Ommegang restaurant wins Brussels' best carbonnade competition

Brasserie Ommegang near the Grand-Place in central Brussels has been named the best restaurant in the capital for one of Belgium’s signature dishes – the meat stew, carbonnade (or stoofvlees in Dutch).

The restaurant emerged as the winner out of some 30 competing restaurants to be crowned ‘Best Carbonnade of Brussels 2024’.

Votes were cast by a special panel and by the customers themselves in the participating restaurants. Criteria included the balance of flavours, tenderness of the meat and the originality of the recipe, while ensuring that the dish still honoured its traditional roots.

Carbonnade is one of the Brasserie Ommegang’s biggest successes. “We serve 200 to 300 kilos a day of this dish in summer,” said Khalil Khali, the recipe’s creator and brasserie’s chef. If business really booms, total volume can even reach 500 kilos per day.

For Khali, the beer makes all the difference to his special recipe: “The beer won the gold medal at the World Beer Awards,” he said. “It’s the Tangerlo Brune that gives it the flavour. This has a slightly vanilla taste and has less acidity than other brown beers.”

Khali also uses mustard, gingerbread with onions and brown stock. The stew needs to simmer for four to six hours – other factors contributing to the dish’s success and title of best carbonnade in Brussels. Customers can taste this winning recipe for €22.90 daily at the restaurant from 11.00 to 23.00.

Taking second, third, fourth and fifth place respectively, in the first edition of this competition organised by events agency BXLove, were four other classic Brussels addresses: Les Petits Oignons, La Taverne du Passage, Au Stekerleplatte and Het Kelderke.

Meanwhile, with chips an essential accompaniment to this dish, the Grand Sablon stalwart Au Vieux Saint Martin won the "coup de Coeur" prize for the best chips served with the carbonnade.

The Mannekin Pis Café received the public award and the "revisited" prize, which rewards an innovative interpretation of the traditional carbonnade.

Finally a "coup de Coeur" award for best value was given to the speciality chip eatery Patatak. Its outlet at the Bourse won the prize for its rich carbonnade that can be enjoyed at a very reasonable price.

Next year’s competition will focus on the vol-au-vent. The name to this chicken in puff pastry classic was given back in the mid-18th century by King Louis XV’s wife Queen Marie Leszczynska at the Royal Court of Versailles.