Belgo Centraal

chrisp

Cheap Lobsters! 3rd June 2009

0 found this helpful

Lobster! One of my favourite things in the world and also something I never order in this country, for one reason only - the price. In the US and Canada these beauties can be picked up for $7 a pound, and even with the currency not what it used to be, that's still a bargain compared to the 1 1/2lb specimen I saw in Borough the other week on sale for £19. Sorry, I'd rather do without until my next stateside holiday.

But Belgo, the mini chain of Belgian moules-frites restaurants, think they've cracked it - literally. This month, until the end of the month, they are running a "Lobsterfest" menu, consisting of our favourite crustaceans served a modest amount of different ways, all for a VERY modest amount of money. And to get the 'fest off to a good start, they invited a modest number of food bloggers and press people to sample the new menu.

Given that I was on a freebie, cost shouldn't have been a concern at all, but as I said, the sample menu we were shown confirmed the prices were indeed very low. Worryingly low in fact - £5 for a lobster bisque? £8.80 for half a lobster? Without wanting to seem ungrateful I did wonder what corners they must have been cutting to make a profit on serving what is usually a premium seafood. But when the food arrived, my fears were largely assuaged. The bisque was my favourite thing of all - rich and fishy and salty, and though it had probably been bulked out with fish stock was none the worse for it in this price bracket.

The half lobster dishes, including a thermidore, a red thai spiced one and a salad, were perfectly decent for the price and at were presented well, legs and all. The lobsters, I'm assured, are flown in from Nova Scotia on a regular basis, never frozen and cooked to order from live. I would have liked to have the option of a boiled specimen - all the better for sucking the meat out of the legs - but really, given the scarcity of affordable lobster in London and the fact that Belgo is a smart, buzzy space with very capable service and is so massive you're more or less always guaranteed a table, to grumble about details seems pointless.

So well done Belgo for bravely attempting to bring lovely lobster to the masses, and good luck with your future endeavours. When you feel ready to launch your £5 Iranian Caviar Credit Crunch Menu or a £8 Milk-fed Lozère Lamb Sunday Lunch, give me a call.

Hmm

Still going strong 11th November 2008

0 found this helpful

I've been coming back time after time when in London. Great atmosphere and good food.

slagdog

Oktoberfeast at Belgo 2nd October 2008

0 found this helpful

Throughout October, the four Belgo restaurants - all in London - are celebrating Oktoberfeast with a food and beer matching menu. This is a great opportunity to sample the wonderful world of Belgian beer beyond the likes of Stella Artois.

We had the rich and smooth Chicken Terrine with raspberry beer chutney with a glass of DeKoninck, and asparagus with a Brugs white beer & chive sauce and the delicious Vedett Extra Blond beer.

For mains, the pork belly is to die for - must be the best crackling i've ever had - and it is paired with the unusual Rodenbach Grand Cru which is aged in wine casks to give it a delicious sour edge. Mussels are a speciality at Belgo, and the ones on this menu are steamed in beer - pure heaven for mussel lovers.

And puddings don't escape the beer matching magic - the the Leffe Ice Cream is a must, with its delicious syrup and praline.

This is a menu that will make you see (or should that be drink) beer in a whole new light...

Alsation

nice beers and more.... 15th September 2008

0 found this helpful

This is the original Belgo Restaurant in London, still going strong after more than 10 years.
Located in the basement of a big, former market warehouse, just off the Seven Dials, this place is unique.
The menu is fairly straightforward and includes some Belgian delicacies well worth trying. But the main reason for coming here is that you can eat mussels – good quality, well developed mussels and cooked to perfection.
The choice of different sauces and flavours is enormous. I still remember my first visit here, when I tried the curried mussels. The chips are ‘frites’ and the beer is just lush. The combination of the large pot of mussels, a plate full of small chips and a large, bulbous glass of dark beer is irresistible.
One half of the restaurant is set out with small tables and chairs, whilst the other half have lots of long benches – a kind of communal picnic. The waiting staff are dressed in monk’s outfits, which is good fun but must be incredibly hot to rush around in in this basement hothouse.
Whatever you do, don’t look at the back door in Shelton St where the rubbish is cleared out – you might see more than you bargained for.

fairy600

Fab 10th September 2008

0 found this helpful

If you like mussels, you have to come here. I have only been to the one in covent garden and not visited to the other belgos restaurant, but i've heard they are equally as good. The restaurant has an open kitchen, watching the chefs cook is half the fun of coming here. It can get extremely busy and sometimes there is a wait for the food. The mussels come in massive bowls- the green thai mussels are lovely. They come with chips, but we've struggled every time to finish our plates. There is an extensive beer menu with beers up to 8% in alcohol! But luckily these come in wine glasses instead of the pint sizes.
The place is always buzzing and staff are friendly. There are some good deals on if you get there early where you can get the meal for the price of the time you order. E.G. At 5.30pm you'll get your food for £5.30.

