October, 2007

Rating: 8 out of 10

The Tariff: Dinner for 4

• Formula dinners for 4
• 3 glasses Maes beer
• tip
• 60 Euros (approx $78)

The Setting

Chez Leon--1893--Fixture Bruxelloise is located on the charming rue des Bouchers, Near the Grand Place. It was once a street for butchers, hence the name, and is now almost exclusively a street lined with sidewalk cafes allowing visitors to dine on such Brussels favorites as steak frite and Moules while they take in the view.

The Service

We were kind of early for dinner, so no big crowds, although the street is always active with people strolling along checking out the menus. We were able to get a table out front on the corner. Our waiter was very friendly and helped us as our French left a lot to be desired! He brought us a continuous supply of bread and butter and our meal came along shortly. Meanwhile we enjoyed the mild Maes beers that were a part of our formula meal. At the end of the dinner, we paid by credit card--interesting note: Europeans don't like to have their credit cards taken away when paying for a meal and so the waiters often bring a hand held machine to the table to settle up the bill. This restaurant offered a free child's meal to children under twelve dining with a parent. Our two children were older, but we noted this nice perk for families. Another note about tips--we only left 5 Euros or a bit more than 10%, because a tip is already included in the bill in most instances but an extra 5-10% is customary if you enjoy your meal.

The Food

Two of us tried the 200 gram steak topped with herb butter, served with frites (fries) and a garnish of cress. They were delicious although not as juicy and tender as I'd like. The other favorite were the moules (steamed mussels) served in a bowl of broth flavored with parsley and celery, served with fries as well. This is a local specialty and I certainly appreciated it; however, I remember liking the french mussel dishes steamed with white wine and garlic better. The other dish we tried, a vegetarian choice was a salad platter of tomatoes and mozzarella--thick soft slabs of cheese and slices of juicy tomatoes were drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with pepper.

Chez Leon
rue des Bouchers, 18
Tel : 02/511-14-15