Belga Queen — Restaurant in Brussels

After dining, don’t hesitate to descend the staircase towards the former vault of the ‘Crédit du Nord’ bank. Here, an ambiance of savannah colors from the Belgian Congo has been recreated.

Apart from the décor, particular care has been taken in bringing to the guests a selection of cocktails and spirits as well as presenting a large choice of ‘grand crus’ Havana cigars.

Friday and Saturday Resident DJ @ 10 pm until 1am

The CLUB is open from Tuesday through Saturday as of 7pm until 2am

Belga Queen-ly yours

Antoine Pinto's desire to create getaway spaces which offer a gastronomic trip throughout Belgium is the foundation of the Belga Queen brasserie adventure.

In a landmark building dating from the 18th century (previously housing the Hôtel de la Poste and then the Crédit du Nord bank) Antoine Pinto created an establishment breaking away from the traditional brasserie, elbow-to-elbow style. Contemporary architecture and gastronomy meet each other in an amazing way.

At Belga Queen the Belgian cuisine is adapted to today's taste, lightened and given a very national touch through the addition of beer to numerous dishes.

Original, high-quality products are chosen with care from Belgian artisans who still have respect for the soil.

The wines come from Belgian producers and the Ponti coffee is from a selection of 'pure Arabica' coffee beans from various continents and roasted locally.

All these characteristics make the brasserie Belga Queen the ambassador of "made in Belgium".

A brasserie where, either for a business dinner or for a meal shared with friends and family, all your senses are stimulated: taste, touch, hearing, sight and smell.

Antoine Pinto

At the age of 17, Antoine Pinto arrived as a political refugee from the Portugese regime, in Liège (Belgium). He enters the Académie des Beaux-Arts where he studies architectural interior design.

Raised in a bourgeois Portugese family where good food was an important aspect of daily life, he soon discovers the pleasures of yet another way of artistic expression, the art of cooking. He opens his first restaurant in 1976 and by the year 1981, the Besser Guide (the German equivalent of the Guide Gault-Millau) proclaimes Antoine Pinto one of Central Europe’s hundred best chefs.

Seducing gourmets with his haute cuisine, he remains nevertheless a fully qualified artist in heart and soul.

Every space he creates captures the eye before the taste buds are conquered. Founder of more than 100 gastronomic hotspots, Antoine Pinto is the man behind such celebrated places as Dock’s Café (Antwerp), Pakhuis (Ghent), La Quincaillerie and the Pasta Commedia (Brussels), the Ostend Queen, Sofitel Toison d’Or, Vendôme project (Brussels), the lobby lounge of the hospital Saint-Michel (Brussels), Alcantara Café (Lisbon) … and, of course, his flagships : the Belga Queen Ghent and Belga Queen Brussels.

“The key to my success? There is really no recipe. I offer more pleasure, more dreams and more quality.”

And that is exactly what we need at the beginning of the 21st century.

Restaurant

Antoine Pinto has given the superb Hôtel de la Poste with its entrance hall and late 19th century stained-glass windows, a complete new lease of life.

The metamorphosis the building has undergone - from a bank in true belle époque style to a multifunctional complex housing a restaurant, an oyster bar, a beer bar and a cigar lounge - reveals clearly his respect for the original space and volumes.

In the space following the reception room one's eye is immediately attracted to the ceiling or more precisely the richly decorated cornice. Antoine Pinto has opted for a concept with club chairs and guest tables, allowing the space to breathe again, light years away from the cramped brasseries found elsewhere.

At Belga Queen, all products used in the creation of the stunning dishes are of the highest quality and come exclusively from Belgian sources. Pinto swears by Belgian ingredients, Belgian dishes,...

**SHOW The main topic of conversation at dinner should not be the appalling service.

I had booked a table for 10 at Belga Queen for a special celebration—an evening that was meant to be a highlight in our weekend, a moment of refinement, where no one would have had to worry about a thing. However, Belga Queen is so catastrophically mismanaged that it’s almost impressive.

