It is the day many look forward the most each year…. Valentine’s Day.
The day when lovers and loved ones seek to show their affection for that special one.
Of course, there are many varied ways to celebrate the day this Friday, 14 February.
You may wish to sweep your loved one off her/his feet with a surprise and one great surprise would be to treat them to a tasty meal out.
At a time of tightening budgets what better time than Valentine’s Day to loosen the purse strings a bit and enjoy a dinner out?
If that is your choice Brussels Morning has compiled a list of possible places to head for in Brussels (and beyond).
Here you go:
Bocconi at the Amigo Hotel in central Brussels plans a romantic candlelight Valentine’s menu (4 course) dinner, designed by top chef Fulvio Pierangelini with classy champagne by Laurent-Perrier.
This consists of either amuse-bouche, tuna, ravioli and turbot or lamb chops and spiced chocolate soup. The dinner will be from 7pm and costs €95pp.
Meanwhile, another fine Brussels resto – Mess – has two menus for Valentine’s Day: one fish and meat, including Norwegian Skrei and roasted free range chicken tagliata and a gluten-free veggie and vegan option, including celery ravioli, which are both available on February 14 (and also the 15th). It costs €60pp, excluding drinks.
The same menus are also available as a take-away for €54pp. You can also treat yourself to a Valentine’s Day cocktail consisting of pamplemousse, gin, prosseco,campari, citron vert & thyme frais for €12.
A resto in the same stable, called Chalet Robinson, has a single Valentine’s Day menu,priced at €60. This consists of an appetiser, slow cooked veal and a chocolate-themed dessert.
For Valentine’s Day, Cupid has put down his arrow at Osteria Romana, located just off Avenue Louise, and trusted its Italian-born owner/chef Filippo with a special recipe for spaghetti with meatballs. This one, it should be noted, is for customers to try at home and is not available in the restaurant itself.
One of the most popular, very best and longest established Chinese restos in Brussels is the magnificent Cite Du Dragon in leafy Uccle and it, too, has cooked up something rather special for the 14th. It is a magnificent “buffet Cupidon” which comprises a large selection of starters, mains and dessert at a very reasonable 40euros pp (drinks, either softs, wine or beer, are extra and cost 20 euros).
The owners of this huge resto, which enjoys a particularly lovely setting, have also come up with a nice, romantic message for the day: “l’amour n’est pas seulement un sentiment il est un art aussi” which roughly means love is not just a feeling but also an art.
Elsewhere, Da Mimmo, chef Louis Verstrepen has created a 7-course menu, available on February 14 and 16 to “celebrate the authenticity and elegance of transalpine gastronomy.”
On the programme: tagliolini with black truffle, lobster with black pepper and wasabi sauce or suckling lamb enhanced with candied garlic. A gourmet score that ends gently with sweet creations mixing yuzu, Alpaco chocolate and Amalfi lemon.
Meanwhile, a couple of same-ownership restos in the city centre, Zotte Mouche and Ricotta & Parmesan, are kindly offering a complimentary cocktail and a dessert to share for couples celebrating with them on February 14.
Zotte Mouche plans to prepare a surprise dessert for two, accompanied by a romantic cocktail.
For Ricotta et Parmesan diners will also offer a dessert for two. The owners are still deciding on the final choice, but it will most likely be either a Nutella focaccia or a strawberry tiramisu for two.
Another Valentine’s Day special is available at Brasserie de l’Aérodrome de Namur: a 3-course menu (€55) available from February 13 to 16. The choice includes a foie gras candy with smoked duck breast mousse or scallops enhanced with Frégola Sarda, plus a fillet of turbot with clam juice or a duck breast with grilled tangerine. For dessert, a Valentine’s Day “Heart” completes the dinner.
For Valentine’s Day, Correspondance invites diners to eat in the majestic setting of the Gare Maritime where visionary chef San Degeimbre has created a menu combining Asian influences and Belgian terroir ranging from a filet Rossini to a radish mille-feuille.
Further afield, the restaurant at Manoir de Lébioles, a top rated hotel at Creppe near Spa has a special menu which is priced €119pp. Its “Menu Imperial” is a 7 course treat, with wine pairing an extra €66pp. It includes foie gras, smoked trout, scallops, caviar and wagyu beef and a selection of cheeses.This place is particularly worth a visit, not just for the cuisine but the quite wonderful setting it enjoys (try to make a weekend of it if you can).
Elsewhere and back in Brussels, Gabriella catering has a special menu for Valentine’s Day which gives you the chance to spend an unforgettable moment as a couple at your own home.Its Italian gastronomic, high-end Valentine’s Day menu,is described as being “rich in flavours for a romantic moment.”
Gabriella is the Italian caterer from Squadra Cocina and on the menu is delicate antipasti, fresh homemade pasta with shellfish or seasonal mushrooms, cod in a parmesan crust or veal rolls with porcini mushrooms and sage. In addition to these, you will find a San Valentino playlist in your box.
Humus x Hortense in Brussels was the first plant-based restaurant in Belgium to receive a Michelin star and is another with a special Valentine’s menu.
It is called a “Full Experience” tasting menu as all drinks are included. It costs €236 and includes an aperitif, water, 5 pairing drinks, an 8 course menu and coffee/tea. Starters include purple radish and pink carrot followed by pumpkin, homemade tofu and Antwerp Saffron broth.
Just out of Brussels, Brasserie de Waterloo at Mont St Jean, Waterloo has a menu for the day. It starts with amuse bouches followed by (for starters) a croque monsieur of foie gras or carpaccio St Jacques and, for mains, a choice of skrei poche or lamb filet (plus a chocolate fondue for dessert). This sumptuous meal costs €69.50pp.
Go to the online booking system for this Valentine’s Day menu:
The Black Sheep at Pl. Flagey has no special Valentine’s Day menu as such but it does have something equally appealing: the introduction of a traditional Sunday Roast dinner every Sunday. This comes with all the usual trimmings and can be washed down with one of the pub’s terrific range of beers.
The same can be said for that fantastic burger resto, Manhattn’s, which, while it has no special menu on the day, will still be serving up some great, juicy burgers if that is your choice for spending Valentine’s Day. Manhattn’s is a great Belgian success story and has several venues throughout the city, and in other parts of Belgium which can all be found here.
So, this year, why not swap the classic bouquet of roses for a memorable culinary evening? Whether they are starred, daring or resolutely gourmet, these addresses listed above have concocted exceptional menus ready to seduce your taste buds.
