BXL Zoute

The Food Drink Service and Ambiance are fantastic. You can come here dressed up or casually dressed.
It's a very welcoming environment .

Was in the neighborhood and decided to stop in for dinner. Had no problem getting a good seat for 2 on a Saturday night. Service was top notch, I loved the attentiveness of the waitress.

Such a good hidden gem. Decorated so nicely and had exposed brick.

I had the steak frites and my boyfriend had the mussels and fries. I got truffle fries but they tasted regular so I'd skip that next time. Steak was good in the sauce they gave me on the side.

I was nervous about not getting a beer at a Belgium place but our Drinks were good & well balanced.

Waffle with ice cream was good but the waffle was a little on the hard/ crispy side.

The service, ambiance, and pear cider (poiré) were all great. The food, not so much.

It was the ides of March, so I started with a Ceasar salad. It was a very generous portion, but the dressing lacked the tang of Ceasar dressing. In addition, the bread cubes that were supposed to be croutons, were not at all crunchy. Just small cubes of white bread.

The onion soup was a disappointment. The beef broth was tasty, but they used very thickly sliced red onions which weren't caramelized. Half of the bread on top of the soup wasn't toasted, and I don't think the cheese on top of the bread was Gruyère, but it was beautifully melted.

The mussels, which are quintessential Belgian fair were even more disappointing. Again there was red onion. The traditional recipe calls for shallots. There was thyme in the broth but the broth was whiter than when I make moules marinières. Only about half of the mussels in the pot were edible. They either didn't open, or the shells were empty. There were only a few free-floating mussels compared to the number of empty shells.

The fries were really top notch and the side of mayonnaise was totally Belgian, but unfortunately, the mayonnaise was very bland and not worth eating.

Solid authentic Belgian food in a lively and fun environment. This place is known for their classic Moules Frites (which is basically just a bucket of mussels), so I had to order it - I got the Provençale Moules Frites ($34) which had some tomato, garlic, and basil in there. It was good but really nothing that special - just mussels with a bit of seasoning. I suppose the price is okay though considering the amount of mussels (2 lb bucket). They also come with fries on the side which were standard quality.

I also tried the Hanger Steak, which was cooked to a nice medium and pretty tender. There was just the right amount of salt on there too. Not a very big portion size though for $34. The string beans and mashed potatoes that came with the steak were decent.

For dessert, I got the BXL Waffle ($14), which was a satisfying end to the meal, as the waffle itself was drizzled with chocolate sauce and came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

They have a wide variety of beers and drinks, but I opted for a pear cider, which was actually delicious - very light and fruit if you are into that kind of drink.

The inside of the restaurant has a cool atmosphere, with a bunch of blinking lights along the ceiling, upbeat music playing, TVs by the bar area showing European sports, and a chill European kind of vibe. It was actually somewhat empty on a Saturday night so no issues whatsoever getting a table. The staff are friendly, albeit a bit too attentive with checking up on us. There was a little mishap though, as our waitress accidentally threw away half of our mussels that we were sharing, thinking that they were empty shells. Thankfully, she handled the situation with grace and promptly asked the kitchen to prepare more mussels for us.

Overall, I would give the food here 3.5 stars, but the environment boosts the rating up a bit to a solid 4 stars. If you are interested in trying some authentic Belgian cuisine with a fun atmosphere, then I would recommend BXL Zoute.

11/30/23: When you decide to visit a spot from an IG post. Worth it.

From warmly greeted to amazing food and drinks this was one of the best last minute decisions.

From the IG real I wanted that beef stew and fries. Folks it did not disappoint. What I envisioned came to fruition.

OMG the dessert please ask for the dessert menu. The Belgium waffle with ice cream and whipped cream, you will thank me

Great experience I would definitely return.

Suggest reservations. It was as busy on Thursday night. Lively bar scene.

Food , drinks Staff vibes A+ all around.

Enjoyed a great bottle of wine, steak frites, and a delicious Caesar with my BFF after visiting galleries in Chelsea. The ambience was mellow, the music perfect, the bartender friendly yet unobtrusive. Other diners came and went; we were pleased that no one tried to hurry us out. A lovely, lovely place.

Early this week I had lunch here as I was craving for moules frites. BXL Zoute opened ten years ago and has become a neighborhood spot. There was a prix fixe which I skipped for the 2 pound kettle of mussels with endives and cream. The endives had been sliced thin. The mussels were ample but I was disappointed with the fries as they were ordinary ones. I far prefer shoestring fries which are tastier. For dessert I ordered the light and crispy Gauffre BXL (waffle) with a side of whipped cream but was given the one with the added berries Gauffre de Liège. Both were the same price of $13.

Service here was friendly and quick. Quite a few regular customers dropped in to have beer on tap or a glass of wine. The atmosphere is convivial.

The interior of this restaurant is quite large with flowers dotted here and there. Outdoor seating is in a covered area in front of the restaurant.

I am a total beer snob and this place does a good job catering to my interest - all the beer glasses match the beer - they had all sorts of beer on tap that are normally in a cab like delirium, chimay and duvel beer (which apparently not many places in the city have this Belgium beer on tap)

So the stars are for the beer options and wonderful service at the bar. The food is awful. I had the Belgium fries or Pommo
Fries - and they were soggy. It was sad and disappointing.

I came here on a Sunday evening with a party of 7. They have a AYCE mussel pot, comes with one order of fries, and a small beer, for $35! The AYCE mussel allows you to select any type of the 7 mussel flavor pots they have. Your first order is 2lb and each subsequent order is 1lb per order. It is worth noting that this AYCE is for Sunday and Mondays only.

Conveniently we had 7 people and there were 7 diff flavor pot, so we did a "speed tasting" of all the flavors with each other. Afterwards, we each ordered our own mussel pot with the one we liked the best.

My favorite two pots were the Grand-Mère (cream, bacon, onion), and the Provençale (tomato, garlic, basil).

I liked the mussel pots for the most part. I loved the idea of the AYCE. The fries unfortunately were very salty. Luckily it wasn't the main star of the meal. Ambience was average. It was rather quiet when we went on a Sunday Evening. I think there 1-2 more other tables. Service was average too. They would check in once every so often.

I'd come back here with friends who fancy the AYCE belgian mussels!

Excellent selection of Belgian beers including rare Trappist ales. Service was very welcoming and prompt. Traditional Belgian dishes were well executed but portions on the main courses tend to be on the smaller side. Phenomenal beef stew and frites.