Mer Du Nord : entertainment + great food

Yesterday I went to Brussels with my dad. He has a lot of friends there so he knows the better parts of the city. For lunch we went to the outside fish bar of the well known fish shop Mer du Nord. The weather was perfect for a quick lunch in the sun. In front of the store there is an enormous bar where people can order and eat. The menu is quite basic, from the classical calamari fritti to a huge tuna steak, but the fish is so fresh that the taste is excellent. They change their menu every season.

While you’re waiting, you can see the staff prepare your meal and when it is ready they shoot out your name. This is what they call entertainment! If you want to go out for a nice quiet lunch I wouldn’t recommend it. This place is so popular that the extra bar on the square next to the store is full of people eating from their little plates.

I’m a big fan of this lunch bar because they use such fresh ingredients and prepare the fish the right way. No special sauces, vegetables or other unnecessary stuff on your plate. Just fish. The price range isn’t bad either, the appetizers are between 4 to 7 euros and the burgers or grilled fish are between 7 to 12 euros. You pay 2,5 euros for a glass of wine. Quite a good price for this kind of quality.

We tried the fried squid, scampi, a crab burger, mussels and sardines à la plancha. Everything was served with a homemade tartare sauce and a small salad. When I saw the crab burger on the menu I couldn’t resist. It was the first time I ate one and I have to admit that it was really good . The red sauce was a tomato and red sweet pepper sauce which gave the burger an extra flavour.

I don’t have any remarks besides the fact that you have to stand while eating. The flavours are superb, you get great quality food for a small price and there is a unique atmosphere. No uptight restaurant but a bar in the sun with a lot of entertainment.

So if you like eating fish and you are in Brussels during a sunny day, go and have lunch at Mer Du Nord. Sint-Katelijnestraat 45, Brussels

Julie