Wonderful Mussels In Brussels

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 19 Sep 2003, 10:52

For me the best mussels restaurant in Brussels is Chez Leon on the Rue des Bouchers. Okay it might be a little touristy, and it's a chain, but it's the best one of the Chez Leon chain (and I've been in a few of them!)

It is the only place where I have successfully managed to order mussels in garlic butter, and that is the very best way to eat them, as I like anything flavoured with garlic butter!

They come in half shells on a platter, much more manageable portions than those huge, never-ending stock pots. The chips served with them are among the best I've had in a chain restaurant in that they are not frozen and always nice, golden, crisp on the outside and cooked in the middle. The little slices of French stick bread served with the mussels are perfect for dipping up the garlic butter after the mussels have been eaten.

The beer list is run of the mill, with Stella, Hoegaarden and other commoner types, but I did once go in one that served Grimbergen Blond.

In the Paris branch I had a phenomenal "baba au rhum", the most alcoholic, rum-tasting one I've had, and that was excellent as well!

Post by **sn26567** » 19 Sep 2003, 10:58

I agree with you that Léon is one of the best mussels places to have in Brussels (sometimes their French franchises have a lower quality).

However I have once been disappointted at their Heysel branch. It was not during the mussels season (months with an R in their name), and they thus had to rely on Swedish mussels rather than the usual Zealand mussels. It was awful!

Comet · Post by **Comet** » 19 Sep 2003, 11:06

Heysel - that's near the Atomium, right? (I love to see the Atomium)

I've been in the one near the Atomium, it was in mid July and the first time I ever attempted mussels in stock. The mussels themselves were okay, but I didn't like what they were served in.

The mussels in the Paris one (on Republique) were those weird orange things, they are too small.

Post by **sn26567** » 19 Sep 2003, 11:41

Comet wrote:Heysel - that's near the Atomium, right? .

Yes, indeed.

Comet wrote:The mussels in the Paris one (on Republique) were those weird orange things, they are too small.

Indeed, in France they serve small French mussels called Bouchot. Not as good as the ones from Zealand.