The Crystal Lounge inside the Sofitel Brussels is a high class place to be. A place to see and be seen, where the beautiful people go to play, and where cocktails come in all shapes and sizes. This is where movers and shakers come to play, or at least warm up for the clubs.
Everything about the Crystal Lounge shouts high stakes. From the polished sign to the uniformed staff. The décor is gentle, with a great feeling of space even though the venue isn’t that big. Everything looked new and was in great condition. There was plenty of space to stand, and while the bar got busy, nobody was in each other’s face like some places.
It is obviously popular, as it was packed when we arrived. People were crowding the bar, dancing and generally having a good time. The atmosphere was light and relaxed, with gentle excitement pervading everyone. There was a DJ playing on the night, and people were making the most of it.
The bar is long, but the queue wasn’t. Even though it was busy, there were enough staff to cope. They all worked quickly and efficiently and we were soon holding drinks. We managed to get a table too, which was a bit of a coup.
We began with a cocktail, Bora-Bora. It was a lovely mix of black Smirnoff, green apple juice, banana juice, pineapple liqueur and aloe juice. An interesting mix of flavours that made a delicious cocktail.
"The Cointreaupolitan Caviar, a wonderfully complicated cocktail worth every second of effort"
Next we tried a mango daiquiri, a more traditional cocktail made from lemon juice, mango juice, cane sugar and white rum. This drink would feel more at home on the beach, but still drank well in a nightspot in Brussels.
As we had somewhere to sit, we decided to eat here too. The food looked good and we were hungry.
For starter we had crispy puff pastry with Mediterranean vegetables and blue cheese and walnut ravioli. The puff pastry included marinated sardines with a basil condiment. While it may not sound ideal on paper, it tasted delicious!
The blue cheese and walnut ravioli came with caramelised quince, cured ham and arugula which was another eclectic mix that worked really well.
Our main course consisted of filet of duck and beef tenderloin. The duck came with spices, red wine jus with acacia honey, pumpkin puree and panisses. The duck was rich and succulent, cooked perfectly pink in the middle and melted on the tongue.
The beef tenderloin “Rossini” style was served with fondant potatoes and a truffle jus. Like the duck, the beef was rich, decadent and perfectly pink in the middle. Both main course dishes were superb, and did the Crystal Lounge credit.
We decided to forego dessert for another cocktail, and we were so glad we did. Our finale was a Cointreaupolitan caviar labelled “The Crystal Lounge Experience.” It was a Cosmo-style cocktail made with Cointreau cleverly contained in caviar-sized pearls. A convoluted drink to be sure, but more of an event than a simple quaff.
A plate arrived with two glasses, one of them lit from underneath and a syringe. The idea is to mix the drink with a drop or two of the “caviar” to make a drink experience. While it took a little explaining, the end result was stupendous. A wonderfully complicated cocktail that was worth every second of effort!
Overall, we enjoyed everything about the Crystal Lounge. In a city that people go through, rather than to, this was a great find. Anyone finding themselves in the heart of Europe should definitely eat and drink here at least once.
The Bill: £145 per person
