Belgian restaurants: menu guide

Asperges ardennaises
A common dish in Belgian restaurants, this is chilled asparagus spears and Ardennes ham drizzled with a Dijon vinaigrette dressing.

Boterhammen/tartines
Most commonly found on the lunch menu at Belgian restaurants. These are slices of bread spread with paté and soft cheese, and topped with whatever takes your fancy!

Carbonade flamande/vlaamse stoofkarbonaden
Found in almost all Belgian restaurants, a Flemish beef stew similar to boeuf bourguignon, but made with beer instead of red wine.

Chocolate
Nobody does it quite like the Belgians. World-famous for its quality, it is particularly worth indulging in at a Belgian restaurant.

Duvel
The most popular bottled beer in a country famous for its beers. If you want something to enjoy with your meal in a Belgian restaurant, this could be the one to start with. Duvel means "devil", and Belgian beer names do tend to be pretty dark. Other names include Satan, Lucifer and Brigand!

Gegratineerd witloof/chicon gratin
A speciality in Belgian restaurants. The dish consists of endives baked in cheese (endives are bitter-tasting leaf vegetables resembling small lettuces).

Pommes frites/vlaamse friet
Chips or fries. These are served with a number of dishes in Belgian restaurants—the Belgians claim to be the inventors of the chip.

Moules frites/mousselen-friet
Mussels in white wine, garlic and butter. Belgium is renowned for its fantastic seafood, so it's worth trying the mussels in a Belgian restaurant.

Paling in 't groen/anguilles au vert
A delicious dish, served at Belgian restaurants. It consists of eels served in a green sauce of mixed herbs.

Stoemp
Mashed potato with vegetables and sometimes meats such as bacon mixed in. Other variants served at Belgian restaurants include stoemp with Brussels sprouts and carrots, and stoemp with sausages—a Belgian restaurant version of sausage and mash.

Salade liégeoise/luikse sla
A salad with green beans, pieces of bacon, onions and vinegar. Although it is a salad, it is served warm at Belgian restaurants.

Waffles
An important part of Belgian cuisine—and a far cry from the frozen waffles you'll find in the supermarket. Order these at a Belgian restaurant and you will be served a delicious dessert with a range of sauces.

Waterzooi
A north Belgian casserole consisting of chicken or fish in a sauce of egg yolk and cream thickened vegetable broth. In Belgian restaurants, the dish often comes with a baguette, to dip in the yummy sauce.