Chez Léon

Chez Léon is one of Brussels' most famous restaurants. It has a history of 120 years, always kept as a family business, always accostumizing its clients to the best of Belgian food. Indeed, it started in the same place where it is today (right in the heart of the city, next to several tourist traps... but don't be mislead into thinking Chez Léon is one of them!), with just five tables. With its growing fame, however, there was the need to expand the space to correspond to the clients' demand and the houses near by were bought to create more room. Nowadays it has the capacity to receive 400 clients and counts with the work of 100 committed staff members.

Their most famous dish is the moules (made in all different ways ans styles) with frites. The moules come directly fresh from Zeeland and the best months to eat them are the ones finishing with -bre (Septembre, Octobre, Novembre, Decembre). However, that applies only to the moules served in a cocotte, as the others served in plates are of a different type and their season is all year. Even for the cocotte ones, they are served all year, but out of season they come from a different place.

Additionaly, the menu offers you many more delicious traditional dishes, not just the moules. I had the opportunity of spending a nice lunch there and this is what we ate:

Moules à l'escargot and Léon beer (yes, they brew their own beer!)

Vol au vent avec frites

Boulettes sauce tomate

Gaufre bruxelloise chantilly

The lower floor is open for the general public and the upper floor is reserved to groups.

If you're looking for a typical Belgian atmosphere, a cosy place with great dishes made by those in this business for many years and who know what they are doing, don't forget to pay them a visit! It is a great place to go with friends when sightseeing in the center, to take your relatives if they're in Brussels for a visit, or to organize a group dinner.

Chez Léon 

Rue des Bouchers 18, 

B-1000 Bruxelles

Tel.: 02/511.14.15 

Fax: 02/514.02.31 

welcome@leon1893.com