I have a new favorite lunch spot in Brussels, and those of you who have been following this blog will know that’s a pretty serious statement.
SAN Sablon serves an amazing lunch for an unbelievably well-spent €28. This is what happens when a great chef – Sang-hoon Degeimbre from the two Michelin star L’air du temps – decides to open a restaurant in the city just for fun. (This is his second restaurant in Brussels, the other one being SAN Bruxelles on rue de Flandre, featuring the same concept). Although Chef Degeimbre is not in the kitchen, he oversees the creation of the dishes, which are then beautifully executed by his team (of which we saw three kitchen staff and two waiting tables).
Lunch is simple and relatively fast, as summarized on the website and menu (drinks other than the juice and coffee are not included in the €28 and I’d recommend choosing the dessert and the soup as menu options rather than the drinks):
But let’s take a look at the photos for a more pictorial (and mouth-watering!) review:
The restaurant offically seats 40 people (although it was only set up for 30 when we went) and has an elegant, modern and stylish decor
SAN Sablon is on rue Joseph Stevens, just off the Sablon and on the same street as the popular Pistolet and Brussels classic Skievelat
The concept: the meal is served in bowls and eaten with a spoon
Bread and butter to greet you and make the (short) wait more amenable
All bowls (except the one with dessert) are brought to the table simultaneously. The menu changes every month (if I understood correctly).
Salmon with greek orzo pasta and mushrooms in a deliciously light and refreshing citrus-based sauce
Hake tempura
This is what the delicious hake tempura looked like inside. The tempura was light and crunchy, just like it’s supposed to be
Lacto-fermented vegetables
This was a smooth and delicious lamb cream with crunchy vegetables mixed in
Kumquat madeleine accompanied by a granita of clementine and other fruits
View of the kitchen and bar seating
Drinks menu
Wine list
A few remarks especially for business lunches and families with children:
- As promised, the main part of the meal was served quickly and we were done in 30 minutes. However, dessert took a bit long to get out, maybe because the restaurant was filling up, so in the end it took almost an hour for the lunch.
- Book a table for noon (opening time) to get faster service.
- The food is delicious but probably not appealing to most kids (other than the dessert), but the staff is friendly and have no problem letting you order just for the adults.
- They don’t take credit cards so make sure you carry enough cash.
- The open kitchen doesn’t have the best ventilation system so your clothes will smell like food after your meal… Something to keep in mind if you’re having a client meeting in the afternoon.
All in all, this has been a fantastic find, and I’m already planning the next meal there (need to check on consistency of quality of course… But I could easily make up another excuse to go back! ;))
SAN Sablon – Rue Joseph Stevens 12 – 1000 Brussels
Reservations online or by phone tel:+32 2 512 42 12
Open from Thursday to Monday. Closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Lunch menu served only on weekdays. Evenings and weekends only €55 menu available.
Life in (and around) Brussels... 
November 3, 2016 at 11:18 am
Going to have to pay a visit here – your photos are amazing!
November 3, 2016 at 7:12 pm
Thanks! I hope you enjoy it. I’m definitely going back!