Restaurant Vimar
70 Place Jourdan
Etterbeek 1040 Brussels
Tél. : 02.231.09.49
Reviewed on Monday 8 June 2009
Restaurant Vimar
The restaurant Vimar, which specialises in fish, is located Place Jourdan not far from the European Commission. Inside the atmosphere is quite nice with a high ceilling and salmon pastel coloured walls with a touch of green. It feels cosy.
Inside the Vimar
Another view
They do have a carte, but the weekly updated blackboard is where they list specials and their menu. I took 2 courses plus coffee for 32 euros (not cheap – but nothing close to the Commission is cheap). On top of that, I had some wine and a dessert.
The blackboard with the suggestions
I chose les asperges (asparagus) à la flamande as first course followed by le filet de plie (plaice) meunière beurre aux herbes fraîches. As dessert I had a strawberries/white cheese that wasn’t on the carte (but that the waiter suggested). The asparagus was pretty good nice and tender, not at all stringy – very well cooked, and arrived piping hot. It was nicely seasoned too, nothing too overpowering. The plaice was OK… It was nicely cooked and seasoned. But it is a difficult fish that has a tendancy to be quite soft – and so it was in this case. I’m not sure if cooking it just a little longer would have helped to make it a bit more firm, but if it is the case, I with they had! With that small improvement, it would have been excellent. The house wine was a pleasant red.
The dessert was fantastic! The strawberries were beautifully ripe and firm, very sweet, and perfectly accompanied by the white cheese. Nothing stingy about the portion either. Coffee was good – no complaints there. They did provide cream, but the coffee was neither burnt nor bitter, so it wasn’t needed.
Les asperges à la flamande
Filet de plie meunière beurre aux herbes fraîches
The strawberries dessert
Cost and conclusion: it was 44.10 euros, with service charge included in price so nothing else added which is nice. 32 euros for the starter, main course and coffee, 6.50 euros for the dessert and 5.60 euros for the wine. The meal was very good. At 44.10 for one, it is not exactly cheap but its not outrageous by Brussels standards either. As I’ve found on previous occassions, this restaurant is not fast so it is perhaps not the best place when you only have a limited amount of time for lunch. But if you are able to take your time, it is a step above others in this vicinity.
