L'Alban Chambon

The rich and luxurious L'Alban Chambon could well have been the Metropole's best kept secret, if only it weren't for the numerous awards heaped on it for its culinary excellence. Named after the architect who designed the hotel in the late nineteenth century, this famed Brussels restaurant constantly strives to raise the bar for serving classic French cuisine with flair.

The impressive Baroque styling of the dining room is a treat for the senses and creates a spell-binding ambience with the ornate parquet floor, the elaborate stained glass windows and the Venetian curtains that complete the final picture. Sparkling linen and glittering chandeliers swinging gently above are the other elements that lend such charm and grace to L'Alban Chambon.

A meal there is not to be taken lightly either and to do full justice to the emerging gastronome within you, start with the terrine of duck foie gras and marinated red tuna with a compote of apples and red wine. The millefeuille of gingerbread filled with goose liver, pork leg, chutney of melon and a honey sauce with fresh thyme is also enticing.

Moving down the menu, you could opt for the grilled halibut from Norway with confit fennel and potatoes pompadour with caviar and mousseline sauce for the main course. For those with distinctive taste buds, the braised sweetbreads, risotto of roquette and new harvest truffles make a fine dish. The roasted Pyraneean milk fed lamb with grilled vegetables and pastilla of waffle with dried tomatoes is a nice touch if you're looking for something classic, and the combination of tastes and textures is intriguing but never overwhelming.

The perfect finish comes only with a dessert that is light, perfectly sweet and not cloying at all. The selection at L'Alban Chambon fits the bill perfectly and to prove it, you might want to try the chocolate passion tart or the fondue of cream with citron and thyme and a strawberry salad, but you might want to throw caution to the winds with streusel - a rich pastry of butter, flour, and sugar - accompanied by an exotic cream meringue. The wine list is suitably extensive and complements every aspect of your meal.

L'Alban Chambon with its plush Renaissance styling and interiors is an intimate setting, whether you wish to sit quietly and watch the world go by or even if you just want to lean back, relax and enjoy some good food.