ai_ gourmet will appreciate _les
plats les plus raffines_ on which Adolph prides himself. Everything is
_a la carte_, prices being plainly marked. They are not cheap. The
restaurant and rooms upstairs are open till two in the morning.

The Regina is a new restaurant at the top of the town, near the Porte de
Namur. Although only opened in 1901, it has been found necessary to
enlarge the premises, and the alterations are in progress at the moment
of writing. When completed, the restaurant on the first floor will be
more commodious and comfortable than it is at present. It is the good
kitchen that has made the reputation of the place, and if this is
maintained, the Regina will become one of the best patronised
restaurants in Brussels. Some people prefer to feed in the cafe on the
ground-floor but it is best to go upstairs, and, if possible, to obtain
a table on the glass-covered balcony in the front, which has a pleasant
outlook on the boulevards. The proprietor is Jules; he may have a
surname but no one seems to know what it is; to one and all he is
"Jules," a capital _patron_ who, having been a waiter himself, knows how
to look after the personal tastes of his customers. These include the
officers of the grenadiers, the crack Belgian regiment, whose barracks
are close by, judges and barristers from the Palais de Justice, members
of the King's household (the royal palace being nearly opposite), actors
from the Moliere Theatre, sportsmen who foregather here on race-days,
and the better-class Bohemians. Jules has also a good English
_clientele_, and makes a speciality of certain English dishes. This is
the only place on the Continent I know which serves a really well-made
Irish stew. The Flemish dishes are also safe to try here. The prices are
very moderate, and the _plats du jour_ range from 1 franc to 1 franc 75
centimes, each _plat_ being enough for two persons. Breakfast dishes,
such as _Oeufs Gratines aux Crevettes_ and _Oeufs Brouilles au foie
de Volaille_, are also well done here. _Ecrevisses Regina_ is a special
dish of the house. There are always two special _plats du soir_. The
Medoc de la Maison at 3 francs the bottle is a La Rose and is _very_
good. Although the prices are low, there is nothing of the cheap and
nasty order about the place. I have before me the bill of a little lunch
for two served in December, which can be taken as a fair specimen of the
fare and the charges:--

Huitres de Zelande, 1 douzai