Brasserie de la Reine — Restaurant in Brussels

Very disappointing experience.

We visited the BdlR on 13/02/2022, so please take this into account whenever you're reading this; there may be quality improvements coming in the future.

To begin with, we (5 persons) were seated promptly and with enthusiasm: this must be acknowledged, as we were certainly not ignored (as other reviews here might indicate). However, we were seated TOO promptly, as our COVID certificates were never checked. We might as well all have been COVID-positive, violating our quarantine.

We immediately had a bad followup when the menus and wine card arrived. The menus had relatively small lettering and a very busy, dark background - I can easily see how people with poor eyesight might have some trouble reading them. However, that was an ultimately minor problem with the stylistic choices of the brasserie. The main problem which IMMEDIATELY put us off was the state of the wine card. It was an A4-sized piece of laminated paper, with seeds, dirt and HAIR stuck to its greasy surface. I have NO idea how the service personnel couldn't see the state of that thing and give it the most basic of cleanings, but it was disgusting to touch.

Following that, another minor hiccup, as we had a brief exchange with our waiter. Two of our group had decided to keep our COVID masks on while we were waiting to order (and for the drinks / food to arrive). The waiter saw it fit to call attention upon that fact, informing them that they would have to remove the masks to eat. Yes. I'm pretty sure they knew that. I cannot say for certain whether that was supposed to be a joke or sarcastic (happy to accept the former), but it was certainly not appreciated. On the one hand, I will note that all of the Brasserie's personnel adhered strictly to mask regulations themselves - masks were worn properly at all times, over the nose and mouth. On the other, their lax COVID control measures and their "joke" speaks for a rather blasé attitude towards the current situation which should really NOT have been the case, given the relatively limited interior space.

We selected beers to drink. The house offers four beers on tap and advertises them proudly on its paper trivets; however, we were informed AFTER ordering that two of them were unavailable. Two of us ordered tap beers that WERE available; the others inquired about bottled alternatives. We were informed that our choices were available and placed our order; five minutes later we were informed that some of our choices were, in fact, unavailable. To clarify - it is understandable that some of the bottled beers were unavailable. On the other hand, being 50% down on the house tap beers AND your servers not knowing what bottled beers ARE, in fact, available, does not speak well of the professionalism of the management or the service staff.

Food-wise, we ordered mussels, two omelettes and a croque-madame. The former two were served in good time, and were, frankly, well cooked. However, the croque-madame arrived without its egg-on-top. When we called attention upon the fact, the waiter responded by "yes, do not worry, as intended, it'll arrive soon". It took another five minutes for a separate small plate to arrive with the egg in question. That is NOT how croque-madame is served and it was clear to us that someone had forgotten it (or the order had been passed wrong to the kitchen, and the kitchen had then scrambled to give us that poor, sad, egg-on-the-side).

Finally, the restaurant DOES NOT ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS and DOES NOT ADVERTISE THAT FACT. It's a good thing we had enough cash on us to pay for our meal, or one of us would have to visit a nearby bank. To be clear, I am not implying that it is not the RIGHT of the Brasserie to only accept cash. It is, however, both unprofessional and irresponsible, given the current pandemic situation and the gradual shift of the economy towards credit / contact-less payments. If you only accept cash, the LEAST you could do is make it absolutely clear with a sign at the restaurant entrance.

But then people would not come in,...

It’s been a rainy day and I had a tough day. I came to this restaurant purely because the restaurant I wanted to go, just next door, is full. It is not populated and I ordered carbonara and a beer called Pêche Mel Bush. Generally I am not a fan of carbohydrates nor any alcohol drinks. But once in a while, like today when I am especially low, I would like to have some boosts. The pasta came with an evident but common error: they used bacon in place of guancale. I totally understand that Carbonara is that kind of pasta that many restaurants severs without any seriousness. Looking at the sauce, I am certain they didn’t use pecorino. If I eat this in next door Pasta Diva, I would be furious and ask them to redo it. But here, I try to eat it and not thinking what a real carbonara should be. It is not bad actually. Maybe sometimes when I am less demanding things can still be managed. The beer is quite special and has an exquisite flavour. . . I cannot say that it is a place that I would come specially again, but the moment I spent alone with myself in this restaurant is...

We recently dined at Brasserie de la Reine in Brussels, and the experience was nothing short of delightful. This charming establishment exudes a warm, welcoming atmosphere that sets the stage for an outstanding culinary journey.

Both the Pasta Bolognese and Pasta Carbonara were exquisite. Each dish, thoughtfully prepared, brimmed with robust, authentic Italian flavors. The Bolognese sauce was a savory symphony of meat and herbs, while the Carbonara offered a wonderfully creamy concoction, studded with crispy pancetta.

The Battin Fruitée beer was another high note of the meal. This fruity brew, with its refreshing tang, provided a perfectly balanced accompaniment to the hearty pastas.

One aspect to note, however, is that Brasserie de la Reine accepts only cash payments. They do not take credit cards, so ensure to have cash handy to avoid any inconvenience.

Nonetheless, I recommend Brasserie de la Reine wholeheartedly to anyone craving a fantastic meal...