The story
Les Brassins is a Belgian tavern at Rue Keyenveld 36 in Ixelles, Brussels, and Gault&Millau awarded it 12/20 in 2026. The kitchen works through the classics of Belgian cuisine in a room styled after an estaminet.
The menu centres on familiar Belgian dishes: boulets à la liégeoise at €19.50, carbonnade de joue de boeuf at €24 and a chicken vol-au-vent at €23. A vegan waterzooi with forgotten vegetables sits on the same card. Shrimp croquettes and a cheese croquette open the meal, and mussels arrive in several styles, from marinière to saffron.
The dining room keeps its estaminet character, with enameled plaques and a rustic, tavern-style ceiling. Le Fooding listed the restaurant in 2026, noting that Jean Callens, formerly of Callens Café, took it over at the last minute. Local craft beers sit alongside the wine list, and there is outdoor seating.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
Looking for a taste of Amsterdam in Brussels? Head to Les Brassins, this bruin café that was nearly abandoned but then saved at the last minute by Jean Callens (Épicerie Nomad and ex-Callens Café). It all takes place on Rue Keyenveld, the discreet street where Audrey Hepburn was born. Our initial impressions: the estaminet-style decor still operates the same charm – in a space with enameled plaques and a rustic, tavern-style ceiling, the ambiance is that of a delightfully Brussels-style zwanzeur. The night we went, we opted for ham mousse served with two pieces of toast and two different sauces (cocktail sauce and herb sauce), along with a small salad; followed by a chicken vol-au-vent made with juicy and tender chicken thigh, slow-cooked and enveloped by an incredibly flaky puff pastry, served here as a modest rectangle, which doesn’t fall apart when sliced open. Regretfully, the fries were lacking crispiness, and felt more like mashed potatoes served in stick form. // Salty Litchi
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