The story
Friture René, at Place de la Résistance 14 in Anderlecht, Brussels, is a classic Belgian kitchen that Gault&Millau scored 13 in 2026. The restaurant sits about 20 minutes from the city centre, and its menu is built on the frites and mussels that Belgian cooking is known for.
The potatoes are peeled and cut by hand each morning, then fried twice: first at a lower temperature, then at a higher one for a crisp finish. The frites are cooked in beef tallow rather than vegetable oil, which gives them a richer, more distinct flavour.
Zeeland mussels arrive from September to February and come in ten preparations, from a classic marinière to a crème version. The traditional side of the menu includes carbonade flamande, waterzooi de poulet, stoemp with sausages, and shrimp croquettes.
Recognition
Details
History
Plonked right in front of Anderlecht’s Justice de Paix since 1932, Friture René oozes a certain something that smells like Belgian spirit, which can be felt among the regulars, local Mauves football supporters, nostalgia seekers and… on the clothes on your back. With tiles running up the walls to head height, gingham tablecloths, and not-quite-so-masters paintings, pass by the kitchen before observing a moment of silence in front of the table where Jean-Philippe Smet feasted on the evening of June 9, 2012. Sorry, what? Ok, so the copper plaque doesn’t go into the details, but we can only image what he ordered: mussels stuffed with snail butter, shrimp croquettes (correct), eel in green herb sauce, a bowl of Cantillon beer-steamed Zeeland mussels (generous and tasty, with pale fries), a well-seasoned filet américain (Belgian-style steak tartare), mega-rib steaks served with every sauce under the sun, including a Basque Txogitxu served hot and bloody, and desserts of little interest except for fans of vanilla ice cream doused in alcohol. //Ringo de Balmalon
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