Daily Archives: September 17, 2012

Aux Armes de Bruxelles, Rue des Bouchers, Brussels

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We were moved to make Aux Armes de Bruxelles our lunch destination after reading the New York Times 36 Hours in Brussels and had to enjoy the mussels and seafood. Aux Armes de Bruxelles is a family operation which opened in 1921, very popular among locals and tourists alike. The restaurant is closed Mondays and does have long lines in the evenings.

The waiters dressed in suit jackets and the space was warm with light wood, mirrors and simple decor. The restaurant was white linen, but very comfortable. We enjoyed the prix fixe for 20.90 Euros including an Entree, Plat and Dessert (tous les jours de 12h à 15h, sauf samedi, dimanche et jours fériés).

The coquette de volaille was so delicious. It was tender on the inside and had a nice crust on the exterior pairing very well with the sauce.

The escargots had a nice chew and were nicely coated in melted butter and fragrant herbs. The herbacious sauce was just lovely and we even dipped our mussels in the butter sauce.

The moules marnieres en casserole au vin blanc, celery and vegetables was super fresh, and we loved the broth. We ordered a side of pomme frites for a few extra euros.

The airy  mousse au chocolat with Callebaut chocolate was the best we ever had. The air bubbles throughout the mousse was light, fluffy and luscious. Really one o the most satisfying chocolate mousses and we licked the ramekin clean.

Arcadi Cafe, Rue d’Arenberg, Brussels

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We were meeting a small group at Arcadi Cafe for their famed quiche and tarts. There are over 30 sweet and savory tarts. The slices of tarts or quiches were generous in portion, enough for a meal and cost €7-7.50.

The restaurant has a lovely outdoor terrace as well as a large indoor seating. Upon entrance there are glass displays full of the fruit tarts and cakes.

The restaurant has so much to look at from ingredients, preserves and pickled items in glass jars.

The cubby holes of paperwork and menus looked so much fun. We love the idea of cubbies from circa kindergarten.

Some of the walls were covered in colorful paper bills.

The lasagna, eggplant and other homey comfort foods are sold at Arcadi, in addition to their tarts and quiches.

A whole quiche was nicely browned and very thick in height. A staff person reheated the quiche in a microwave, dressed salads and placed them delicately on serving plates.

The crust of the quiche was nice and flakey and the perfect thickness. The quiche lorraine had chunks of ham, and surprisingly broccoli bits. Very traditional and so good. The side salad went well cutting the buttery flavor of the crust.

The roquefort was overly heavy and too pungent, this was edible, but can be skipped.

Our service was indifferent, we paid and then left the restaurant to chat near the terrace. A few minutes later, a server questioned if we paid. After clarifying, we left with an appreciation for our well valued meal, but not the service.