Where to eat well and cheaply in Brussels

In Brussels you will find a wide variety of culinary styles, from traditional Belgian dishes to international restaurants to explore other cuisines.

You can't leave Belgium without tasting the famous Belgian fries the steamed mussels or the stews typical, they are a delight! But if you spend several days in Belgium and you end up getting saturated with eating fries, in our compilation we have also included some more restaurants healthy (and cheap), where they serve soups which are perfect for cold weather, or some Italian food.

If you are wondering what time to eat in Brussels, a very good point is that the restaurant opening hours are usually longer than in other cities (such as Ghent or Bruges), so that you can lunch and dinner perfectly in Spanish time if you are late visiting the city (as it usually happens to us).

As you can see if you take a look at restaurants in general, eating in Belgium is not cheap. If you are looking for the best restaurants to eat in Brussels In this guide we will recommend the best value for money restaurants that we tried on our trip to enjoy its delicious gastronomy without having to go broke along the way. And if you are in the area, don't forget to take a look at our other articles on the area Belgium:

• What to see in Brussels in 1 day
• Best breweries in Belgium
• Where to eat in Ghent

🎄Brussels at Christmas?
All the Christmas markets, the best places to see the lights and the dates and times in our detailed guide to Brussels at Christmas.

1. EXKi

Belgian chain of healthy and natural fast food restaurants. They have salads of all kinds, changing soups, quiches, sandwiches and some hot dishes. They have restaurants in several cities in Belgium, but we went to the EXKi which is in the Bolsa de Brussels.

We tried several soups and quiches and the truth is that they are quite tasty for the price, although they are less homemade than other restaurants we had tried. We paid 23€ for two soups, two quiches and two waters It is very good value for money. It is a good option to eat healthy and fast and not waste too much time visiting Brussels.

2. Nona Pizza

Italian food restaurant specializing in pizzas, which are cooked with organic and seasonal Belgian ingredients We decided to go to this restaurant by chance and it was a great success No reservations so you have to queue outside, but it is true that it goes quite fast. When we went there it was packed and there was quite a long queue outside but we only ended up waiting 15 minutes.

We ordered the pizza Italy's Tippy-Toe We also tried a pizza with spicy Nduja, which was spectacular, our favorite. We also tried a pizza with potatoes on top, it was not bad but we were not enthusiastic about it. The average price is 18€ pp.

They have a restaurant on the same street where they serve pasta instead of pizzas and it looks spectacular too. We have noted it down for future visits.

3. Fritland

Fast food restaurant par excellence in Brussels, where the main products sold are potato chips with different sauces. They are not the best fries we've tried, but it's a good option if you're looking for something cheap and fast. There is usually a long queue at the door but it moves quite fast.

It is undoubtedly the best place to eat the famous ".mitraillette" o "submachine gun"  a sandwich filled with french fries, lots of sauce and meat. A full-fledged calorie bomb, which is best shared between two. The average price depends a little bit on what you order, but it does not usually exceed the 8€ pp.

4. Noordzee Mer du Nord

Specializing in fish and seafood, this restaurant is one of the best options to try this gastronomy in Brussels. The food is ordered at the bar and then eaten standing up in a high tables on the terrace. Of course, it is usually quite crowded since it is one of the restaurants with best value for money fish.

It is the perfect choice for a snacking. We tried the shrimp croquettes typical of the area and some fried fish. It is not spectacular food compared to what you eat in Andalusia, but it is pretty good. They also say that it is the perfect place to try the mussels with french fries and oysters (we are not big fans).

The average price depends a lot on what you ask for, we pay 15€ pp but we did not order any seafood.

5. C'est bon c'est belge

Traditional Belgian food restaurant where you can taste the typical dishes such as the carbonnade flamande the stoemp or the boulettes (meatballs!). We recommend you to try especially the carbonnade flamande, which is meat in sauce made with black beer and usually accompanied by fries, as it is one of the dishes of Belgian gastronomy that we liked the most. The meatballs are also usually a sure hit.

This restaurant is one of the most expensive on the list, with the average price of 30€ pp but one of the best options if you want to try Belgian food.

6. Frites atelier

Fast food restaurant specialized in french fries with branches in different cities of Belgium. In the menu they have hamburgers, croquettes y French fries with gravy. We liked the fries better at this place than at fritland's, although they are also more expensive.

We tested the French fries with kimchi and cheese sauce and, although it may seem an odd combination, they are quite good. We also tried the veal croquettes and they were super creamy, although the price seemed excessive (in all of Belgium it seems to us that croquettes are sold at the price of gold). The average price varies between 10-16€ pp depending on whether you order a hamburger or not.

7. Christmas stalls

If you go to Brussels in December, an option that we really liked is to eat at one of the various stalls in the Christmas markets. There is a lot of atmosphere and there are usually some tables to sit at, although you have to be attentive to get a seat.

For example, we tested a raclette cheese sandwich which we loved, or a stall with charcoal-grilled meats where you could eat delicious hamburgers or hot dogs. You can't miss in that case either a good glass of mulled wine for the cold or, if you're more of a sweet tooth, a small glass of hot chocolate. This is a very cheap option as well, being able to eat lunch or dinner for 10€ pp depending on what you buy.

If you want to read other articles ideal for your trip that complement Where to eat well and cheaply in Brussels you can visit our posts about Belgium.