Originally published September 18, 2016, the blog post may have been edited for clarity and updated with relevant information and links.
A Belgian outpost in New York’s Flatiron District
My brother Dylan and I planned to meet for lunch in the city but didn’t decide where until that morning.
“Have you ever been to the Belgian place?”
You know your brother knows his francophile sister when he suggests “the Belgian place” a few blocks away from his office.
BXL Zoute stands proudly on West 23rd Street like a carefully tended floral garden in the middle of the concrete jungle. Its interior boasts a polished urban aesthetic with relaxed, European charm. The soft teal and bark color scheme, as well as the wave art spanning across the bar, evokes a longing for the coast (Biarritz, perhaps?).
Dylan and I chose a table outside and decided to order the moules frites prix-fixe for $17 each. There are several options for the lunch prix-fixe and I would be surprised to find a more decadent mid-day meal for under $20 in Flatiron.
Although, my friend Cara’s brunch spot in Spanish Harlem may have been just as reasonable…
Update
BXL Zoute remains in good standing after the pandemic.
BXL Zoute was mentioned in the New York Post’s article, “The Best NYC Restaurants, according to international ambassadors.”
Ambassador Marc Pecsteen, the permanent representative of Belgium to the United Nations, laments the closures of several Belgian restaurants in the city, including Rouge Tomate and Petite Abeille. But he finds solace at BXL Zoute, a Flatiron spot popular with expats and known for its mussels. ”They have some excellent, typical Belgian dishes,” he says.
The best NYC restaurants, according to international ambassadors, New York Post
New England Parisienne 