This esteemed restaurant has been serving traditional Belgian fare since 1921. It is located at the corner of two little pedestrian streets stuffed with various restaurants that are focused on luring in the unsuspecting tourist. These other places have colorful displays, multi-language menus, and touts trying to sweet-talk you into their dens of dining sin. Unlike most of its neighbors, whose food is of generally mediocre quality, Aux Armes de Bruxelles has no need for such shilling, as its marvelous food speaks for itself.
You will note that the atmosphere is rather formal and old-fashioned, with white tablecloths and impeccably outfitted male waiters. This is a “man’s restaurant” where you would expect a traditional and typical “local” meal, prepared in a delicious manner of course. Careful once you pass through the revolving door, as there is not much of a foyer space and you may stumble into people in the way. The general warning about watching for pickpockets is a nice touch, but I suspect the way you will lose some euros here will be on whatever you decide to order. The brasserie has a dark and cozy look with some booths, while the bodega room is a little brighter with modern art on the walls.
I ordered a set menu plan for dinner and added on a beer. I was a bit surprised that the beer lineup was not more extensive, as I settled for a so-so glass of Primus. This says a lot about the superb quality of the complete meal when the Belgian beer is the weak link of the evening. My starter was a delicious bowl of creamy tomato soup, which I can honestly say this was the best tomato soup I have ever tasted. The slices of French bread went well with the soup. The appetizer was a generous plate of sliced Ardennes ham, loaded with streaks of fat but that is what makes it so good. The entree was chicken stuffed with endives, soaked in mushroom gravy and accompanied with fries, a combination that clicked for my palate. The dessert was a rich chocolate mousse, and one can see why the chocolate is so famous in Belgium. The set menu does offer a decent number of choices, so you can enjoy one of their numerous fish specialties as an appetizer or entree. The rest of the impressive list goes on and on, like a bucket of mussels with fries, rack of lamb, beef stewed in beer, pepper steak in a cream sauce, lobster, eels, pancakes flambé, sorbet, etc.
The establishment is rather large, and it well stocked with large and small gatherings of splurging locals and tourists, but the service is impeccable. Celebrities and royalty have been known to dine here over the years. Sit back and enjoy the excellent cuisine food as the waiters gracefully glide about with heaps of plates. The restaurant is closed on Mondays.