Aux Armes De Bruxelles, rue des Bouchers, Brussels

Photos from Aux Armes de Bruxelles' web sites

One of a string of restaurants in the back streets near the Grand Place, Aux Armes De Bruxelles serves up traditional Belgian dishes to the tourists and business travellers thronging around this part of the city. The ambiance is fairly formal - with lead panes, stain glass windows, wood panelling and old-fashioned lighting and lampshades. The sea-food heavy menu features oysters and lobster, plus a good selection of starters, as well as meat and fish main courses, ranging from 18 euros to 55 euros. While you are choosing, the waiter will offer you a decent bread roll. To start, the herring marinated in white wine (about 10 euros) is fresh and tangy - it really teases the palate. It is smartly-presented, but you don't get a great deal of fish and the dish is padded out with salad and a pile of coleslaw. Among the main courses, the sirloin steak (about 25 euros) is a good choice. You get a big chunk of juicy meat, while the béarnaise sauce on the side is lovely. The steak comes with a small bowl of fat chips.. Service by the polite waiters is polished and attentive. Aux Armes De Bruxelles isn't cheap, but it does offer a fine taste of Belgian cuisine. 8/10

El Vergel, rue du Trône, Brussels

A Latin-American-themed eatery with backpacker-style decor, El Vergel has a strong following among local office workers. Hand-written messages cover the walls, while the dozens of bare wooden tables wedged into two large rooms, are packed on a Friday lunchtime. The keenly-priced food, as well as the buzz, is the draw. One of the specials, costing just eight euros, is an intense, filling and delicious beef stew served with plantain, chili and rice. You can wash it down with a soft drink for a couple of euros and, on the way out, you can even buy a Latin American memento from the mini souvenir shop. 8/10

Capolino, Place Jourdan, Brussels

For a traditional pizzeria, Capolino has a stylish red facade and a fairly funky, but smoky, adjoining bar. However, the restaurant itself has painted brick walls, a bland white floor and neat rows of closely-packed dark wooden tables, while the stereo plays tired pop classics, such as Cherish by Kool and the Gang. The very lengthy menu features a wide selection of pizzas for around €12, as well as salads, risottos, pasta, fish and meat dishes. The highlight of the reasonable sea food risotto (€13), which needs seasoning, are the juicy mussels, while the mixed-salad (€3.25) is fresh, large and well-dressed.  You can get a pint of well-chilled Jupiler beer for €5.5 or there are Italian wines available by the glass or the bottle. Service by the weary waiters in waist-coats can feel a bit overbearing. Unfortunately, Capolino, which can be half-empty on a weekday, really lacks atmosphere. 5/10

Scheltema, Rue des Dominicains, Brussels

On a narrow pedestrianised street, near the Grand Place, packed with restaurants all offering pretty much the same thing, Scheltema's old-world ambiance makes it stand out from the competition. Among the tasteful green lamp shades, venerable wooden panelling, waiters in white shirts and black waist coats, high ceilings and wooden floors, the only incongruous note is struck by the blue plastic salt cellars, which appear to have come straight from the local supermarket. There are open kitchens at the front and back where you can see the chefs working away, breaking open the shells of crustaceans with knives.

Belgian Summer
You can nibble on a baguette and salty olives, while browsing the extensive and pricey menu mainly comprised of traditional French and Belgian dishes. The main courses tend to be 20 euros plus and you may be tempted by the Belgian Summer set meal, costing 30 euros including taxes and service and a Stella beer. It starts with some hot and comforting, but slightly bland, shrimp croquettes accompanied by some tasty fried parsley. Next up is a big steaming pot of large juicy mussels served with celery and cabbage, supported by a side order of crispy chips and mayonnaise with a bit of a kick. Service is professional and even on a Tuesday evening, Scheltema is justifiably busy. 7/10

Ristorante Barbanera cucina Italiana, Rue Archimede, Brussels

A top notch and pricey Italian restaurant, Barbanera has a charming dining room with a high ceiling, oodles of period elegance and a besuited clientele of lobbyists and senior Eurocrats. A selection of neck ties is available for any male presumptuous enough to arrive without one. On the menu is a broad selection of starters, such as beef carpaccio (15 euros) - a tantalising mix of finely-sliced raw meat and Parmesan cheese. The myriad of main courses include a dish of fresh pasta in a mushroom sauce sprinkled with truffle shavings (26 Euros), creating an unusual blend of subtle and refined flavours. From the very traditional desert trolley, you can have tiramisu - a large, delicious heap of nicely-judged sugar and cream. Unfortunately, service can be too attentive - the waiters frequently interrupt your conversation to top up your drink. 7/10

Le Mess, Boulevard Louis Schmidt, Brussels

Upmarket French restaurant spread over several floors of a former military barracks perched on the side of a noisy six-lane-carriageway. Inside, the traffic fades away, the decor is tasteful and restrained and the service polished and well-paced. To start, the light Montagne de carpaccio de filet de boeuf en salade, accompanied by sirop de tomate and chips de prosciuttons, has a wide variety of flavours, well-balanced to complement each other. But the Carré d'agneau en croûte de pain d'épices main course is less-appealing - the richness of the sauce isn't sufficient to make up for the disappointing tiny rack of red meat, which is barely worth the effort required to prise it off the bone, while the accompanying gratin of sweet potato is bland. The Fruits frais de saison for desert is a better effort thanks to the plump, crisp fruit and the creamy, rich topping. While the main courses aren't exactly filling, they are fairly priced at 13 euros to 23 euros and the deserts good value at around 6 euros. Le Mess pulls in plenty of Eurocrats and locals on a mid-week evening even though Brussels is packed with alternative gastronomic experiences. 6/10