Brussels Bistro

What a beautiful little restaurant! Big open windows that let in the beach air and a cute view of the downtown. My friend and I went there after visiting her aunt. We're pretty different in our food tastes. She's a foodie and appreciates a good wine, beer or cocktail and I'm a teetotaling vegan. (Cue Odd Couple theme song) but we both found a great meal here.My friend got some giant pot of mussels and fries. I got the falafel and green curry lentils. We shared some potato croquettes.We had the kindest and most patient waitress who helped me navigate the menu and arranged for my food to be fried in canola oil instead of the normal beef tallow. This odd couple both recommends!

I am in absolute shock at the positive reviews of this place. One of the worse series of dishes I've ever seen at a restaurant. Gratin potatoes, burnt yet still refrigerator cold. Strange, lacking flavor, and clearly just reheated (though not enough). Raw carrots that make no sense on a beet salad that lacked flavors. Seabass that was cooked about an hour too long. Almost mush by the time it arrived. Easily the best thing on the table: The salmon in coconut milk wasn't bad. And the server was nice. (That said, the hostess lacked professionalism, ie, basic communication skills.)Summary: I won't be back.

I had the pleasure of visiting Brussels Bistro the other week, and it immediately became one of my favorite spots in the area.The restaurant is extremely charming, and the tables are smartly spaced so that you can comfortably hold a conversation, even during the more crowded hours.The staff was incredibly friendly, patient, and helpful; our party was in a snacky mood, so we pretty much ordered our appetizers one at a time. Despite our challenging ordering schedule, our food was always delivered promptly and warm.Now, onto the food. Brussels Bistro offers a rich set menu plus a rotating menu of specials that is displayed on chalkboards. Most everything we tried was delicious, but the standout item for me were the mussles and fries; we ordered a pound of the green curry mussles, and they make for the perfect starter to share. I would like to mention that the portions for most entrees are quite small with the notable exception of the pasta dishes, so if you're feeling particularly hungry, get some pasta! I tried their carbonara and it was a delight.Be sure to save some room for desserts! There are plenty of traditional desserts and also drinks to choose from. While the belgian waffles seem simple at first, these have a tastefully crispy crust and a soft, almost undercooked middle. Every bite was a treat, and it made for the perfect end to an incredible meal.I cannot gush enough about Brussels Bistro, and I look forward to my next visit.

The portions were substantial and the service was excellent (Thank you, Juan). We ordered the Roasted Salmon, Boeuf Bourguignon and three sides: Cassolette Veggies (a large portion of perfectly roasted vegetables), Asparagus (large stalks, perfectly cooked) and bread (crusty & crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside). The salmon was served on top of a coconut-based sauce and was flavorful, though the sauce was a little too "rich" (fatty) for my taste. The slow-cooked Boeuf was served in a pot containing well-over a typical serving and with many vegetables. Once again, it was flavorful, though a little too rich for my taste. A flight of Belgian beers complimented my meal.

Brussels Bistro brings a slice of Belgium to the beach. Great food, ambience, service and tap list. I love me some Belgian beers and they have an impressive menu. I could come here just for the bar but luckily, I was hungry too.We ordered the bacon-wrapped Brie and 2 lbs of cream and garlic mussels with fries. De-freaking-licious. We left stuffed, satisfied and slightly wobbly on account of the aforementioned beers.I'd definitely go back.

The world is too big to tell just one story. If you can't make it to Europe, come to Brussels to be transported. Love the Laguna Beach location and finally had chance to stop in while in town at San Clemente. Love the vibe and hostess is super sweet. Make reservations since it gets busy on weekends.I always start with escargot or the fresh oysters. I am such a fan that they offer the most variety of ways to have your bucket of mussels. Get a small or large order if you have the appetite to devour and eat it all without sharing like me. You can have the traditional garlic white wine sauce or have it with chorizo and make it spicy. I think green curry is best because it brings out such sweetness in the mussels. Pairs well with frrench fries and my flight of Belgium beers. Love the selection that you can choose from like Hoegaarden, a personal favorite, Chimay Gold, Duval and the Triple Karmeliet seen in my snapshot.If I didn't order the large bucket of mussels, boeuf bourguigon or pork shank was my other option. I was disappointed the salmon came out bland, lacking flavor. I do want to note, while the menu says gluten free, it truly is not. There is cross contamination so keep that in mind for the eaters with specialty needs.Travel is not about leaving home but leaving our habits. That's a lifestyle to strive for, so why not come here to start your adventure?!!

Such a cute hidden gem! The good tastes like what we had in Belgium if not better!Food:- Cheese croquette: crunchy on the outside and soft and gooey on the inside. Very satisfying!- Mariniere mussles and fries: mussles are fresh and the sauce complements it really well. - Carbonara: creamy and flavorfulTip:- Happy hour at 4-6pm includes the mussels- Birthday dessert here is a chocolate mousse with sparklers! How fun!

Service- 5/5Friendly and attentiveAmbiance- 5/5Cute and made me feel like I was in Europe againFood- 5/5Mussels marnière are my favorite and they were super fresh! Wish they could find a way to keep the 2lbs hot... I asked to get 1 lb at a time but they said they couldn't do that Wine -5/5They had a special Sancerre Sauvignon blanc and it was delicious! Perfect with the mussels!

It was my first time here it was really good. I enjoyed every bit of it. The waiters were very nice. They did check up on me to make sure that I was happy with my meal. I love the area. It's really put together kinda like a hipster vibe, but it was very casual in there. I will definitely come back again.

The wife and I were going to see a speaker at the San Clemente Community Center, so we went early to grab some food somewhere in downtown San Clemente. We decided on Brussels Bistro, as we had not been here in a while and we recalled having a good meal previous times.We did have a reservation, but since it was early, it was not a big deal getting a table. By the time we left, the tables were mostly full and it was starting to get loud. Not crazy, just people yapping and having fun.As we were looking at the menu, we ordered a couple of drinks. I had the white beer and the wife had some goofy sounding cocktail, like she likes to have. I put in an order for the cheese croquettes for us to munch on while choosing our meals.We have had their mussels in the past but this time we passed and went on to the mains. For me, it was the garlic shrimp appetizer as my main and some crusty bread for dippin'. The wife ordered the creamy chicken entree. This had a puff pastry under a creamy mushroom sauce with chicken. Her side was the mixed greens.I was satisfied with the shrimp and having the bread to dip into the garlic butter sauce was great. The wife liked her chicken dish and we split the mixed great salad.Nothing mind blowing, but very good and we will be coming back again.The service was very good, 4.5 stars. The 3 stars is based on the food only.Go. Eat Well. HAVE FUN!!