[Top] 171 Aux Armes de Bruxelles

Review Highlights

“For lunch, my companion had mussels with white wine and frites, while I had a lovely veal cutlet.” in 7 reviews

“The fish soup was yummy as well, came with toasted bread, shredded cheese and a spicy aioli sauce.” in 3 reviews

“Any of the mussel preparations are stellar, but I have a penchant for the garlic butter.” in 2 reviews

Location & Hours

Beenhouwersstraat 13

1000 Brussels

Belgium

Grand-Place, Centre-Ville, Bruxelles

Mon
Tue	Open now
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Amenities and More

Recommended Reviews

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Overall rating

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

• 7/27/2021

  I loved sitting in the middle aisle in a booth located on the right side of the restaurant when you walk in from the revolving doors (the restaurant is split between two areas. Excellent service, wonderful ambiance.

  Veulemans salad which consisted of small shrimps with salad & 1 shrimp croquette was delicious.
  The fish soup was yummy as well, came with toasted bread, shredded cheese and a spicy aioli sauce.
  To drink: house red wine, white wine, Aperol Sprintz, Hendrix and tonic (which came with peppercorns and shaved cucumber and was absolutely divine).
  Two orders of sol sautéed in butter with bone still in were excellent. Fish (sol) came with a side of frites and we also ordered a side of spinach. All yummy, will be back!

• 4/15/2019

  They had a star in 2017 but I think the chef has left the kitchen. Vegetarian review. From unevenly cooked asparagus to a burnt dessert, didn’t quite pair with my delicious moscato. The atmosphere was nice but the food that was best was the still burning fries, hope they don’t always serve them staying scalding hot several minutes after it arrives.

  Waiter also forgot to enter in part of my order.

• 10/30/2018

  Walking along the row of tourist restaurants, options at my disposal were tourist troughs with hawkish hosts at attention.

  Aux Armes de Bruxelles was out of place. Wooden revolving doors provide a big degree of separation from the bustling streets and help to preserve a refined atmosphere. I don’t usually talk about atmosphere in my reviews, but I liked the classic décor. Flowers, wooden tables, golden curtains, white table cloths and employees adorned in classical style uniforms are appreciated. Now, to be clear this doesn’t factor into the overall rating as that is solely based on food merits. However, I thought it was worth mentioning.
  I went with one of the pre-fix menus. Foie gras terrine, waterzooi, and Belgian cheeses.
  Vuelmans:
  As for beverage, I initially order the Crystal, but it was tapped out. Vuelmans was then recommended. Apparently, this beer is brewed specially for the restaurant. Simple lager taste with a clean finish. No astringency, smooth and refreshing.
  First Course:
  The terrine is framed by what I believe was tripe. Tripe is mostly tasteless, but offers a chewy nuance. Terrine has a very smooth taste, mild but enjoyable bitterness, a note of smokiness
  Onion jam, sliced pear and brioche toast are provided. Fresh pear brings a crisp, fresh fruity quality. Onion jam lends a sweet and sour but poignant balance to the luxurious nature of the terrine. Spread on toast with onion jam. Spread the jam and pate on the pear. Spread the jam on the terrine. My only concern is I would have appreciated one or two more accompaniments on the plate to play with in tandem with the terrine.
  Second course:
  Waterzooi is a cream based stew very reminiscent of chowder. Broth has excellent consistency, not being too thick or thin. Large potato pieces are cooked al dente. Leek shred add a green crunch and allium nuance. Cod, shrimp, salmon and sole pieces are stewing in the bowl, not overcooked with a fresh and clean taste.
  I can’t say that each of the fish pieces stood out on their own with unique tastes. They mostly blended together. Creamy, buttery broth has a slice cheese tang and ocean undertone. The richness in combination with the potato, veggies and fish is addicting.
  Third course:
  After the main course I opted to get the cheese plate. Four cheese were presented to me. Blue, chevre, cheddar and brie. Each was served at perfect temperature. Not cold so the flavors are dulled. Microgreen garnish, almond slices, currants and some fig jam are present to play with. I was also given a sesame coated bun to have with the cheese. An excellent indulgence in local Belgian cheeses.
  Aux de Armes is a nice respite from the bustling streets. The waterzooi is an excellent menu item and worth a detour.

• 11/23/2016

  3.5 stars

  I really loved the moules frites here. I was looking for a very authentic place to take my friend for Belgian mussels, and this definitely fit the bill. We had a few appetizers, a bottle of wine, and mussels, and everything was excellent.
  The ambiance was very upscale, but not snooty. The location is easy to get to, and I absolutely love that they do online reservations. I’m deducting stars because service was painfully slow, considering that we went at a time that wasn’t busy at all.

• 9/17/2016

  Another huge Brussels classic !

