La Quincaillerie — Restaurant in Ixelles - Elsene

I’m usually not the biggest fan of Belgian or French food, but I figured I should try some of the more local cuisine while in Brussels. A few Belgian friends recommended we try La Quincaillerie during our trip, so we decided to give it a shot…and thank goodness we did! It was such a fun dinner, and I, shockingly, really enjoyed the food. The space itself is quite cute, with ample indoor and outdoor seating, plus absolutely gorgeous decor. It gets pretty crowded but mostly from locals vs. the surge of tourists in central Brussels, given this spot is a little bit out of the way. The service is remarkably friendly and attentive — often asking to clear our plates within seconds of us finishing our last bite and refilling our water cups with a shocking frequency.

Food-wise, we started the meal with the burrata. The cheese was creamy and rich, and it went beautifully with the fragrant sun dried tomatoes and peppery arugula. It was also topped with a few croutons — which were tasty and clearly house-made, but I was a little confused on how to eat them with the cheese (vs. the more classic method of putting burrata on a slice of toast) — and a flavorful sauce. All around a great combo of flavors and textures, making it the perfect start to our meal. For our mains, my friend got their duck and I ordered the pollock. They both had pretty generous portions, especially the duck. The pollock was perfectly tender and flaky inside, with a delightfully crispy skin / herb crust on the top. It was topped with fresh herbs and served in a super flavorful sauce — truly could not have asked for a better entree. The dish was relatively light but extremely flavorful and filling, and the fish just fell apart in my mouth. I’m not quite a French / Belgian food convert yet, but I’ll happily come back...

End up here because of the good reviews and architecture, interior design intrigued me I must admit. Ordered a Menu of the day, since I believed this is a smart thing to do during summer season in Brussels, and this year especially, Brux feels emptier than ever. Beef tartare was excellent, but not unforgetable. But this is super high standard still. Waited a bit too long (nothing worthy of mention really) for a second course of the daily menu and the head waiter actually apologised. Respect. My guess is the kichen is not running at max capacity on July 24 in Brux. Salmon with cauliflower in a mustard sauce was a delight! Salmon ideally prepared, full of just right flavors, delicate but profund. Loved it. Can't remember I've tasted better cauliflowers :) Desert time, lemon meringue coconut tart was by the book only more intensive. I knew I shouldn't skip dessert here. It was a bliss despite tart ending up seemingly to hard, but the taste was perfect. Also, finally I had a good coffee in Brussels and a wine selection is very thoughtful, but I feel I should mention the inspiring beer choices on tap. This is Belgium after all. Good people with honest food and high standards... if you know where too look, and this is...

Amazing vintage original place. I would say the experience was perfect except I can't as a vegetarian person. Every single not vegetarian products are perfect. They brew delicious beer you can only taste in the restaurant, they raise perfect chickens with perfect taste in a perfect farm. But here comes vegetarian options. And guys, you'll have the choice between the eternal absolutely not balanced options : pastas with vegetables or salad. Come on. Salad is salad with watermelon and fera cheese, pastas are pastas. Vegetarian doesn't mean you don't need nutritional values and you're on a diet. It doesn't mean either you only eat pastas with zero proteins. If you chiefs, would bother to take just the minimal minimal attention to what you put in the vegetarian options then I would recommend it. Because you take weeks to think about everything else, and here I got salad with feta cheese. Please figure out a balanced way to add reasonable carbs and protein in the...