July 19th, 2005 | The lowdown by Joella Adams

Cave du Roy - A Restaurant for Lovers or Parents Who Are Paying

One of my favorite things to do is seek out and find fabulous restaurants. They don’t have to be particularly fancy or a particular type of cuisine as long as there is amazing food and a great ambiance. Coming to Europe, particularly Brussels, is a culinary dream-come-true. Over dinner last night, my boyfriend’s mom and I mused over why, compared to other Europeans, Belgians seem to eat so much. Having dinner out regularly is not normally the case for Europeans, and we Americans generally go out and spend more on restaurants then our Atlantic neighbors.

The upside to this love of going out is an abundance of amazing restaurants, all striving to impress their clientele with décor, food, and service. Going out for dinner, especially if you go to the right places, is rarely a disappointing experience. One of my personal favorites, located in central Brussels off of the Grand Place, is the Cave du Roy Restaurant and Terrace.

Located smack-dab on the Grand Place, the restaurant is a suitably impressive place to bring someone. Not only because of the location, a 17th century wine cellar directly off the Place, but the food is fantastic, the wine abundant, and the waiters enthusiastic.

Never crowded, perhaps because most people are not able to find the small entrance or assume the restaurant is out of their budget-range, Cave du Roy is small enough to be intimate – the candles and oak tables help – without being pretentious. The menu focuses on traditional Belgian specialties, (which is only appropriate when being overlooked by Brueghel painting), and specializes in seasonal game meats and steaks.

The chicken waterzooi (14 Euros, a rich creamy broth with mushrooms, chicken, and other vegetables, perfectly seasoned) is always fantastic and a safe alternative for ex-vegetarians like me who are frightened of game meats. For me, one of the rarest but best things about a good restaurant are great waiters. It is especially difficult in Europe, due to the absence of tipping and language barriers, to find enthusiastic and talkative waiters. But every time I’ve been to “Cave du Roy” I have had an incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and fluent English speaking Italian waiter who will joke, bring extra bread, and just generally be wonderful. Of course, it may be because I’m an eighteen year old girl or because he likes Americans, but I think these guys are good-natured through and through. Entrees cost between 16 and 20 Euros, which might push some people’s budget, but if you're looking to splurge, Cave du Roy is the place to do it.