine’s Day “Heart” completes the dinner.
For Valentine’s Day, Correspondance invites diners to eat in the majestic setting of the Gare Maritime where visionary chef San Degeimbre has created a menu combining Asian influences and Belgian terroir ranging from a filet Rossini to a radish mille-feuille.
At La Villa Lorraine chef Yves Mattagne invites lovers to gastronomic experience including scallops with kimchi cabbage and parmesan, skrei accompanied by Dauricus caviar and oyster maki, or a Burgaud duck enhanced by candied foie gras and a croquette from thighs.
Further afield, the restaurant at Manoir de Lébioles, a top rated hotel at Creppe near Spa has a special menu which is priced €119pp. Its “Menu Imperial” is a 7 course treat, with wine pairing an extra €66pp. It includes foie gras, smoked trout, scallops, caviar and wagyu beef and a selection of cheeses.
Elsewhere and back in Brussels, Gabriella catering has a special menu for Valentine’s Day which gives you the chance to spend an unforgettable moment as a couple at your own home.Its Italian gastronomic, high-end Valentine’s Day menu,is described as being “rich in flavours for a romantic moment.”
Gabriella is the Italian caterer from Squadra Cocina and on the menu is delicate antipasti, fresh homemade pasta with shellfish or seasonal mushrooms, cod in a parmesan crust or veal rolls with porcini mushrooms and sage. In addition to these, you will find a San Valentino playlist in your box.
Humus x Hortense in Brussels was the first plant-based restaurant in Belgium to receive a Michelin star and is another with a special Valentine’s menu.
It is called a “Full Experience” tasting menu as all drinks are included. It costs €236 and includes an aperitif, water, 5 pairing drinks, an 8 course menu and coffee/tea. Starters include purple radish and pink carrot followed by pumpkin, homemade tofu and Antwerp Saffron broth.
Just out of Brussels, Brasserie de Waterloo at Mont St Jean, Waterloo has a menu for the day. It starts with amuse bouches followed by (for starters) a croque monsieur of foie gras or carpaccio St Jacques and, for mains, a choice of skrei poche or lamb filet (plus a chocolate fondue for dessert). This sumptuous meal costs €69.50pp.
Go to the online booking system for this Valentine’s Day menu: https://fermedemontsaintjean.be/brasserie-de-waterloo-restaurant/
The Black Sheep at Pl. Flagey has no special Valentine’s Day menu as such but it does have something equally appealing: the introduction of a traditional Sunday Roast dinner every Sunday. This comes with all the usual trimmings and can be washed down with one of the pub’s terrific range of beers.
Another popular place is Kafeino, located at Schuman at the heart of the EU Quarter which, like a lot of other restos, may not necessarily have a special menu for Valentine’s Day but is, all the same, a great spot to head for if you are after a romantic meal. The classic menu will be available at this terrific Greek eatery so that’s good reason to give it serious consideration.
The same can be said for that fantastic burger resto, Manhattn’s, which, while it has no special menu on the day, will still be serving up some great, juicy burgers if that is your choice for spending Valentine’s Day. Manhattn’s has several venues throughout the city, and in other parts of Belgium which can all be found here: https://www.manhattns.com/
So, this year, why not swap the classic bouquet of roses for a memorable culinary evening? Whether they are starred, daring or resolutely gourmet, these addresses listed her have concocted exceptional menus ready to seduce your taste buds.
From Mediterranean cuisine and traditional brasserie fayre to Asian flavours there is something tasty to spice up the day.
