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Finding Belgian food

Which six Brussels restaurants have earned the Brusselicious label?

Visit.brussels has awarded its Brusselicious label to six more restaurants, according to reports published on 8 September 2026.

·8 September 2026·4 min read·
Well established· 4 primary sources + 3 official documents + 1 independent reporting source · Background sources: 1

In 30 seconds

  • BRUZZ and SoSoir reported six additions on 8 September 2026.
  • The label focuses on Belgian cooking and the dining experience.
  • Visit.brussels maintains an online directory of participating establishments.
  • Detailed revised assessment criteria are expected in early 2027.

Visit.brussels has awarded its Brusselicious label to six more Brussels restaurants, BRUZZ reported on 8 September 2026, giving residents and visitors fresh options for finding Belgian cooking. The practical takeaway is straightforward: use the selection to build a shortlist, then check the restaurant’s own menu and booking arrangements before choosing where to eat. The recognition concerns the food and dining experience; your budget, dietary needs and preferred setting still deserve a separate look. [BRUZZ’s announcement](https://www.bruzz.be/select/resto-bar/zes-brusselse-restaurants-krijgen-brusselicious-label-2026-09-08)

BRUZZ identifies the newcomers as De Volle Gas and Moutarde in Elsene, De Hoef 1627 in Ukkel, BRYC in Laken, La Pierre Bleue in the Îlot Sacré and Journal in Sint-Pieters-Woluwe. Le Soir’s lifestyle publication SoSoir independently lists the same six establishments, spelling out BRYC as the Brussels Royal Yacht Club. Together, they provide several neighbourhood starting points for anyone planning a Belgian meal with visiting family or colleagues. [SoSoir’s coverage](https://sosoir.lesoir.be/769749/article/2026-09-08/brusselicious-2026-elu-six-restaurants-ou-la-cuisine-belge-retrouve-ses-lettres)

What does the sticker actually tell you? According to BRUZZ, an independent jury of food journalists assessed the additions for factors including ingredient quality and freshness, cooking techniques, Belgian character and value for money. Visit.brussels’ public guide explains that participating establishments display the Brusselicious logo in or on their windows and appear in its online selection. That makes the regional tourism institution’s [Brusselicious directory](https://www.visit.brussels/nl/bezoekers/eten-en-drinken/brusselicious) a useful place to begin, particularly if restaurant names alone mean little to you.

For a concrete starting point in Ixelles, the Dutch-language website of operator Nonante Folies places Volle Gas at Place Fernand Cocq 21 and provides menu and reservation links. Decide what you want from the evening before booking: a particular dish, somewhere convenient for friends, or a longer meal worth travelling for. Check the menu for the service you intend to attend, rather than assuming a brunch or lunch offering also applies at dinner. [Nonante Folies](https://www.90folies.com/?lang=nl)

Language can complicate an otherwise simple search. BRUZZ uses Dutch place names; French-language coverage uses Ixelles for Elsene, Uccle for Ukkel and Woluwe-Saint-Pierre for Sint-Pieters-Woluwe. Keep both versions handy when matching a restaurant to its commune, or gemeente. The menus offer another useful bridge: Volle Gas’s published Dutch and French dinner menus pair Vlaamse stoverij with carbonade à la flamande and describe the dish with beef and beer. Reading the two versions side by side can help newcomers order with more confidence. [Dutch menu](https://www.90folies.com/pdfs/menus-mars/Volle%20Gas%20Soir%20NL%20-%20MAR-26_compressed.pdf), [French menu](https://www.90folies.com/pdfs/menus-mars/Volle%20Gas%20Soir%20FR%20-%20MAR-26_compressed.pdf)

De Hoef offers a different practical example. Its own website gives the address as Edith Cavellstraat 218 in Ukkel and offers online and telephone reservations. It also advertises vegetarian and gluten-free options and asks customers to request allergen information. If those details determine whether everyone in your party can eat comfortably, confirm the actual choices when reserving. An advertised option is most useful when you know which dish it means and whether it will be available during your visit. [De Hoef’s restaurant website](https://dehoef-1627.com/nl)

