L'Ecailler du Palais Royal — Restaurant in Brussels

Top notch dining experience. I don’t know that I would change a thing, only one question / observation. To start:

1. Excellent service. The staff is extremely proactive and takes the lead with everything. I was very impressed by the staff. Our waitresses did not steer us wrong. Margot helped us in a very graceful manner by answering all of our questions about the different dishes to be able to select our choices and allowed us tastings of a few wines to select our beverages too.

2. Loved the food- everything from the bread to the complimentary starter to our appetizer and our mains. The sea bass tartare part of the complimentary starter was exquisite. The balance of flavors with the textures including the fish was delicious. My boyfriend tried deer for the first time as a main and thought it was excellent meat. I tried the stuffed dover sole with crab meat and loved it. First time eating Dover sole - paired with the crab meat was even better. The plate and food was served hot which I also appreciated as it’s not always the case.

3. Ambiance - excellent - including the music. I found myself enjoying the music. It also feels cozy for a fine dining establishment. Sometimes for me, fine dining can feel stuffing. This place, not at all.

My only comment- really a question- I wondered about the mashed potato and why that was chosen to be served with the stuffed Dover sole. It’s really a question for the chef- I’m sure there is a reason. I expected a sautéed green. Nonetheless I was pleasantly surprised to find it worked with the Dover sole.

We look forward to coming back next time we have a chance...

Le Temple du Poisson – Place des Sablons

Depuis 40 ans, L’Écailler du Palais s’impose comme une véritable institution, une ode à la perfection culinaire où chaque détail, du décor au service, frôle l’excellence.

Ce sanctuaire dédié aux fruits de mer mérite absolument que la nouvelle génération s’y attable pour découvrir ses trésors. Parmi les entrées, l’anguille fumée, délicatement fondante, s’avère une caresse pour le palais, tandis que la croquette de crevette grise, croustillante et pleine de saveurs, ravit les amateurs de finesse.

En plat principal, nous avons eu le bonheur de déguster une sole meunière d’une cuisson irréprochable : dorée à souhait et légèrement rosée à l’arête, elle incarnait la quintessence de la simplicité raffinée.

Le tout était sublimé par une touche audacieuse : un carafon de champagne, servi dans une petite carafe glacée, une signature unique de la maison. Le champagne y est si parfaitement frais et pétillant qu’une deuxième carafe devient rapidement une évidence !

Et que dire du service ? Impeccable, chaleureux et attentionné, il achève de faire de chaque repas une expérience mémorable.

Si vous êtes de passage près des Sablons, ne manquez sous aucun prétexte ce joyau gastronomique. Et pour compléter l’expérience, laissez-vous séduire par la visite de la magnifique église Notre-Dame des Victoires, située juste à côté.

Un pur moment d’enchantement !

The Temple of Fish – Place des Sablons

For 40 years, L’Écailler du Palais has stood as a true institution, a celebration of culinary perfection where every detail, from the decor to the service, borders on excellence.

This sanctuary dedicated to seafood absolutely deserves to be discovered by the new generation. Among the starters, the smoked eel, delicately melting in the mouth, is a caress for the palate, while the grey shrimp croquette, crispy and bursting with flavor, delights even the most discerning connoisseurs.

For the main course, we had the pleasure of savoring a sole meunière, cooked to perfection —golden on the outside and slightly pink on the bone, embodying the very essence of refined simplicity.

The experience was elevated with a bold touch: a carafe of champagne, served in a small, chilled glass carafe—an exclusive signature of the house. The champagne is so exquisitely fresh and effervescent that a second carafe quickly becomes a must!

And what can be said about the service? Impeccable, charming, and attentive, it completes the experience, making every meal unforgettable.

If you’re passing through Place des Sablons, don’t miss this gastronomic gem. To top it off, take the time to visit the stunning Notre-Dame des Victoires church, located just next door.

De Tempel van Vis – Place des Sablons

Al 40 jaar is L’Écailler du Palais een waar instituut, een eerbetoon aan culinaire perfectie waar elk detail, van het decor tot de bediening, de perfectie benadert.

Deze heilige plaats gewijd aan zeevruchten verdient het absoluut om door de nieuwe generatie ontdekt te worden. Bij de voorgerechten betovert de gerookte paling, die zacht smelt op de tong, terwijl de grijze garnalenkroket, krokant en boordevol smaak, zelfs de meest veeleisende fijnproever in vervoering brengt.

Als hoofdgerecht genoten we van een sole meunière, tot in de perfectie bereid: goudbruin aan de buitenkant en lichtroze op de graat, een toonbeeld van verfijnde eenvoud.

De ervaring werd naar een hoger niveau getild met een gewaagd detail: een karaf champagne, geserveerd in een kleine, gekoelde glazen karaf—een exclusief kenmerk van het huis. De champagne is zo verrukkelijk fris en sprankelend dat een tweede karaf al snel onmisbaar wordt!

En wat kunnen we zeggen over de bediening? Onberispelijk, charmant en attent, het maakt de ervaring compleet en maakt elke maaltijd onvergetelijk.

Als u in de buurt van Place des Sablons bent, mis dit gastronomische juweel dan niet. Sluit uw bezoek af met een uitstapje naar de prachtige Notre-Dame des Victoires kerk, vlak naast het restaurant.

Een betoverende ervaring van...

Pluses: very friendly service, nice style of interior, you feel nice there.

Neutral: main course was fried sea bream with seasonal vegetables. It was fine but not smth interesting. Fish was a bit undercooked for my taste, but not a big deal. Dessert was the best dish out of all. It was not heavy as it might seem. But again lack of flavours, instead of chocolate ice cream they could add more pears or other fruits.

Minuses: two starters were awful. First was Hering with tomato and green beans. Hering was with small bones, a tail and pieces of scale. Tomato was plastic like from a cheap supermarket. It was not to pleasant eat at all. I had to return a dish after two bites. Second starter was white fish with red paper sauce and eggplant caviar. Better than the first one but taste was not balanced, fish was overcooked. In addition, bread was hard as stone.

Overall impression - the menu was not a good value, surprised that this restaurant is included in the Michelin Guide. Hope their dinner menu is...