Spanish food in Brussels: a guide by occasion

Updated 11 Sep 2026 · Based on 12 tracked Spanish venues in Brussels · Best-ranked list

Not every Spanish restaurant fits every plan. Using the Google ratings, review counts and the dishes we have confirmed on each menu, here is how we would play Brussels depending on the occasion.

For a date

EL FONTAN (Rue Haute 179, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium) — the strongest all-round rating in the city (★ 4.5 from 882 reviews; the menu confirms patatas bravas, croquetas, Ibérico/serrano ham, garlic prawns (gambas al ajillo), fried calamari, pan con tomate, paella, Padrón peppers, chorizo and ensaladilla rusa; around €20-€30 per person). Book ahead at weekends.

Tapas with friends

EL FONTAN (Rue Haute 179, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium) — the widest confirmed Spanish spread in Brussels: patatas bravas, croquetas, Ibérico/serrano ham, garlic prawns (gambas al ajillo), fried calamari, pan con tomate, paella, Padrón peppers, chorizo and ensaladilla rusa (★ 4.5 from 882 reviews; the menu confirms patatas bravas, croquetas, Ibérico/serrano ham, garlic prawns (gambas al ajillo), fried calamari, pan con tomate, paella, Padrón peppers, chorizo and ensaladilla rusa; around €20-€30 per person). Order several plates to share and ask what is on special.

A special occasion

Centro Cabraliego (Rue Haute 171, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium) — ★ 4.4 from 590 reviews; the menu confirms garlic prawns (gambas al ajillo) and fried calamari; around €0-€20 per person. Tell them you are celebrating when you book; Spanish restaurants are usually generous with a celebration table.

A quick, casual bite

Hispania Brussels 🇪🇸 (Rue Bodenbroek 2, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium) — ★ 4.5 from 459 reviews; the menu confirms croquetas, Ibérico/serrano ham, paella and torrijas; around €30-€43 per person. Bar seating and a couple of tapas is the fastest way to eat well here.

What to order in Brussels

These are the classic dishes most often confirmed on the menus we checked, each linked to our recipe so you know exactly what should arrive at the table:

paella — confirmed on 4 menus in Brussels
croquetas — confirmed on 3 menus in Brussels
Ibérico/serrano ham — confirmed on 3 menus in Brussels
fried calamari — confirmed on 3 menus in Brussels
patatas bravas — confirmed on 2 menus in Brussels
garlic prawns (gambas al ajillo) — confirmed on 2 menus in Brussels

All 12 tracked venues, filterable by dish, price and rating: Brussels on the map.

Rankings by dish in Brussels: Paella (4) · Calamares (3) · Croquetas (3) · Jamón ibérico/serrano (3)

Beyond restaurants: food tours, tapas walks and cooking classes in Brussels on Viator. (Affiliate link - we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.)