Brussels Bistro — Restaurant in Laguna Beach

GREAT TO BE BACK ! We first discovered this wonderful restaurant in early 2020. We were walking along busy Forest Ave in the heart of the popular dining precinct in Laguna Beach on a Sunday morning looking at everything. This basement restaurant intrigued us...like a speak-easy ! We returned around 2.30pm for a late lunch. It was very enjoyable..great tasting food, Belgian beers and excellent service. WE LOVED THE SPEAK-EASY VIBE ! You just don't forget great dining experiences so we always intended to come back....it took a bit longer than expected. My wife and I were enjoying another of our weekend getaways on the July 4th long weekend to celebrate my birthday. Even though we didn't have a dinner reservation Pierre the manager was expecting us between 6.30 - 7.00pm. We left the Newport Beach Marriott Bayview at 6pm on Friday and stopped at a supermarket along the way. When we rolled into Laguna Beach at bit after 7pm the traffic was an absolute nightmare. We did laps for 30 minutes nearly going out of our minds trying to find a metered street parking spot. Eventually we scored one in the next street and walked a short distance to the restaurant. Our frustration was immediately forgotten when we arrived at the host desk ( on street level ) of Brussels Bistro at 7.40pm and Pierre the manager said with a big smile...."Great to see you again Michael". GEE A WELCOME LIKE THAT IS HARD TO BEAT ! We walked down the stairs and headed straight for a couple of barstools at the bar...this is a place where you need to dine at the bar even though there are plenty of tables & chairs. In fact there is a small street level patio too. IT FELT LIKE HOME ! Pierre dropped by for a quick chat and brought us dinner menus. It was a little quiet just before 8pm but Pierre said they had just gotten over a rush period. FIRST UP....I need a great beer and Christian ( bartender / server/ barista ) behind the bar brought me a DELIRIUM TREMENS beer in their iconic elephant stem glass and water for my wife. BEST BEER IN THE WORLD ! We decided to kick things off with a starter..BACON WRAPPED BRIE ( honey, 1/2 baguette ). For our entrees my wife ordered the CREAMY CHICKEN ( Creamy chicken and mushroom sauce, served over puff pastry + one side of your choice ) my wife chose ASPARAGUS. I liked the sound of the HANGER STEAK ( 10 oz, your choice of sauce - red wine or green peppercorn, mixed greens + one side of your choice ).Christian suggested I would love the RED WINE SAUCE and I selected the GRATIN DAUPHINOIS for my side. My Delirium Tremens beer tasted EL PERFECTO ! A few more diners / drinkers joined us at the bar...popular spot. Our Bacon Wrapped Brie hit the bar in front of us....looked fabulous & tasted even better. OMG bacon wrapped brie with honey drizzled on it and the warm baguette was as fresh as a daisy. We demolished it in 60 seconds. GREAT TIMING as our entrees arrived together. I totally enjoyed my medium rare Hanger Steak....the red wine sauce was a complete winner and the Gratin Dauphinois ( creamy potato ) side was splendid. My wife would have liked her Creamy Chicken more if the flavor was richer....good quality ingredients just a little bland. Being my BIRTHDAY WEEKEND I was getting a little spoilt....Christian served me a small ESPRESSO MARTINI..very addictive. And then a complimentary CHOCOLATE MOUSSE with whipped cream came out. HOW LOVELY ! My wife and I had a great time. NEVER FORGET THE...

Christine is a blessing during this time. Tonight was my first night out in a month (we have to limit ourselves due to family risk) and I only had one place in mind: Brussels Bistro, PRAYING that I'd be seated in her section! I've struggled very much in this pandemic, just with everything in general, and she (along with the amazing FOOD!) provided me with a sweet, temporary escape alongside a safe, reassuring atmosphere once again. There have been so many establishments out there breaking mandates and protocols, or cutting corners. Brussels seems to really stay on top of things, safety wise, and I couldn't be more appreciative.

Thank you to everyone for giving me a wonderful bite of "normal". I'm a very happy girl, as I sit here and eat my leftovers. ♥️

Ate: Mussels & fries: spicy tomato and garlic+cream (first time we got the 1lb yellow curry and 1lb blue cheese - LEGEND!). I grabbed a side of blue cheese to go with the garlic+cream because I was nostalgic for the last trip's order. Yum! Thinking of doing something fun with the leftover spicy tomato broth. Side salad (subbed over the fries on my order): just what I needed... honorable mention for the balsamic vinaigrette! Perfect acidity. Side order of baguette: a must. WORTH the $3, which I can't say about anywhere else. We needed another.

Drank: Le Jaja de Jau Merlot, $34. Well worth the price, lovely. Opened well. Stored properly, which I really appreciate in the summer months.

Thanks, Brussels!🥖🐌🍷🇧🇪

(Posting the escargot from my first trip - it was wonderful. A must order. I skipped it this time in favor of more room in my stomach, but definitely will...

Absolutely the best french fries in the world. Other than in Brussels.the US is the only country that calls them French. Everyone else in the world knows that Belgium invented them. If you're into a simple steak, the steak is your best choice. They also have sole fish fillet. If you enjoy mussels, this is also the best place to eat them. They make them in eight varieties so you'll definitely find the one you love is in mussels connoisseur. They also have some authentic Belgian beer, if you're into beer oh, this is definitely the place you have to come to during happy hour. If you're feeling more adventurous, and would like to experience real Belgium food, definitely try the other meat dishes. For beer lovers there's a stew made with beer. Of course, you should have company this Stew with a nice glass of beer.

The waitress waiters owner also speak French, which is a nice touch. They have great customer service, are polite, friendly, and fast on their feet.

During busy times, parking really sucks.if you can find neighborhood parking and Uber it, between friends it's only about a dollar not to have to deal with meters or parking lots the charge you more than the Uber trip will cost.

Also if you're a fan of soccer, which the rest of the world calls football, this is the place to...