Restaurant review – Noordzee @ Place Lux

Many visitors and locals know Noordzee at Place St Catherine (opposite the wonderful Monk bar). Well, the owners have just opened a new shop at Place du Luxembourg. The concept is the same – you order at the counter and they whip up sea food in front of you that you eat standing up at the makeshift tables out front (except this new venue has seating upstairs too).

Four of us visited on Friday, at 12.30, and it was chaotic. I guess it’s a matter of getting the set-up oiled and getting people used to how the system works. If you don’t like fish, it’s not for you, as there is nothing but fish on the menu. We ordered shrimp croquettes (2 for €8), calamari (€9), deep fried shrimp (5 for €8), soup (€4.50 for a bowl), a fish burger (can’t remember the price) and deep fried fish goujons (again, around the €8-9 mark).

The deep fried scampi

Once your order is cooked, they shout out your name so you can come pick it up. Given the tiny space and the number of punters, this can be difficult. Part of our order went AWOL and we had to wait to get it cooked.

We ate outside – getting to the upstairs seemed difficult given the volume of people, and we'd found a space outside. Eating wasn’t the most comfortable, especially as we are girls, and we had handbags that had to be hung onto.

The calamari

I was a bit disappointed with the size of the dish – I got the 5 deep fried scampi. They were tasty, and they come with a small salad garnish and a slice of bread, but it’s not enough to keep you going for the afternoon, and at these prices, I wouldn’t be ordering a whole lot. Also, they weren’t de-veined (bleugh). My friends were happy with how their food tasted, and there seems to be a sort of meal deal with the soup, as my friend paid about €10 for this and the calamari. She said it was really substantial though.

The staff are very nice. The food is good, but for me, it’s not worth the price for the quantity. I’d have really liked some more carbs with it, like some chips or a substantial side salad (there is only so much fried food you can eat!). For now, I’d go back if I wanted a quick, tasty (and pricy) warm snack, and when it gets a bit calmer.

The fish goujons of mystery

Guest post! Restaurant review: Nuetnigenough – the greedy glutton

365things is delighted to welcome a guest post from fellow foodie and baking maestro extraordinaire Rose, who recently dined at Nuetnigenough in Brussels city centre. Take it away Rose!

I can’t pronounce the name, let alone tell you what it means, but the website suggests ‘the greedy glutton’ and this restaurant certainly lives up to the name! In the city centre, close to the Bourse and the Grand Place, this small restaurant only seats 28 and doesn’t take bookings. Tripadvisor reviews (almost all positive) suggested turning up early (6-7pm) or after 9pm to get a seat, but the two of us turned up at the risky hour of 8pm. The restaurant was full, but the friendly waiter suggested we take a seat at one of the tables on the street, have a look at the menu and enjoy a drink while we wait for a free table. In fact, we could have eaten outside but by the time we’d had a glass of wine and ordered our food a table became free.

There are two immediately noticeable things about this restaurant: the friendly staff, which can be a novelty in this city; and the beautiful art nouveau building. It serves ‘traditional’ Belgian food but in a young and relaxed atmosphere: this isn’t a stuffy Belgian brasserie.

I’m no wine expert, but my dining partner ordered a bottle of Chateau Haut Mayne, a nice, full-bodied red for €29, but wines by the bottle start from €18. The food prices are great value by Brussels standards, from €12-18 for big portions! We both had the steak, one with béarnaise and one with parsley butter. I can only speak for the béarnaise, but the steak was perfectly cooked and the chips very good. I was especially impressed by the homemade mayonnaise we were served, nothing like the usual stuff! And, again, the friendliness of the waitress, who made us feel completely at ease and despite the restaurant being busy there was no sense of being hurried out. In fact, we stayed several hours, until the place was nearly empty!

I’d definitely recommend this place to anyone with a bit of time on their hands looking for somewhere tasty and relaxed to eat in the centre of town and trying to avoid the tourist traps.

I should also add that they offer a selection of starters which you can share with a few drinks, so it’s also an option for a quick bite and a drink.   

Katie adds: Thanks Rose! I haven't visited here yet, but I'm looking forward to going soon. If you want to read about some of the other places reviewed here, try this.