Restaurant review: Mezzeway

Rue de la Madeleine 57.

What’s good? A new takeout and catering spot right by Mont des Arts, Mezzeway offers authentic, home-style Syrian and Lebanese flavors, letting you choose from a wide variety of cold and hot mezzes. We loved that there were many meat-based and vegetarian dishes, making sure there are options for everyone.

We tried the menu for two people, which gets you five types of cold mezze, a daily hot dish of rice or bulgur with meat or chicken, two pastries and two kibbeh. The star of our show was the bulgur, which we heard is one of their specialties. But the homemade hummus and the eggplant mutabal were also flavorful highlights to our dinner.

What’s not? The space is a bit small, so there aren’t any indoor tables and everything is served as takeout. But there are a few seats outdoors, which are sure to make a lovely lunch and dinner spot in the warmer months.

Vibe: Bright, colorful and sunny. The warm dangling lights, woodsy decor and exposed bricks immediately teleport you somewhere else, leaving cold and gray Brussels behind.

Who’s picking up the check? A bowl will cost you about €15, but we recommend the menu for one person, which gives you three mezzes, a hot dish with meat, one pastry and a kibbeh for €17.95.

Spotted: Since the opening, the restaurant has been buzzing with customers, but it’s hard to determine what the key clientele will be. With its central location, steps away from Brussels’ Central Station, it’s easy to imagine it will attract many tourists and commuters.

Insider tip: The owners and staff are extra kind and friendly and will let you try out the dishes before choosing which one to order.

Fun fact: Mezzeway is part of the broader Galerie Bortier, right next door, which reopened this month with a whole new setup of restaurants and shops. So while there isn’t any seating inside the restaurant, there are plenty of spaces in the gallery.

How to get there: Take the metro or bus straight to Gare Central and you’ll find Mezzeway right by one of the station’s exits.

— CLAUDIA CHIAPPA

Illustration by Natalia Delgado/POLITICO.