  At the same time popular with locals and with tourists too.
  One of the rare places in this central and touristy area that is not a ‘tourist trap’ vs almost all the other restaurants of the Quartier of the Rue des Bouchers.
  Very professional service, genuine 19th century deco and style. 2 rooms – 2 types of decos.
  Good food, although not as amazing as one might think for everything. But clearly good quality typical Belgian cuisine.
  My favorite appetizer are the Croquettes Au Fromage. A guenuine Belgian classic, I’ve been eating them since I was born (almost) and for me, these are amongst my 3 favorites that I have tried in the country (for the past 35 years) !
  I also enjoy the mussels (try curry for a change). They are usually very good but like its often the case with mussels, quality depends on the time of year and a bit of luck…
  I like coming here also because of the general atmosphere and the ride (with my bicycle) to center town !

• 12/8/2019

  This place looks and feels like little has changed since it opened in 1921. The service is impeccable and oozes old European establishment. For instance, there are holders for your umbrella at the central booths, with a specific catch basin for any dripping water.

  I tried a fixed menu. The house wine, with several levels, was a good choice for one. The chef’s amuse bouche was a tomato mozzarella salad with balsamic, olive oil and spicy pepper flakes. The latter was an excellent twist.
  I started with a chicken croquette. The center was creamy and featured chicken with enough texture to make it interesting with the crisp crunch of the outside. Accompanying was a tomato-based sauce that had a slight spicy flavor
  My main was steak tartare. It was a considerable serving, accompanied by a side salad, a blanched tomato, and a bowl of frites. The tartare was lovely, and went well with the pearl onions and cornichons.
  Dessert was a rich chocolate mousse that was by far the best offering.
  For the price, the food is good but not excellent. You are paying for the experience, and if you want that, I suggest visiting. A reservation is a must.

• 10/28/2015

  I had a rather disappointing experience here.

  While the wait staff and host were extremely kind and treated us well, I did not appreciate the senior couple seated next to us who kept repeating negative comments about Americans throughout our meal. It was not cool listening to them and worse since I understood every single word they were uttering. Never mind I was Asian, so perhaps they thought we were from another country other than American. I proceeded to speak Japanese for the rest of my meal. Ignorance with dignity?
  While I understand the annoyances, given that Aux Armes de Bruxelles probably has to bear the brunt of dealing with both courteous and rude tourists, I’m still on the boat where you treat people the way one would like to get treated. It was just discouraging given my first visit to Brussels and both times I felt they were plain rude, they were locals. To top it off, I had wonderful experiences in France, Sweden, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and London so who knows what was up with the ass klown approach. Perhaps the current refugee situation was causing a lot of stress to the country.
  Regardless, I had reservations and yes, I was touring Le Grand Place, so I ordered what I felt was true to the Brussels region. I ordered the Duck breast with peppercorn sauce and the Poached Salmon with mousseline sauce. First, I was expecting an elegant plating to my duck entree. Instead, the plate came with the slices of duck smothered in the dark brown peppercorn sauce. I could barely see the slices of duck. While the dish was good, I felt the sauce overpowered the delicate and fatty slices of duck breast. The poached salmon came out naked and plain on the plate. Like someone just threw it on there and the garnish was also cheap and didn’t look nicely plated. It didn’t look elegant at all. I was wondering if this is what local Brussels fare looks and tastes like.
  My visit here was purposely made short because I was getting to the point of saying something in French to the rude old bags next to me but we just cut the meal short and took off. I had better things to do in Brussels than have to sit next to locals who didn’t think I would understand what they were complaining about. But that’s ok. Their time on earth would be a lot shorter than mine.
  I should have kept the reservations at La Maison du Cygne and at Comme Chez Soi.
  2-3 stars for the food.
  5 stars for the service and hosts.

• 4/13/2016

  Really enjoyed a nice quiet meal here and I’m glad my Belgian friends recommended it. Walking through the other restaurants to get here is less than ideal since you are constantly harassed on the street, it was a little hard to find. I ordered a Chardonnay, escargot starter and the steamed cod with mousseline sauce. The best part of the meal was the escargot, garlicky and buttery deliciousness. The bread was great with the leftover butter. The cod was cooked well with a nice sauce and potatoes. It was good traditional Belgian food, not amazing or unique but cooked well. The prices are a bit high as it is in a tourist area. I thought they had very attentive servers and I would recommend this restaurant to my friends.

• 6/29/2019

  Of all the restaurants I have eaten in Europe this is one of the finest. Fresh handmade everything and the service is top notch. Fine don’t with a fun and relaxing atmosphere. Saghar and Dimitrie are a great team and fun to watch. And the owner is a charming and beautiful queen she is Royalty personified.

  Make sure try the crepes flambé and everything thing else on the menu.