What are the seasonal novelties at Brasserie Chez Clément?

For a curious British visitor wondering what is « new » on the carte when they arrive, the honest answer is that the brasserie does not chase novelty for its own sake. It does, however, refresh itself genuinely on four seasonal anchors that have been at the heart of the carte for the thirty years of Vincent's tenure. These anchors are the spring asparagus window, the autumn game opening, the mussel season, and the eel season, all rooted in classical Belgian and French brasserie tradition.

The spring asparagus window typically opens in April-May. It is a short, attended-to season in Belgian cooking, and Vincent works it across several preparations, from the classical « à la flamande » rendition to more contemporary plates that can be adapted vegetarian. The autumn game opening in September-October is the moment when the carte's most heavy-comfort dishes return: wild boar, deer, pheasant, drawn from controlled Belgian and French hunting filieres. These are typically the periods where regulars schedule their visits.

Mussels in season are a classical Belgian-Zeeland tradition, broadly running on the mid-summer-to-end-of-winter window. Other classics of the Belgian repertoire such as eels in green sauce may appear according to chef Vincent's suggestions and supply, not a guaranteed permanent fixture. Beyond these four marker products, the brigade adapts side dishes, garnishes and accompaniments week by week according to market availability, a quiet level of micro-rotation that customers feel without always identifying it.

The micro-novelties, the specific dish variations added each season around the four anchors, vary year by year. For the most accurate picture, regulars call ahead before a special visit. For private events or business dinners that want to anchor the menu around the current season's novelties, the BtoB team at info@brasseriechezclement.be can put together a calibrated menu in advance.