Where to eat in Leuven
Leuven, home to the oldest Catholic university and the Stella Artois brewery, also hosts a large number of quality restaurants in addition to a slew of cheap student eats.
Here is a list of the Ferret and my favorite places to wine and dine in this gorgeous student city. (In random thinking order)
De Blauwe Maan – Great French-Belgian cuisine with wines by the centimeter. Set in a modern, yet comfortable environment, the service is both friendly and efficient.
El Sombrero – The best thing about this colorful Mexican hole in the wall are the Combinaciones: a delicious variety of tacos, enchilladas, quesadillas and sides. Good cocktails and sangria too.
La Cantina del Coronel – Excellent Latin-American cuisine and cocktails. The waiter (owner?) tends to be grumpy, but show no fear and he’ll be fine. The fajitas and the overall ambiance of the place are definitely worth a visit.
Lukemieke – This wholesome vegetarian place next to the city park serves a dish of the week and a dish of the day. The latter has three warm and two cold items. I used to wait tables here when I was a student, and even though they asked me not to come back, it’s still high on my list of places to eat. It’s just that good.
Inari – The first real sushi bar in Leuven, this little sister of Zaowang in Antwerp is no less impressive. Delicious edamame, miso soup, seaweed salad and the deluxe dragon boat, a 50-piece variety of maki, nigiri, hand rolls and sashimi.
La Vecchia Napoli – Marco makes the best pizzas. At 40cm in diameter, these real Napolitan creations will have you coming back for more, dining in or take out.
La Stanza – Fresh, homemade pasta against a charming backdrop. Reservations are a must.
A Zamara – Authentic Sicilian, also freshly homemade. Be prepared to spend a full evening there.
De Lange Trappen – For a true brasserie grand cafe style experience, this comfortable tavern serves simple homestyle cooking. The kitchen is open until 11PM.
Himalayan – Right across from the train station, enjoy the Indian-Nepali delights underneath majestic murals that make you feel like you’re right there in Nepal.
Basecamp – The friendly owners of Himalayan also own this smaller restaurant in the center of town. Take out is an option if the place is full.
Kiekekot – Unique in Leuven, rotissery chicken, bread and sauces are pretty much all you get here. Cheap and scrumptious. They close when they run out of chickens. Don’t hesitate to ask for silverware.
Mama Wong en haar kruiden – Poor service, beautiful wooden interior and fresh Chinese dishes. It’s conveniently located near the train station of Heverlee. Lots of parking space.
Turquoise – Mediterranean (Turkish) cuisine in modern design. Refreshing after the slew of kebab joints.
Het Dagelijks Brood – Known internationally as Le Pain Quotidien, this is by far our favorite place for a wholesome brunch in Leuven.
No doubt there are many other excellent addresses I haven’t been to yet, or places I haven’t listed because they failed to impress me. Places I still want to try are Zarza, ‘t Fonduehuisje and Los Flamencos.
Which restaurants in Leuven would you like to see in this list?
A detailed list reflecting the culinary potential of Leuven! Thanks, Kim!
Fonduehuisje is good but not great.
For supadupa pizza’s I always went to Ciao Pronto in the Zeelstraat. Their pizza’s are really delicious, and you get some free garlic bread at the start ànd amaretto at the end. I took Jeff there once. Perhaps he wants to go again :))
Thanks Bram!
I’ll definitely give Ciao Pronto a try. Garlic bread = Yummm.
I forgot De Werf, a cafe that has the best desserts, cozily lit terrace and fleece blankets for chilly evenings. Bummer they’re not open on weekends.
My hubby and I went to Zarza a few years ago: Nice decor, good service. The food was good but at the time not great. Maybe it’s changed by now or maybe we didn’t choose the right menu…
Los Flamencos is a nice place with good brochettes and big portions. It’s not haute cuisine or very trendy, but the atmosphere is warm and friendly.
Another suggestion: Krua Thai. As the name suggests, it’s a Thai restaurant with good menus, good prices and a warm decor! Service depends on who’s serving the tables, but so far we’ve had the nice ones and we’ve had some good laughs. Make reservations, because it tends to be full.
Thanks for the tips!
I went to Krua Thai once and must admit I was a bit disappointed as all three items we had ordered tasted very strongly like lemongrass. Not my favorite flavor to begin with and it made the meal rather monotone. But maybe, we simply ordered the wrong thing. Or maybe they had a bad day.