Ginette au Secours — Restaurant in Brussels

5 star food service and atmosphere.

Dined here on a Sunday evening. We walked in without booking but there were a few guests already seated and it’s only a small place with limited capacity so book to avoid disappointment.

Approach down a quiet passage not far from the hustle of the Grand Place. Open the door and pass through the long curtains. Met by delicious home cooked smells and cosy atmosphere - photos of Belgian stars on the wall and quiet French crooning bleeds from speakers hidden somewhere in the rafters. Crates of beers and potatoes are stacked high around the bar and you can see right into the spotless kitchen.

Most pages of the menu are taken up by the beers on offer - as is typical here in Belgium. The food options are few but all so tempting - I went for the beef tenderloin which was cooked to perfection and came doused in a a beautiful shallot thick sauce. Of course it came with fries (and local sprouts). We had just enough room to share a dessert (hot gooey moelleux au chocolat with cold sweet ice cream - with try cherry on top being the gentle server who indulged our attempt of the French pronunciation).

Two mains 4 (strong) beers and dessert will set you back approx. €80 but you’ll come away sated.

We could’ve sat in there all...

If you’re looking for a place where patience is tested rather than rewarded, this restaurant certainly delivers. From the outset, the experience was disappointing. We were even asked to move tables to accommodate others, which suggested at the very least we could expect attentive service. Unfortunately, that couldn’t have been further from the truth.

Drinks alone took over 25 minutes to arrive, and our food followed a staggering hour and a half later, despite ordering nothing unusual, just some of the most popular items on the menu. To make matters worse, the restaurant was far from busy, yet the owner seemed more interested in chatting than ensuring his guests were looked after.

When the food finally arrived, it was hardly worth the wait. The meat was tough, the fries uninspiring, and the beers disappointingly flat. Overall, the experience was defined by poor service, underwhelming food, and a sense that customers simply aren’t the...

I’ve visited this restaurant three times since last year, always ordering my favourite Belgian classic: Flemish beef stew. While the meat is generally well-prepared — tender and flavourful — the overall balance of the dish is off every time. You get large chunks of meat, but barely any fries to go with it, and no salad or vegetables on the side. The fries, when they do arrive, are disappointing in both quality and quantity. I’ve always run out of fries halfway through the meal, leaving a plate full of meat behind.

For a country where fries are sacred, this feels like a major miss — especially given how often they get this wrong. You’ll also need to ask for mayo separately. Prices are on the higher end too, which makes the imbalance even more noticeable.

All in all, not a bad place if you’re focused only on the stew, but I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re looking for the full, satisfying...