The story
In Brussels, on the grand Rue Royale, Le Petit bon bon is the latest chapter from chef Christophe Hardiquest. It’s a brasserie, but one that carries the spirit of his celebrated two-Michelin-starred Bon Bon — distilled into something simpler, lighter, and more playful.
“Le Petit bon bon, c’est ma façon de retrouver l’essence de Bon Bon, des saveurs franches et des techniques maîtrisées, dans une version plus simple, plus légère et plus ludique, ancrée dans nos traditions locales,” Hardiquest says.
The menu is a celebration of the dishes Belgians love and recognise: comforting flavours, seasonal produce, generous plates. Classics stay classics, but they come with a few surprises. The cooking is precise — the kind of precision that earned the restaurant a Michelin Recommended distinction — without ever feeling fussy.
The atmosphere is relaxed and lively, with the charm of a true Belgian brasserie. On weekends, there’s the Big Meal: a roasted chicken seasoned with Chinese satay spices, served with crispy fries, apple compote, and fresh salad. It’s made to share, available in limited quantities as a half or whole chicken.
Le Petit bon bon is also a place for gatherings — long lunches, animated dinners, private parties. The kitchen works with the seasons, and the menu changes accordingly. The cuisine is both Belgian and French, rooted in local tradition but lifted by technique.
It’s a brasserie for today: unpretentious, exact, and deeply satisfying.
Recognition
Details
History
Along Rue Royale, inside the recently renovated Corinthia Grand Hôtel Astoria Brussels hides a not-so-secret secret. Christophe Hardiquest, the mastermind behind the Michelin-starred Menssa and the now-closed, two-starred Bon Bon (the big brother of Le Petit Bon Bon), has opened an upscale Belgian brasserie, not just for hotel guests – but for the hoi polloi too! Facing the mesmerizing open kitchen, it’s here in the large, elegant dining room filled with polished wood features and big mirrors, that we discover the Oyster Au Gratin “Expo 58” – a baked oyster with a champagne, bacon and spinach gratin. Printed on ultra-thin newspaper, the rest of the menu offers everything you’d expect from a Belgian brasserie, from vol-au-vent royal with veal meatballs and sweetbreads, to Ostend-style cod. The cherry on this already stunning little cake? The signature cocktail Papieren Vliegtuig, which is served with its very own paper airplane, made on the spot! It’s exactly what you’d expect – but it still puts a smile on your face all the same! · Jean Gourmand
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