A new chapter for Traiteur François as Chef Alain Fontinois joins the team

A Brussels fish restaurant legacy since 1922

Quai aux Briques, waterside terrace facing Sainte-Catherine church: people have been coming here with their families for generations. Restaurant François, founded in 1922, is one of the oldest fish houses in Brussels. In 2022, the City of Brussels awarded it an honorary diploma for 100 years of service to the neighbourhood.

New takeaway food at Sainte-Catherine by chef Alain Fontinois

A stone’s throw from the restaurant, at 12 Place Sainte-Catherine, Traiteur François is reinventing itself. Yvonne, beloved face of the counter, is retiring. The new chef Alain Fontinois takes over the stoves and signs new takeaway creations: fish of the day, homemade terrines, fresh salads, sandwiches and ready meals delivered to home or office.

A new youth for a century-old house, without giving up its DNA: good produce, simply well crafted.

📸 In pictures: the new seafood takeaway menu

🍽️ Ready meals in Brussels: what’s on the new menu?

From €12, plates designed for home, the office or a quick lunch on the go. Alain Fontinois keeps the house’s fish DNA and adds a touch of modernity: lighter sauces, fresh herbs, seasonal garnishes.

• Roasted sea bass fillet, bisque sauce, samphire & carrot stoemp — €12.50: the signature dish of the season. Pearly bass, well-defined shellfish sauce, iodised note from the samphire and sweet softness of the carrot stoemp.
• Scampi, bisque sauce & baby potatoes: generous, familiar version, reheated in 5 minutes.
• Squid, leek cream & plain potatoes: supple cooking, velvety vegetable sauce — lighter than a classic fried version.
• Pickled herring, red onion & parsley: counter classic, house version, perfect as a fresh starter.
• Grilled tuna, green herb sauce & mixed salad: the lunchtime option when you want fish without heaviness.
• Whole artichoke vinaigrette — €12.00: a whole vegetable simply prepared, to share.

The chef’s recommendation: start with the sea bass with bisque sauce to discover his cooking, and keep the artichoke vinaigrette for a light lunch on the terrace.

🎥 Video: A look inside the historic Brussels institution

Visit Traiteur François on Place Sainte-Catherine

📍 Traiteur François — Pl. Sainte-Catherine 12, 1000 Brussels 🕙 Mon → Thu: 10:00 – 17:00 · Fri & Sat: 10:00 – 18:00 · Sunday closed ☎️ +32 2 512 32 77

Testimonial by Bernard Frisque, founder of BXLpositive.news: “A neighbourhood reference giving itself a new youth — exactly the energy we love to celebrate here.”

🔗 Sources & verifiable links

• Official site Traiteur François: https://www.restaurant-francois.be/fr/traiteur-francois-bruxelles
• Restaurant François (mother house): https://www.restaurant-francois.be/
• Google Maps: https://share.google/LdBcuCW2xlxpV5jiV
• Sudinfo (100 years, City of Brussels honorary diploma, 2022): https://www.sudinfo.be/id578872/article/2022-11-23/la-ville-de-bruxelles-decerne-un-diplome-dhonneur-au-restaurant-francois-pour
• City of Brussels: https://www.bruxelles.be/