Travel by photos – Eating mussels at Chez Leon, Brussels
There are 3 delicacies that brought me and many other travelers to Brussels. Other than Belgian chocolates and Belgian beer, the next one I’m going to share here is the Mussels. In Belgium, mussels are consumed with french fries (Moules-frites) or bread. They are normally served in a pot steamed with fresh herbs and flavorful vegetables in a stock of butter and white wine. For me, eating mussels in Belgium is exceptionally great when coupled with a pint of Belgian beers! 🙂
There are many restaurants serving mussels in Brussels especially those along Beenhouwersstraat, Greepstraat, and Rue Grety, streets next to the Grand Place of Brussels. Even though the peak season for mussels is from September to April, restaurants serve mussels all year long. I tried mussels pot in a couple of them on my Brussels travel last year and I would say they are nearly as good. However, combining the atmosphere, full varieties of Belgian cuisine and its own brewed Belgian beer, Chez Leon at Beenhouwersstraat 18 won my recommendation here.
Chez Leon, a restaurant founded in 1893, was actually recommended to me by the receptionists of my hotel. It is one of the most frequented local restaurant by tourists. This sounds like a tourist trap but in fact it is the most untouristic eatery in the area as no one from Chez Leon, unlike others along the same street, will come in your way to hard sell anything to you. Perhaps they are too busy serving their many patrons inside especially during peak hours? However, do expect some lack of service if you choose to sit outside when they are crowded.
We chose to sit outside still as it is the best location for people watching.
While waiting to be seated, I snapped a few photos looking down the street.
A look at the inside of the restaurant.
And a look down from up stair.
Menu is displayed outside. You can notice many other dishes of local Belgium cuisine are available beside mussels.
There are easily no less than 10 10 different dishes cooked with mussels. To satisfy my mussels craving, I ordered a 800G pot of mussels with fries. On top of that, we also ordered a shrimp salad, Italian spaghetti and of course Belgian beer. The beer is great!
The shrimp salad looks better than tastes, at least to me.
Moules and frites, the main dish for me, cooked in white wine. What can I say? Marvelous! Even though it was not the main season for mussels in June, the size and taste of them are still great to deserve a try from any traveler visiting Brussels or Belgium.
We had a good dinner at Chez Leon even though it is not the cheapest place to eat great mussels dishes. A 800G weight pot of mussels with fries will set you off €24.50. They also offer a reduced 500G mussels pot set at €12.90++ with fries and beer, but is still slightly pricier than other restaurants have to offer for 1KG pot.
All the above photos was taken with my beloved Nikon D7000. To view them in full size, check out my photos set of Brussels in flickr.
Check out the location for Chez Leon restaurant shown above. Visit their official website here to learn more on their history and have a glance of its menu. If you are craving for Belgian cuisine including various mussels dishes, Chez Leon should be able to satisfy you. If you are planning your own trip to Brussels, read my mini guide on Europe tour planning before booking your flight!
What’s my verdict?
- Atmosphere: Good √ √ √ √
- Service: Fair √ √ √
- Food: Excellent √ √ √ √ √
- Accessability: Good √ √ √ √
- Value for money: Fair √ √ √ (You can have cheaper mussels dish elsewhere)
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Overall Travel Score : 76% (Not Bad)
- Verdict: If you are looking for local restaurant serving not only mussels but many other local Belgian dishes in Brussels, this is one of the best option, but cheaper options for mussels bowl could be found elsewhere. !
– Travel Feeder, your ultimate travel photo blog
About The Author
Cecil Lee
The author is an avid traveler and photography hobbyist who loves to share with others his travel and photo-taking experience in many popular tourist destinations around Europe, Asia and Australasia. Read the exciting stories with many photos captured on his journeys.
