Location: Soignies
Soignies Food Guide: 10 Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in Soignies
Soignies (French pronunciation: [swaɲi]; Dutch: Zinnik, pronounced [ˈzɪnɪk]) is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut.
1. Chez Minh
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 247 reviews
Reviewed By Juraj B
The restaurant doesn't look like much from the street, not even inside, but the true value is hidden underneath. The owner/server in single person provides incredible customer care even though he speaks only basic English so our interaction was somewhat limited. Even despite that, he was able to make me feel welcomed like a guest to his family table. The food is very tasty, not the usual "one spice for all" taste of the typical Chinese fast food. The meals are fresh, delicate and abundant in size.
To top it all, the value is incredible. You can order from a rich variety of separate meals or a couple of matched 3 course menus some of which are available already at about 15 EUR.
2. La Pate Et Ose
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 295 reviews
Reviewed By Trine L
This is my second visit here, and the service and food is great. Owner (?) and waiters speak english. Fresh food made from the bottom, and the duck tasted like nothing i have ever tasted before, exciting and spicy! One in the party is vegetarian...MoreThank you very much to take time to put this laudatory comment, all the team and myself we thank you. See you soon we hope Gérard LACHARRIERZ
3. Maison Marit
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 219 reviews
Reviewed By Tony V
Fabulous family run restaurant on the very outskirts of Waterloo/Braine l'Alleud. Easily accessible as it is located just off the Brussels ring. It is a cosy fermette style building with stables, fields an own livestock. Very friendly, attentive and knowledgable staff. The restaurant is not too big and it has got a very light and open tastefully decorated interior. The food is just FAB. Very refined and nicely presented. It is not cheap but well worth it for that special occasion.
4. Le Pilori
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 162 reviews
Reviewed By Alain S - Tara Meath
Leave Brussels behind via the leafy " Foret de Soigne " past Napoleons Waterloo bank and suddenly you find yourself in the open plan and bare fields of "La Wallonie" . Hidden therein one of the many dead and dilapidated villages of the region with some manicured bungalows hugging a small hamlet of old houses slowly being taken over by Ivy . In the middle of the one street village " Le Pilori " with its washed out sign . Open the door and you will enter a place with a space but welcoming decor with high end and varied Light fixtures . It is bright and colourful . More important every client , and it is an eclectic gathering , looks like a person that knows how to enjoy and appreciate good food and good wine . Better again many look like they are regulars . This is now a one star Michelin but less pretentious and less stuck up you will not find . The service is friendly , personal and attentive and very well informed . The food was superlative in all aspects . The Somelier is generous in sharing his immense know how and will not disappoint . I was adviced to go for the fish which I did and it was deserving of all accolades .
5. L'Essentiel
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 504 reviews
Reviewed By misspurpleann - Brussels, Belgium
I had an amazing vegan lunch in the Michelin starred restaurant L’Essentiel in Temploux (Wallonia). We called one day ahead to ask whether it was possible to eat a vegan menu as this wasn’t advertised on their own website nor on the ViaMichelin site.
The lady on the phone (owner) said directly: “OK, no animal ingredients at all right?” This was a very good sign, as most of the times restaurant people don’t have the slightest idea what vegan means. She checked with her chef and came back to us that it wouldn’t be a problem.
