When they come, they come back! Vert de Gris now ranks as one of the fixtures of the Brussels restaurant world. No matter the fashion, no matter the latest trendy little place, people like to return to this eatery that stands proudly midway between the Sablon and the Manneken-Pis.

In the evening, you can’t miss the restaurant’s façade, which shines with a glimmering green in the night. This manor conceals an interior that’s certainly opulent, but not excessively so. Wooden tables, wicker chairs, candles a gogo, alternating bare bricks and patinated “vert de gris” walls, majestic chandeliers and some works of art make this restaurant an ideal setting for your meal. A piece of segmental lining from the Atomium provides a final touch of Belgianness.

On the menu

The menu offers a beautiful cross between tradition and modernity, between fish and meat, and between playing it safe and making discoveries. Judge for yourself: a genuine navarin of lamb unashamedly rubs shoulders with a roasted suckling pig with cinnamon while the pure fillet is presented proudly with its foie gras. And if fish is your thing, you’ll be tempted by the baby sole with orange or the cod’s back with tiny Ostend snails. When the time comes to choose your divine bottle of “grape juice”, your taste buds will travel mainly through the lands of France. New World enthusiasts will also find some inclusions that will meet with their desires. At the time of the dessert, you’ll be tempted by the tiramisu, the burned cream, the cold sabayon with Grand Marnier or the frozen nougat. To shine with a touch of culture during the meal, you’ll recall that “vertdigris” is that characteristic coloration that affects statues over the years. If you have to do with budding scientists, you’ll add that this colouring is caused by the oxidisation of the copper or the bronze.