JB

A Bib Gourmand Two Years Running — and Still One of the Hardest Tables to Justify Skipping in Brussels

JB holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand for both 2024 and 2025, which means Michelin's inspectors have twice confirmed what diners at Rue du Grand Cerf 24 already know: this is where Brussels delivers serious traditional cooking at a price that doesn't require a second mortgage. For the explorer who wants to eat well without climbing to the €€€€ tier, JB is the most credible answer in the city right now. Book it before word fully spreads — the 128 Google reviews averaging 4.7 suggest a room that fills on reputation, not marketing spend.

What JB Actually Is

Chef Imad Alarnab runs a traditional cuisine kitchen at the €€ price point, which is a rarer combination than it sounds. Traditional cuisine in Belgium carries real weight: it implies technique rooted in classical method, ingredient sourcing that respects the seasons, and a menu that doesn't chase trends. At this price tier, you are not being asked to fund a theatre of theatrics. You are being asked to sit down, eat well, and leave having spent a fraction of what the starred rooms on the other side of Brussels would cost you.

The Bib Gourmand designation, for readers who haven't tracked it closely, is Michelin's marker for places that offer genuinely good food at moderate prices , not a consolation prize for restaurants that missed a star, but a specific recognition that value and quality are both present. Holding it consecutively in 2024 and 2025 signals consistency, which matters more than a single strong night. If you are building a Brussels itinerary around eating well without the ceremony of a starred room, JB belongs on it alongside Les Brigittines Aux Marches de la Chapelle and Barge.

The Wine Program and Why It Matters Here

At the €€ price point, wine lists tend to be an afterthought , a short laminated page of house pours chosen for margin, not match. Whether JB breaks from that pattern is something the database record doesn't confirm in detail, but the broader context is worth understanding for the explorer who drinks as seriously as they eat. Traditional Belgian cuisine , built around clean protein, restrained saucing, and seasonal vegetables , is one of the more food-friendly formats for wine pairing. It doesn't compete with the bottle; it gives it room. If the kitchen is cooking to classical standards, a list that leans toward Burgundy, the northern Rhône, or natural-leaning Belgian and French producers would be a logical complement. For verified details on the current wine offer, the direct approach is to contact the restaurant before booking. What the Bib Gourmand signals indirectly is a kitchen that takes what it does seriously , and serious kitchens rarely pair themselves with careless wine programs. Comparable traditional cuisine venues like Cave à Vin & à Manger - Maison Saint-Crescent in Narbonne and Auberge Grand'Maison in Brittany show how regional French and Belgian kitchens at this level tend to anchor their lists in local and classical producers. That context is worth keeping in mind when you arrive.

Who Should Book JB

Book JB if you want Michelin-recognised quality without the price architecture of Brussels' starred rooms. It is the right call for a food-focused traveller who reads menus the way other people read novels, wants to eat where the city's cooks actually care, and is not paying for tableside ceremony. It suits couples, solo diners, and small groups of two to four who want a genuine meal over a performative one. If your Brussels trip also includes higher-end restaurants , Bozar Restaurant or Comme chez Soi at the classical end, or La Villa Lorraine by Yves Mattagne for modern ambition , JB works as the meal where you eat well and keep the budget balanced. Belgium's wider dining circuit rewards this kind of planning: three-star ambition at Hof van Cleve in Kruishoutem, the coastal precision of Bartholomeus in Heist, or the contemporary edge of Zilte in Antwerp all sit in the same country but at a different altitude of spend. JB is where you eat well between those peaks.

Practical Details

Address: Rue du Grand Cerf 24, 1000 Brussels. Price: €€ , expect a moderate spend per head consistent with Bib Gourmand positioning. Reservations: Booking difficulty is rated Easy, but with a 4.7 rating and consecutive Michelin recognition, booking ahead is still sensible, particularly for weekend evenings. Dress: No dress code is listed; dress as you would for a quality neighbourhood restaurant , smart casual reads correctly here. Awards: Michelin Bib Gourmand 2024 and 2025. Google rating: 4.7 from 128 reviews. Cuisine: Traditional. Chef: Imad Alarnab.

For broader Brussels planning, see our full Brussels restaurants guide, our Brussels hotels guide, our Brussels bars guide, our Brussels wineries guide, and our Brussels experiences guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I eat at the bar at JB? The database record doesn't confirm a bar seating option. Given the traditional cuisine format and moderate scale typical of Bib Gourmand venues, the room is likely table-service focused. Contact JB directly before visiting if bar seating is important to you.
• What should I wear to JB? No dress code is listed. At the €€ price point with a Michelin Bib Gourmand, smart casual is the right call , you won't feel underdressed in neat everyday clothes, and you won't need a jacket. Brussels' starred rooms like Comme chez Soi set a more formal expectation; JB does not.
• What are alternatives to JB in Brussels? For traditional Belgian cooking at a similar price, Aux Armes de Bruxelles (€€) is the brasserie option with a longer track record in the tourist circuit. For a step up in formality and price, Au Vieux Saint Martin (€€€) delivers French bistro cooking in a classic room. At the leading end, Comme chez Soi (€€€€) is the benchmark for classical French-Belgian in Brussels.
• Is JB good for a special occasion? It works for a low-key celebration where good food matters more than grand gesture. At €€ with Michelin recognition, it delivers a meal worth marking an occasion, but without the ceremony of a starred room. If the occasion calls for theatre, La Villa Lorraine by Yves Mattagne or senzanome are the right step up.
• Is the tasting menu worth it at JB? Whether JB runs a tasting menu format isn't confirmed in the available data. Traditional cuisine restaurants at the €€ level in Belgium often operate à la carte or with a set menu rather than a full tasting progression. Ask when booking. If a tasting format is what you're after, the €€€€ rooms in Brussels , Comme chez Soi, La Villa Lorraine , are built for it.
• Does JB handle dietary restrictions? No specific information is available on dietary accommodation. The safest approach is to contact the restaurant directly before booking. Traditional cuisine menus can be less flexible than modern kitchens, so if restrictions are significant, flag them at reservation stage.
• Is JB worth the price? Yes, clearly. A Michelin Bib Gourmand held for two consecutive years at the €€ price point is about as reliable a value signal as Brussels dining offers. You are getting quality the guide's inspectors have verified twice, without the spend of the starred tier. For traditional cooking at honest prices, it is one of the stronger bets in the city.
• Can JB accommodate groups? No capacity data is available. Bib Gourmand venues in Brussels typically run intimate rooms, which can make larger group bookings tighter. For groups above four, contact the restaurant directly to confirm availability and configuration. If a large group dinner is the brief, a brasserie format like Aux Armes de Bruxelles may handle the numbers more easily.