"A fish shop that became Brussels' most beloved outdoor institution. Croquettes aux crevettes, smoked mackerel, fish soup on the pavement. The solo dining experience that removes every pretension from the word 'restaurant.'"
The Essential Brussels Institution
Place Sainte-Catherine occupies the space where Brussels' medieval fish market once stood — an appropriate setting for a converted fish shop that has become the city's most democratic and most beloved dining institution. Noordzee / Mer du Nord operates from a counter: you order, you receive, you eat standing outside on the square with a glass of white wine or a Belgian beer, in the company of whoever the city decided to send to the same spot that day.
The menu is short by design and informed entirely by what arrived from the North Sea that morning. The croquettes aux crevettes — grey shrimp croquettes encased in a thin, shattering crust — are the benchmark preparation, and Noordzee's version is consistently the best in Brussels. The fish soup is made each day from the previous day's catch, which is the correct method and tastes accordingly. The smoked mackerel, the pickled herring, the escargots de mer — everything is sourced with the straightforwardness of a fishmonger who also happens to be cooking, because that is precisely what this is.
There are no tables and no reservations. You arrive, you order, you stand in the square. In good weather, the experience is perfect. In grey Brussels November, with a paper cup of hot fish soup, it is also perfect, for different reasons. Budget €15–30 per person depending on what you choose.
Best Occasion: Solo Dining
The solo dining experience at Noordzee has no parallel in Brussels and few anywhere in Europe. There is no table to occupy alone, no waiter's glance toward the empty seat opposite — only a counter, an order, and the city square as your backdrop. The format is inherently self-sufficient: you need nothing and no one to have an excellent meal here, and this is the rarest quality a restaurant can possess.
For a casual team lunch or group outing with no budget formality, Noordzee provides an experience that is inherently egalitarian and entirely memorable. Order widely, pass things around, stand in the square. The lack of ceremony produces its own kind of bonding. Recommend it to clients who know their cities — it signals fluency with Brussels' actual culture in a way no starred restaurant can.
What to Order
Begin with the croquettes aux crevettes — non-negotiable. Order two; they disappear faster than you anticipate. The fish soup requires a moment of commitment: it is rich, intensely flavoured, and served in an appropriate quantity. The smoked mackerel and any cured fish available that day should be ordered alongside. The Belgian white wine sold at the counter is a functional and appropriate pairing. Avoid overloading the tray — the standing format rewards a focused selection and a second visit rather than a single maximal order.
The counter operates during market hours: roughly noon to late afternoon. Arrive early or outside peak hours (1–2pm weekdays) to avoid the longest queues. The square has seating in good weather and nothing in bad weather — the latter is worth experiencing at least once.