L'OGENBLIK - Brussels

'L'Ogenblik' is a restaurant with the appearance of an unpretentious bistro. Located in Galeries des Princes in downtown Brussels, the restaurant is fully impregnated by the elegance and lavishness that surround it, even if the restaurant itself lacks of a clear own soul.

Opened in 1968, this charming restaurant - famous by its green lamps pending from the ceiling -, proposes high quality French cuisine even if its interior could mislead the visitor by making him / her believe that this is just another informal place among its nearby restaurants.

Unlike the others though, 'L'Ogenblik' proposes tasty and unforced combinations.

A good example of this are the outstanding starters such as the unbeatable "duck breast carpaccio with pesto", the "carpaccio of Saint Jacques scallops with radish salad and hazelnut oil" or the "eggplant flowers stuffed with prawns."

As far as the mains are concerned, a special mention needs to be made to fish dishes : "small pot of fish in bouillabaisse", the "half-cooked tuna filet on Espelette peppers" or "monkfish filet with asparagus."

All in all, 'L'Ogenblik' is a restaurant that everyone should have in its address book for the quality of the food and the consistency in delivering well presented compositions over time.

However, after having had several dinners in the restaurant during the last 4 years, the menu has remained always the same. In this regard, the creativity in the dishes has not found its correspondant by adding new entries in the menu.

Some downsides : the restaurant is a bit too noisy (perhaps due to the proximity of the tables), the service is not noted for their attention and value for money may be a bit unbalanced (probably because of its location in downtown Brussels) in relation to similar restaurants.

The great Taittinger is everywhere in the restaurant, so take advantage of this and do not hesitate to taste a glass of this excellent champagne as aperitif.

Rating : 6/10