Upon arrival we were shown to our table in the very beautiful setting (purple/ taupe). The restaurant was quite filled up for a Saturday noon during summer and the service was impeccable (filling wine and water glasses, taking and executing our order and presenting the menus). We chose entrée, plat, dessert and received 2 amuses and 1 extra dessert (with the coffee) on the house. The vegan menu consisted of a delicious amuse of white bean puree and a celery salad perfectly seasoned and a yellow zucchini soup and mix of thin slivers of marinated tomatoes. The starter was a beautifully dressed salad of kohlrabi with mango (sliced julienne) and some bell peppers and extra vierge olive oil from Greece served with a selection of 14 home-baked breads (I chose a slice of olive & whole wheat bread). The main course was a grain (Ebly) cooked to perfection, mixed with small julienne vegetables topped with a mix of seasonable vegetables again perfectly tender yet still a bit crispy: carrot, Romanesco, butter beans, and some more. There was a seasoning of olive oil and some green sauce and again some white bean puree, all perfectly seasoned and finished of with fresh herbs from their garden. At this point I was actually perfectly satisfied, but then there was the dessert & one doesn’t pass on a dessert in a Michelin star restaurant. I received a bowl with a sorbet of apricots, lukewarm rhubarb, grapes, mini Cantaloupe melon balls and forest strawberries, really delicious. The owner told me that they’d gone through the entire dessert menu to see what would be appropriate for me (the vegan or vegetable lady as one of the waiters called me), but it seemed all of their desserts had some dairy so they made something up.
When my partner ordered an espresso, we received two more desserts, mine was Cantaloupe sorbet and mango slices wrapped around small pieces of half-baked banana. We shared half a bottle of Sancerre wine. It was quite pricey, a bit too expensive maybe.However, it was a wonderful experience, delightful service and food, something to do for a special occasion. It is really worth asking for vegetarian or vegan food as this way more and more chefs will realize there is a demand.
6. Restaurant Philippe Meyers
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 221 reviews
Reviewed By jjsk1 - Brussels
We ate at the Philippe Meyers restaurant to celebrate my wife's birthday. That was an excellent choice. We were lucky enough to taste the "asparagus festival". Marvellous.
All dishes were perfect and with a special asparagus aroma, We will definitely rremember the asparagus sorbet. The two waitress were really professional. They managed to change the dessert for a great sabayon
7. Le Petit-Fils
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 168 reviews
Reviewed By clementineWavre - Chaumont-Gistoux, Belgium
We had dinner yesterday in this restaurant, was recommended by friends. Nice decoration, service friendly and prices very reasonable for excellent food, the menu 3 courses Eur 37, congratulations. Good winelist, we had an excellent Cote du Rhone for Eur 52. To be absolutely recommended
8. Chai Gourmand
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 247 reviews
Reviewed By Alabang - Wavre
Last Thursday was our fourth time at the restaurant. My wife and I invited an American colleague and although the restaurant was full, the booking had not bring any difficulty. We were again delighted by the great and delicate menu, and prefect service. The wines from the selection were great as well. What struck our guest was the collection of small dishes brought by the waiters from the start of the dinner and that were not indicated in the menu. She could not believe that when dessert indicated in the menu was over, it was then not really over and pleasant dishes with additional desserts kept coming. All in all an unforgettable experience and true luck to have such a great place in Brabant Wallon area. A place that you need to discover, if not yet the case, definitely!
9. Le Pavot
Overall Ratings
5 based on 202 reviews
Reviewed By Lekker001 - Brussels, Belgium
We went for dinner with friends based on the excellent reviews on this forum. Ambiance was OK but nothing special. There was only one other table occupied, which was not a good sign. Philip Meyers at the other side of the street was much more busy ( and rightfully as we clearly prefer this restaurant). We ate a la carte. Service was very good and no complaints from this side. Food however, except for the Deserts, were nothing really special. I had the bass as an appetiser and wild boar for main dish. Both were nothing special. My wife had the salmon gravlax, which turned out not to be very fresh ( and an upset stomach as a consequence) and the tilapia. One friend had the same, and the other one had the pintade Polish style ( and which was very good). The pannacotta on the other hand was excellent. Bill came out not that cheap. Ŵe clearly prefer the competitor at the other side of the street and will not go back here!
10. L'Embellie
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 112 reviews
Reviewed By lainey6477 - Croydon, Surrey
Four of us discovered this marvellous restaurant during a 'monsoon' of biblical proportions!
What a find.
The hostess couldn't do enough for us and we had an evening meal which defied description. It was glorious.
We would all highly recommend this place which is tucked away on the Rue De La Station in Soignies.
Just go for it if you are in the area.
