Where can you eat the best mussels and fries in Brussels?

Our selection: Brasserie Auguste on the Grand-Place, La Roue d'Or (rue des Chapeliers 26), Le Pré Salé in the Sainte-Catherine district (rue de Flandre 20) and Big Mama chez Thierry, steps from the Grand-Place.

How much do mussels and fries cost in central Brussels?

Expect from €18.90 for mussels marinière at Brasserie Auguste up to €24 at Big Mama chez Thierry — the best value around the Grand-Place.

Which restaurant has a view of the Flower Carpet?

Brasserie Auguste sits directly on the Grand-Place, with a view of the 2026 Flower Carpet (13–17 August).

Do I need to book during the Flower Carpet?

Yes. Booking is strongly recommended over the 15 August weekend; each address in the article has a direct booking link.

Taste Brussels: food rally with Sonia Neefs

The official flyer of Sonia Neefs’ “Taste Brussels” food rally — FR/NL/EN

A Grand-Place house to fill, one delicacy at a time

Discover Brussels on an original walking rally around the Grand-Place. After a short introduction from the guide, participants are divided into small teams named after famous Belgian comic characters: Tintin, Snowy, Captain Haddock and Bianca Castafiore.

Each team receives a miniature Grand-Place house to complete along the way, filling it with Brussels specialties from iconic city-centre shops: Dandoy, Maison des Gaufres, La Belgique Gourmande and Passion Chocolat — plus the famous Mannekenpis jenever.

What goes inside the miniature house

The cardboard house, cut out like a Grand-Place façade and topped with the Town Hall belfry, is filled step by step. At the finish, every team leaves with a complete gourmet box:

🍫 a box of Passion Chocolat pralines
🍬 a pouch of La Belgique Gourmande specialties
🧇 waffles and biscuits from the Maison des Gaufres
🍪 speculoos from Dandoy — since 1829
🍸 a bottle of Mannekenpis jenever

Challenges, quizzes and tastings

Along the route, participants take on challenges and answer questions about the city, its history and its landmarks. They enjoy an authentic Belgian waffle and artisanal Belgian pralines on the way.

The rally concludes in a typical Brussels café, where participants enjoy a Belgian beer and the winning team receives a prize.

Practical information

Groups : from 10 to 100 people
Duration : approximately 2 to 2.5 hours
Option : the activity can be combined with a traditional Brussels meal on the Grand-Place, before or after the rally
Pricing : on request, depending on group size
Languages : English, French, Dutch

Contact & bookings — Sonia Neefs

📞 0032 475 36 59 10
✉️ sonia.neefs@gmail.com

🧇 The tasty stop: La Maison des Gaufres

A house born from a 1982 tea room

Founder Antoine Akayyan first took over a tea room opened in 1982 in the UNESCO-listed historic centre, under the name “Tea Room – Gaufres de Bruxelles”. He modernised the recipes for years, then in early 2025 opened a venue built entirely around one product: the waffle. The house calls itself the first “embassy” of the waffle in Belgium.

Brussels or Liège, sweet or savoury

The menu plays both schools: the Brussels waffle, long and light, and the Liège waffle, round and caramelised.

Breakfast from 8:00 to 11:30: waffle with poached egg, omelette or a sweet topping.
Savoury: croque-monsieur, vegetarian, Caesar, Scandinavian.
Sweet: traditional flavours and original creations.

In the tea room, the “Signature” waffle is prepared at your table, with exclusive teas. Private rooms on reservation, and the shop packs waffles into elegant gift boxes.

La Maison des Gaufres — practical info

Address 1: 109-111 Rue du Marché aux Herbes, 1000 Brussels — Monday to Friday 08:00-22:00, Saturday 08:00-23:00, Sunday 08:00-22:00.
Address 2: Rue Charles Buls 10, 1000 Brussels, 20 metres from the Grand-Place — daily 11:00-19:00.
Phone: +32 2 779 14 46 · +32 2 721 13 85 — info@lamaisondesgaufres.com
Metro 1 & 5: Central Station · Grand-Place parking.

« Taste Brussels » : Sonia Neefs' food rally around the Grand-Place