Head-to-Head · Brussels
Café des Spores vs La Quincaillerie
Two Brussels originals: book Café des Spores for a menu built entirely on mushrooms, La Quincaillerie for oysters under Art Nouveau ironwork.
The Verdict
Café des Spores is the single-idea room done seriously. In Saint-Gilles, every course from starter to dessert is built around mushrooms: oyster, chanterelle, porcini, truffle, whatever the season delivers. The menu changes with what is foraged and grown, and the kitchen treats one ingredient as a whole cuisine rather than a gimmick. It scores 8.4 for food and 8.6 for value, and it is open Tuesday to Saturday evenings.
La Quincaillerie is the room you remember for the room. Set in a converted 1903 ironmonger's shop in Ixelles, with the original wrought-iron balconies, polished brass and a vast station clock intact, it runs an oyster bar and seafood plateaux alongside Belgian brasserie classics. It scores 8.0 for food and 8.5 for the room, the higher mark for one of the most striking Belle Epoque dining rooms in Brussels.
The split is the plate versus the place. Café des Spores is the destination for a curious eater who wants one ingredient explored to its limit; La Quincaillerie is the date-night room where the Art Nouveau setting and a tower of oysters carry the night. Both are unmistakably Brussels, and neither tries to be anything else.
Scores, Side by Side
| Score | Café des Spores | La Quincaillerie |
|---|---|---|
| Food | 8.4 / 10 | 8.0 / 10 |
| Atmosphere | 8.0 / 10 | 8.5 / 10 |
| Value | 8.6 / 10 | 7.5 / 10 |
Which One for Which Occasion
| Occasion | Editorial Pick |
|---|---|
| A meal for a curious eater | Café des SporesA whole menu built on mushrooms is the most distinctive table in the city. |
| A memorable date night | La QuincaillerieThe 1903 Art Nouveau room and an oyster tower make the night without trying. |
| A seafood dinner | La QuincaillerieOyster bar and seafood plateaux are the draw, alongside Belgian brasserie classics. |
| Best value dinner | Café des SporesA full mushroom menu stays gentle on the bill, the better-value of the two. |
| Out-of-town guests | La QuincaillerieThe Belle Epoque setting gives visitors a only-in-Brussels room to remember. |
Price and How to Book
Café des Spores sits in the mid-range, an a la carte and set-menu room where a full mushroom dinner stays gentle on the bill; book ahead for its compact Tuesday-to-Saturday service. The full picture is in the Café des Spores review. La Quincaillerie runs a touch higher, with seafood plateaux pushing the cheque up; the detail sits in the La Quincaillerie review. Both anchor our Brussels dining guide.
For cuisine context, weigh La Quincaillerie against the best seafood restaurants worldwide and both against the city's French-rooted kitchens. For occasion fit, see our picks for a first date and an anniversary. More match-ups sit on the compare index.