There is a tangible connection to the city’s past here, too. The Brussels regional architectural heritage inventory records De Hoef at that address as an inn, dates it to 1627 and identifies its style as rural architecture. That makes the setting part of the interest of a visit. It also offers a useful distinction: the documented age of a building tells one story, while an assessment of its present-day kitchen tells another. Both can enrich an evening without being confused. [Brussels heritage inventory](https://monument.heritage.brussels/nl/Ukkel/Edith_Cavellstraat/218/27263)

The wider purpose of the scheme is visibility. In its June 2025 press release, visit.brussels said it had relaunched the label in 2024 to respond to demand for Belgian culinary experiences, with recognition bringing exposure through its website and other communications. Seen in that light, the selection helps translate a broad invitation to “try Belgian food” into identifiable places. It also gives restaurants serving that repertoire a shared promotional platform. [Visit.brussels’ 2025 announcement](https://www.visit.brussels/content/dam/visitbrussels/pdf-brochures/presse/cp/brusselicious/2025-06-23%20PR%20Brusselicious.pdf)

A label nevertheless needs careful reading. In her SoSoir article, Camille Vernin welcomes the appeal of recognisable brasserie meals while warning that Belgian identity can become a marketing exercise unless cooking and value sustain it. For diners, the useful response is to treat recognition as evidence for considering a restaurant, then compare the actual meal on offer. For the same reason, avoid treating the selection as a complete account of the capital’s food culture: its stated focus is Belgian culinary heritage.

The next change is already signposted. Visit.brussels’ professional guidance says that from 2027, selection will combine internal expertise and an external jury, with detailed criteria due early that year. These will cover matters including food, service, heritage and value. Meanwhile, the published totals remain imprecise: BRUZZ reports approximately 40 label holders, whereas the official visitor page says more than 40. Neither figure supplies a reconciled register. For your next booking, consult the live directory and the restaurant directly; for the scheme itself, watch for the promised assessment rules. [Visit.brussels’ professional guidance](https://www.visit.brussels/nl/professionals/partners/labels-awards/label-brusselicious)

Context & what happens next

What to do

Start with the visit.brussels directory, compare menus for the intended service, confirm dietary requirements and reserve directly. Check details again before travelling.

The Belgian angle

The recognised establishments span several Brussels neighbourhoods, making the selection useful beyond a single central dining district.

Evidence
Well established · 4 primary sources + 3 official documents + 1 independent reporting source · Background sources: 1
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BRUZZ — Zes Brusselse restaurants krijgen Brusselicious-label
Published:
8 Sept 2026, 02:00
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8 Sept 2026
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SoSoir / Le Soir — Six new Brusselicious restaurants
Published:
8 Sept 2026, 02:00
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8 Sept 2026
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Visit.brussels — Dutch-language public Brusselicious guide
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8 Sept 2026
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Visit.brussels — Dutch-language professional label guidance
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8 Sept 2026
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Visit.brussels — Fourteen additions announced in 2025
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23 Jun 2025, 02:00
Retrieved by ODIN:
8 Sept 2026
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Brussels architectural heritage inventory — De Hoef
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8 Sept 2026
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Nonante Folies — Dutch-language restaurant and booking website
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8 Sept 2026
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Volle Gas — Published Dutch dinner menu
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8 Sept 2026
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Volle Gas — Published French dinner menu
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8 Sept 2026
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De Hoef 1627 — Dutch-language restaurant website
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8 Sept 2026
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How this story developed

2 reports on this subject — earliest first. You are reading the highlighted entry.

  1. Is Belgian cuisine really just a less refined version of French cooking?
  2. Which six Brussels restaurants have earned the Brusselicious label?· You are here

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