Brasserie Benelux — Restaurant in City of Saratoga Springs

Amazing Hidden Gem! (in plain sight, right on Broadway…)

World-renowned Chef, writer, and restaurateur, Armand Vanderstigchel, has created a total masterpiece with his Brasserie Benelux in Saratoga. In plainclothes, he continues to create masterpieces of cuisine there with every dish, every day. Who’d a thunk it??

We discovered Benelux (which is shorthand for Belgium + Netherlands + Luxembourg) serendipitously in the summer of 2022. Shuffling back and forth between Queens, New Jersey, and the Central Adirondacks every summer, we increasingly found ourselves scheduling our travel around Chef Vanderstigchel’s Benelux schedule. Missing an opportunity to dine at Benelux has become tantamount to a cardinal sin in our family. Here’s why. Benelux would be right at home (and an enormous success) in Midtown Manhattan, Le Quartier Latin in Paris, or the Naschmarkt in Vienna. This is true gourmet food, perfectly prepared, astoundingly delicious, reliably consistent, where every bite bursts with flavor. And all this at very reasonable prices. These dishes, prepared by this Chef, would cost 4-times as much in any big city, anywhere else in the world.

This evening, I again had the yägerschnitzel, the perfectly crispy breaded pork cutlet (yäger means hunter in German, schnitzel means cutlet), in hunter sauce, which is a savory mushroom sauce. The legend has it that when when European hunters went out for wild boar and got one, they’d collect several species of wild mushrooms when became part of the sauce. Chef Vanderstigchel’s schnitzel are crisp, wonderfully tasty, and never greasy. His hunter sauce is rich, complex, and loaded with mushrooms. Heavenly! I like to order this dish with spetzln, those irregularly shaped dough noodles, cooked in broth, just like my Viennese grandma used to make. I’m already swooning just thinking about it. And of course, Chef’s perfectly crispy outside, tender-inside, covered even more than the whole, large, dinner plate, so I get to bring half of it home for tomorrow. Yummy!! But this is not about (the ample) quantity. This is about savoring every single fabulous bite.

My wife chose the Norse Duck entree, which was an absolutely perfectly prepared half duck (for those of you who cook, you know how difficult duck can be to get right), with sensuously crispy skin to die for, and tender, complexity of the savory meat within. This was served Swedish style, with a sweet-tart lingonberry preserve. Again, an absolute culinary masterpiece. Side orders of warm shredded red cabbage, are masterpieces in and of themselves. Their flavors are complex, with tangy citrus offsetting sweet raisins. Sheer joy!

In the past, we’ve been treated to Chef’s tagliatelle with mushroom sauce, Swedish meatballs, and another of my personal favorites, Wienerschnitzl (Vienna cutlet of veal). Again, everything bursting with flavor, culinary perfection.

Amongst friends and those who know me, I am generally not prone to hyperbole (believe it or not). It’s a rare occasion (excepting, of course, at Chef Vanderstigchel’s place) that one swoons over the food. Not everybody feels so strongly about food as to go into a swoon over an extraordinary dish (as we do). I would drive up to Saratoga from NYC, even in winter, for any one of Chef’s dishes.

Chef Vanderstigchel’s skill takes dining to a whole new level, a sort of mind-altering pleasure—in a good way—which leaves diners forever changed. I know I am. And to find this type of life-altering culinary experience outside of New York, Paris, Amsterdam, is almost unbelievable.

I keep dreaming of our next opportunity to return to Benelux. Just sayin’… Thank you, Chef!!

Ken Rubin, MD

P.S., I receive no remuneration of any kind for my restaurant reviews: no free drinks, no free meals, NOTHING. I write because I love eating and I love sharing dining experiences,...

We noticed a Facebook ad for a relatively new restaurant “Brasserie Benelux” on Broadway in Saratoga Springs, NY, featuring a 3 course menu for $21.95, and $20.00 bottles of wine, and decided to give it a try.

The menu included a main course “Classic Shepard’s Pie Skillet”, which seemed suitable for the day that we went, March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day).

We didn’t make a reservation ahead of time and were concerned that we might not be able to get immediate seating. But when we arrived, we were surprised to see many tables available. Most folks were probably on Caroline Street, having a “liquid” dinner.

