If you are a hopeless foodie, who simply wants great quality fare at a good pricepoint, Le Petit Belge is your newest hang out. I personally never really gave Belgian food a chance. Little did I know that such a small nation, is overflowing with diverse tastes, international influences (French, German, and even British!) and a rich culinary culture. Le Petit Belge promises the best of Belgium. And boy did they deliver.
The minute we walked in, we knew this was a fun and unpretentious spot. We heard happy chatter and classic rock songs in the background. It’s a friendly and vibrant destination with friendly staff and good feels all around.
As we sat down we started the meal off with a unique beverage called the "Fries, Cone and Mayo" drink. It's actually part “liquid gold” part whipped cream with a squeeze of lemon.
The liquid gold portion of the beverage was a zesty fruit juice. I half expected to actually taste french fries and mayonaise, but it was sweet and refreshing. A definite pallete cleasner and a different way to kick off the meal.
We sampled a bunch of sharing dishes, including a plate of Toast Canibal, a steak tartar made with raw minced Angus beef with pickles on a crispy baguette. We also tried the forest mushroom crostinis, topped with Truffle and aged Passendaele cheese, which were the top dish of the evening for me as a mushroom lover. We enjoyed lobster and crab rolls, which were served on a soft brioche roll and tasted heavenly. Another stand out starter were the cheesy croquettes, which quite literally melt in your mouth.
For our main course we enjoyed a perfectly cooked and flaky cod fish on a bed of cabbage and new poatoes. The cabage was a very unexpected thing for me to enjoy eating, but it was the perfecom combination of crunchy and slightly sweet. We also tried the Bangers and mash Belgian style, which consisted of Veal sausages, Brussels stoemp (pureed or mashed potatoes, other root vegetables) and onion gravy. It was delightful and not as heavy as it sounds.
Le Petit Belge served us authentic Belgian dishes interpreted with local ingredients.
The extensive menu, offers a daily lunch and dinner, with a special Friday and Saturday breakfast brunch.
What you need to know
Location: Pullman JLT, Cluster T
Timings: Sunday to Thursday from 12pm to 2am, Friday and Saturday from 10am to 2am
Price: Approx Dh250 for two people
