During my Thanksgiving visit across the pond, we dined with friends at Toucan Sur Mer, a renowned fish restaurant in Brussels’ Ixelles neighborhood.

What’s remarkable about this friendly fish restaurant is their velvety Soupe de Poissons de Roche (14,00 €), a classic French soup similar to Nice’s bouillabaisse. It came with grated Emmenthal cheese and rouille, a Provençal variation on aïoli, the traditional accompaniment with bouillabaisse. Don’t miss.

Other good selections are their oysters  (2.50 € each) and the salmon tartare a la Japonaise (19.50 €) with grainy mustard.

Four of us chose their fish & chips (24 €), crunchy fish pieces with a small salad, tartar sauce and a big bowl of skinny fries. The other two enjoyed the unusual tempura-battered soft-shell crab served with wasabi and soy sauce (29.25 €).

If you find yourself in Ixelles, I’d recommend a visit.

Toucan Sur Mer
Av. Louis Lepoutre 17
1050 Ixelles, Belgium
+32 2 340 07 40
toucanbrasserie.com