Brussels restaurateurs: your menu in French, Dutch and English

On 1 January 2026 the Brussels-Capital Region had 1,255,834 residents across 19 communes. The City of Brussels accounts for 198,674 of them, ahead of Anderlecht (129,600) and Schaerbeek (129,278); Ixelles has 89,162.¹

In 2025 the Region gained just 39 residents: natural growth and arrivals from abroad only just made up for people moving to the rest of the country.²

In 2026, 50.57% of the Region’s residents were born in Belgium, against about eight in ten in Flanders and Wallonia. In 1996 the Brussels share still stood at 71.79%.²

The European Quarter, around Rue de la Loi, Rue Belliard and Place du Luxembourg, hosts the EU institutions and their 40,000 staff; visit.brussels points to its cosmopolitan terraces.⁵

Provisional estimates from visit.brussels put overnight stays in Brussels accommodation above 4.4 million in the first half of 2025, with hotel occupancy at 71.5%.³

For Brussels and its surroundings the MICHELIN Guide lists 189 restaurants: 4 with two stars, 23 with one star, 29 Bib Gourmands and 133 selected addresses.⁴

The guide’s filters flag vegetarian options at 140 of them, vegan at 44, gluten-free at 39, halal at 20 and kosher at 9. Of the 189, 129 have a terrace.⁴

Near the fish market, the Sainte-Catherine district has a list of its own in the guide.⁶

Within the City of Brussels, a terrace on public space needs a permit and a valid Horeca compliance certificate. You apply online through MyBXL, with your ID card and PIN or itsme, or at the Brucity counter by appointment.⁷

A fixed terrace (on decking, covered or enclosed) or one over 50 m² may also need planning permission. Fees are set in annex 1 of the regulation on private use of public space; the City gives no fixed timescale and answers on 02 279 22 60 or at [email protected].⁷

An A-board in front of the door needs its own permit: it must stay mobile, simply standing on the ground. If you already hold a terrace or display permit, it can stand on the terrace with no further request.⁸

The City’s permit only covers venues on its own territory. In Ixelles, a terrace on the pavement needs the prior consent of the burgomaster, requested from the commune’s economic development and trade department.^7,9

In Ixelles the file holds a form, a photo of the set-up, a dimensioned A4 plan and a €40 fee; the commune quotes four to five weeks once the file is complete. Its page dates from 2018, so check the figures with the department.⁹