Cast your mind back a few short months and you may recall the crisis hitting the horeca trade in Belgium.
The headlines were of one restaurant after another facing bankruptcy and/or closure due directly to the devastating impact of the crippling health pandemic.
Fast forward to the present and the outlook has totally changed – at least for some eateries
One such place is Relais Saint Job which is experiencing a major rebound from those terrible times caused by the coronavirus crisis.
It is now virtually booked out on every night – and, yes, that includes those previously relatively quiet midweek evenings as well.
The reason? Well, that must have something to do with the main reason people choose to eat out: the quality of the cuisine.
When it comes to this, it should be plain to see why folk have again flooded back to one of the best brasseries in town.
This is good, traditional and very reliable fayre, featuring all the classic meat and fish dishes Belgians and others love so much.
There are old favourites like kidneys and vol au vent (a couple of the signature dishes), filet americain as well as some very good and tasty steaks (including Scottish beef) on the main card along with a variety of other equally tasty dishes.
These include, currently, that good old Belgian classic, mussels. The good news (if you like your mussels) is that the “season” has just started and this restaurant sources its top quality supplies from only the very best: Zelande in the Netherlands and also from the Bay of the Mont St Michel in France.
These are among the best sellers here but, in truth, you could plump for anything on the menu and you are unlikely to be disappointed.
There is also, if fish and meat isn’t your thing, a good selection of salads and veggie offerings and, at €14.50, there’s also a nice children’s option.
In fact, the prices (given the quality) are very reasonable, certainly compared with some restaurants in the centre of Brussels.
This restaurant is delightfully located, on the main square in St Job which is a particularly pleasant suburb of Brussels, easily accessible from the city centre but far enough out of it to make for a lovely short excursion for a meal/drink.
The food here is all home made and fresh and, while some of the “favourites” are always kept on the menu, the card is regularly updated/changed so as to compliment the seasons.
If you also would like to take home a “taste” of the house you can very easily do so because there is a very thriving traiteur directly attached to the restaurant (you can see the counter from where you sit) and this has a nice selection of “takeaway” dishes, plus a great choice of good wines.
The owner is the same for both the restaurant and traiteur but they use different kitchens.
The interior of the resto is a treat too: a mix of traditional cosy brasserie with a touch of chic.
You can sit at the bar to eat but there’s plenty of space as up to 100 people can be accommodated. Look out too for a rather unusual feature: a lovely and large terrace that is situated …..on the roof.
This gives a great view of the whole area below and is particularly popular in summer.
In fact, the whole place is very popular with an estimated 80 per cent of people choosing (or having) to book a table here so as to avoid disappointment.
That gives a taste of just how successful this restaurant again is after the awful experience it and others have endured in the last 2 years or so.
Another selling point is the friendliness of the staff, including senior member Jean-Michel who is very welcoming and informative about the menu/drinks as well.
He is from Belgium but, in truth, this is a mini United Nations as several countries are represented among the staff, including Puerto Rico, Morocco, Spain and France. In other words: it is typical of Belgium.
Open 7/7, it all makes for a very pleasant dining experience.
Le Relais St Job
1 Place St Job, Uccle
02 375 5724
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