Given the price, our table could have easily brought the restaurant about €1000. Instead, we walked out paying nothing. Even the manager knew there was no defending the disaster we experienced.

It started at 7:40pm. The signs were there from the beginning. Two loaves of bread pre-cut in four for a table of ten. Do the math. I did—and when I asked for more, I was flatly ignored.

The service was abysmal. The waiters moved with the grace and attentiveness of sloppy gen z student interns on their first shift. While one of my friends was in the middle of an emotional speech, our guest of honor listening intently, a waiter shoved a plate in front of her without a second thought. Zero awareness, blank, robotic incompetence.

Ordering drinks was a battle. Apparently, some of the staff weren’t capable of taking orders unless they had a notepad—so we were told to wait for the next waiter, who took a sweet time to get there. We had been there 90 minutes, but had only received our aperitifs. The mains were served that we were still waiting to be offered any wine list or at least a second drink to got with the food...

Back to the notepad issue, in a restaurant of this (expected) level, you'd expect them to have a system to write down who's ordered what. It is unbelievable to have the waiter arrive with dishes and ask who ordered this or that in a disorderly fashion.

Anyway, we were at the beginning of our mains and finally managed to ordered a few more glasses. However, things went from bad to unbelievable.

An umpteenth waiter arrived with drinks and promptly spilled three full glasses of red wine all over two of our guests. One of them had wine dripping up to her face.

I went to the manager. His solution? A free round of champagne. As if this cheap gesture could make up for the embarrassment, the ruined clothes, and the sheer waste of our evening. Meanwhile, the table was in chaos as they frantically replaced two wine-soaked tablecloths. I stood there, unable to even sit until they put things back in order.

And then, as if scripted by some cosmic joke, the same waiter returned with more red wine. This time, he had the audacity to joke that I was moving too much and might knock over his tray. I shut that down immediately. "No one had moved the first time."

At this point, the rest of the food was cold, the mood was destroyed, and we were past the point of salvaging the night. But Belga Queen wasn’t done yet.

A second waiter—perhaps jealous of the first one’s performance—decided to lighten the mood with some forced humour. "I hear there has been a bit of drama here..." but did not waste a moment before spilling champagne all over our guest of honour.

I walked straight back to the manager to inform him we would not be paying for a single thing. How could he argue?

We asked for our coats. The same lady that had taken our coats earlier requested our coat check tickets, but she had not given us any...

Belga Queen was a circus, a masterclass in incompetence, a tragicomedy of errors. Slow service could be blamed on the lack of staff, but our experience cannot, no excuse.

Let's not forget that though the food was palatable, the brasserie menu was nowhere near mind-blowing for this...

A Refined Dining Experience at Belga Queen. Belga Queen offers a truly refined dining experience in the heart of Brussels. From the moment you walk in, you’re greeted by the stunning, grand interior that combines a mix of modern elegance and historical charm. The atmosphere is sophisticated and chic, making it a great place for a special occasion or a memorable night out. The menu offers a modern twist on traditional Belgian cuisine, and everything I tried was a treat. I started with the Scampi Croquettes, which were perfectly crispy on the outside with a rich, flavorful filling. For the main course, I went with the chateaubriand, and it was cooked to perfection—tender and juicy, accompanied by delicious sides. Each dish was artfully presented, showcasing the skill and creativity of the kitchen. The wine list is extensive, with a fantastic selection of both Belgian and international wines. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable, offering great wine pairings to complement each dish.

What sets Belga Queen apart is the overall ambiance—the restaurant is housed in a beautiful former bank building, and the high ceilings and elegant décor create a sense of luxury. While the service was attentive and professional, I did feel that at times it was a bit on the slower side, though this did not detract from the overall experience.

The prices are on the higher end, but the quality of the food, the beautiful setting, and the impeccable service make it worth the splurge for a special evening out. Whether you're a local or a visitor, Belga Queen is a place that blends Belgian tradition with contemporary flair.

Highly recommended for anyone looking to enjoy a top-tier dining experience...