Belgo's: A Taste of Belgium in London

I recently went to Belgo's Centraal in Holborn for the first time. I had no real preconceptions about what Belgian food would be like but I suspected it would be quite dull. France occupies the fine dining arena; Germany is known as the down-to-earth beer and sausage expert; so what space is there for Belgium? Isn't it just the culinary poor cousin?

Actually, no! From the moment I descended into the basement restaurant area, atmospherically decked out as a deutsche Bierhalle, I had a good feeling.

A kilo of mussels

The house speciality is mussels, available with a variety of sauces from the traditional white wine, celery, garlic and onion to the unusual Thai (lemongrass, chilli, ginger, Kaffir lime, coconut and coriander) and familiar and earthy Provencale with rich tomato, herb and garlic.

My companion had not had mussels before and was unsure whether to take the plunge; after all, they come by the kilo so you have to be quite dedicated to even make a dent in the portions.

With a menu including rib-eye steak, duck breast and crisp pork belly, she wasn't worried about finding something she'd like, but was also keen to get the full experience.

Belgian waffle with chocolate sauce

Our server (who incidentally, like his colleagues, was dressed as a Belgian monk - very random!) could not have been more helpful: after we told him our dilemna, without hesitation, he brought out a small dish of mussels for my companion to try before she made her decision. She plumped for the mussels in classic sauce (the traditional sauce with added cream) - need I say more?

What could we do next but follow our mussels with a warm Belgian waffle smothered in ice cream and chocolate sauce! Deliciously stodgy and rich, with a much-needed lightness from the vanilla ice cream, this dish effortlessly combined hot and cold.

Ninkeberry beer

The other thing about Belgo's that I want to mention is the unbelievable range of Belgian beer on offer. We had great fun sampling and sharing a wide variety of beers - possibly too many! With a choice of white, blonde, dark and amber beers, among others, my recommendation would be to take advantage of the more unusual beers available: have you ever tried chocolate flavoured beer? What about honey, or raspberry? Or - my favourite - ninkeberry, which we later learned was passionfruit?

Whatever you like to eat or drink - in this convivial atmosphere with friendly service - I guarantee you will have a great time.