Anyway, we were promptly greeted by a friendly hostess, and we requested seating in a booth toward the back of the establishment, as we expected things might get busy while we were there. Being in our late 60’s, we like to dine quietly. She accommodated us cheerfully.

Our server arrived shortly thereafter, with water and menus. There was a list of beverages already on the table, featuring some interesting Belgian beers that I was unfamiliar with, despite having travelled there recently. I inquired about them, and described my taste in beers, and she suggested that I try a sample of one in particular, and I agreed. It was to my liking, so I ordered a full glass, while my curly headed companion decided to order a bottle of one of the $20 special wines, knowing that we would take most of it home with us after the meal.

We perused the menu, and I was tempted to deviate from the $21.95, 3 course specials, as there were a couple of choices that looked particularly appealing. But when I saw the a “Belgian Waffle” was one of the 3 course choices for dessert, I decided to stay the course with our preplanned budgeted meal for the evening.

Coincidentally, we both opted for the exact same meal: We started with the Sweet Potato Bisque, which was a generous cup that was rich, thick, and quite delectable. It was an excellent introduction to start our meal, and we looked forward to the next course: Classic Shepard’s Pie Skillet, which arrived right on time, shortly after we finished the bisque. Again, we were initially impressed with the portion size – the serving came in a skillet that could have been divided in half for a decent 2nd / take home meal. It was a piping hot, large serving of ground beef, onions, peas and carrots with just the right amount of sauce as a base, covered with creamy mashed potatoes with a bit of cheese around the edge, and then baked in the skillet.

As we proceeded to consume it, we ditched our plans for the “take home /2nd meal” strategy, as it was so good that we just had to eat it all in 1 sitting. Next came the dessert choice, and we both opted for the Belgian Waffle. This arrived, and was served by the wife of the chef, who apparently makes this dessert herself. The waffle was thick and chewy, as you would expect, and quite tasty, with more than a drizzle of caramel syrup, and a delicious scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. If that weren’t enough, a separate serving of whipped cream was served as an accompaniment. I was glad that I would not be having my A1C level checked after dinner! We also engaged in conversation with the Owner / Chef Armand Vanderstigchel a couple of times during the meal – he is a very nice man, and knowledgeable in the culinary arts. He learned his trade in The Netherlands and we subsequently learned that he has authored a few books on cooking.

We give Brasseire Benelux 5 stars, only because on a 5 star scale, you can’t give 6. It is an excellent dining experience, with interesting and unique choices of meals, beers and wines that we have not seen in other eating establishments in the 30+ years that we have resided in The Capital District. We are looking forward to a return engagement, and trying other menu items that originate in Belgium, The Netherlands,...

This was my second visit to this extraordinary establishment, brought once again by my mother—an ardent regular alongside her cousin Eileen—for a birthday and Easter celebration. It is abundantly clear why they return: the experience is simply exceptional.

The cuisine transcends expectation. Each dish is crafted with reverence for fresh, vibrant ingredients that both nourish and delight. Even the desserts astonish. Once fond of carrot cake but long estranged from it due to health concerns and an aversion to heavy frostings, I found my affection rekindled. Their interpretation—topped with an ethereal coconut cream frosting—is both delicate and richly satisfying, easily becoming my favorite cake of all time.

If I may offer a suggestion, it would be the addition of a tapas-style tasting menu or a dessert cart, as I don't want to have to choose when I can taste it all.

Yet it is not solely the cuisine that elevates the experience—it is the staff, whose warmth and excellence are undeniable:

Tatiana, part-owner, whose luminous smile and formidable work ethic clearly shape the restaurant’s success.

Joanna, our most recent server, whose calm, confident presence made us feel like cherished guests.

Zoey, our previous server, whose radiant energy naturally leaves one smiling.

One thing they share in common is that their beauty isn't merely skin deep.

I am certain the rest of the staff are equally extraordinary. Meeting more of them has become yet another reason to return.

Some evenings do not merely pass—they imprint themselves upon the soul. This was such a night: a testament to what can be achieved when passion, craft, and heart converge without compromise. I leave with a full heart and a mind already dreaming of my return to this haven where excellence is the natural order of things (and of course of their best ever...