suhan

Mussels and beers 4th September 2008

0 found this helpful

this is a great place for friends gathering - try out the green thai mussels and beers

johnny2323

Go for the deals 3rd September 2008

0 found this helpful

Really love it here and have been back a few times. Two reasons why - the food is greaty. chicken dishes fab and mussel dishes also but best of all the deals. if you arrive between 5 and 6.30pm you pay the price (from a small set menu) of the time you arrive - and that includes a glass of beer or coke. Also if you have kids they eat free.
Other reasons if you need them - they have a great range of beers, the staff (dressed inmonks costumes) are always friendly and the toilets are unique and an attraction in themselves.

ablair9999

The Mussels From Brussels? 1st August 2008

1 found this helpful

Belgium has a certain reputation in the UK for being boring - this is not the case, especially when it comes to food and drink. Okay, it may be limited to Mussels, Chips, Beer and Chocolate, but in my world these are pretty high up on the list anyway! Belgo Central does the first three of these very well.

Upon arrival, it looks tiny from the outside. You on a walkway over the kitchen and it is VERY hot! This immediately put me off. After a short wait for a table (we had not booked and they were very busy), we were ushered downstairs to a gloriously air-conditioned dining area. First impressions were that it was busy, noisy and looking a little tired on the decor front, but with some novel design ideas. Seating is communal benches in the main, and the waiting staff wear a type of Trapist monks robes - with the vaulted ceilings it was like a monastry, only without the silence.

The menu does consist mainly of mussels and chips, there is however a variety of other dishes for anyone not quite as enamoured with the shellfish as I am.

I had Thai Style Mussels to start. These were very good though perhaps a little to mild for my liking, lacking any real chilli kick. Neither of us has Mussels as a main course on this occasion, opting instead for Haddock in a Hoegarden Beer Batter and in my case a 16oz Ribeye. Both were very good!

The group next to us all had the Surf'n'Turf (steak and lobster) which looked very good too - I'll be trying that soon!

For dessert I had the Waffle with chocolate sauce and hazlenut ice cream and my partner had the White Chocolate Mousse. The mousse was jus divine. The waffles, were real, freshly made in a waffle press. I was however disappointed with the chocolate sauce - it seemed a little weak to me.

There is a somewhat limited but perfect adequate wine list. You don't come here for the wine though. Browse the beer menu and be amazed at the variety of Belgian beers. There are some well known brands such as Hoegarden (my personal summer favourite), a large number of specialist but delicious Trappist and Artisan beers and the famed Belgian fruit beers. My partner tried the Coconut beer, which was very good but too sweet for my taste (as is often the case with the fruit beers).You can also buy a "rod" of Schnapps. A wooden tray which holds between 4 and 32 different schnapps shots.

Overall a very enjoyable evening and meal. it represents good value at any time and they have great lunch and early evening deals as well. We paid £65 for 1 starter, 2 mains, 2 desserts, water, beers and coffees.

Suitable for a lively night out rather than a romantic meal for two, this restaurant comes highly recommended by us!

Sarah_W

A touch of Belgium in London 25th July 2008

1 found this helpful

This is a chain of Belgian restaurants with several locations in London, the original and best known being in Covent Garden, Belgo Centraal. This is in a basement; a noisy place, full of bustle, with wait staff dressed in monks’ habits (a nod to the monastic origins of many Belgian beers) and lots of large parties in the main hall which has a beer cellar vibe. The restaurant is a little more peaceful, and better-suited to smaller groups, but don’t believe the website which describes it as “intimate” – this is NOT the place to bring a date! The food though is excellent, with moules being the favourite, though by no means the only, choice. These come in a variety of flavours, including the very un-Belgian but delicious Thai. Wash your meal down with one (or more likely several!) of the many beers on offer (I counted 70 on the menu). For non-beer drinkers there is wine available by the glass or bottle, but this really is a beer-lover’s destination.

On a recent visit I shared a platter of charcuterie and tasty rye bread with a friend, and followed this with the pan-fried fillet of cod with spinach mash and raspberry beer, port and shallot sauce. The fish was beautifully cooked and the sauce delicious, but the potato let down by being not quite hot enough. I also had a side of red cabbage braised with raspberry beer, which was REALLY good! With a couple of different beers, coffee after and service, I paid about £30 – not bad for central London.

The other branch that I’ve visited is the Bierodrome Kingsway, an altogether more relaxed and quieter venue, with a welcoming bar in the front part of the building and a small restaurant area behind. There are slightly fewer beers on offer, but still more than enough to see you through an evening’s drinking, and the menu is the same as at Belgo Central.

betageek

Perfect for a fast working lunch 11th December 2007

1 found this helpful

Belgo Centraal is a favourite lunchtime haunt - it's conveniently situated in the West End, and just the place for a fast working lunch. If one wishes to take more time, the menu has a reasonable variety of choice - especially if one likes moules. The boar sausages are also excellent, as is the lamb shank. However, there isn't the best range for vegetarians. Where Belgo Centraal really comes into its own is the beer menu, which is terrifically varied and offers some really wonderful Belgian beers. Whether all of this leaves any room for the beer-flavoured ice cream is down to the individual.