Some addresses must be earned; others wait for you on the corner of the world’s most beautiful square. At number 20 on the Grand-Place, on the corner of Rue de la Colline, Brasserie Le Cerf unfurls its green-and-red striped awning facing the Town Hall.
A small house, a great story
The House of the Stag is one of the narrowest on the square: a 4.9-metre façade rising 18 metres, crowned by a baroque-style gable. Rebuilt in 1710 by architect Gillis Vanden Eynde, its façade was entirely reconstructed in 1897, then restored by the City of Brussels in 2012.
Over the centuries it was called “La Bourse”, “La Bourse d’Or”, “L’Arbre”, “Le Cerf-Volant” and finally “Le Cerf”. Look up on the Rue de la Colline side: a small bas-relief shows a stag in full flight from a hunting dog, so lithe it seems to fly. It earned the house its Dutch nickname, “De Vliegende Hert”, the flying stag.
Façade listed in 1977, protection extended to the whole house in 2002, and the Grand-Place a World Heritage site since 1998: here, you dine inside a piece of history.
Wood panelling, fireplace and period chandeliers
Step inside and the panelled room wraps around you: a carved stone fireplace, a brass chandelier, earthenware on the walls, tables laid. A warm setting for a dinner for two, a family meal or a special occasion.
The taste of Belgium, straight up
The menu celebrates the great classics: Flemish carbonnade, homemade croquettes, mussels and fries, beef and slow-cooked dishes with Belgian fries, pasta, desserts, and a cellar of Bordeaux, Côtes-du-Rhône and Saint-Émilion.
Five Belgian beers on draught
At the bar, the taps line up Maes Pils, Grimbergen Blonde, Grimbergen Double, Mort Subite Witte Lambic and Affligem Tripel. Enough to raise a glass to the Grand-Place, Belgian foam in hand.
What visitors say
On Google, the brasserie holds an average recorded at 4.5/5 by several third-party sites consulted on 4 November 2026, across several hundred reviews. A fine address on a fine square.
Practical information
- Address: Grand-Place 20, 1000 Brussels
- Opening hours: open 7 days a week, 11 am to 11 pm
- Booking: via the official website