What languages does the Chez Clément staff speak?

Chez Clément sits in a Belgian linguistic crossroads. The brasserie is located at Rue de la Bruyère 230 in Genval, in the French-speaking Walloon Brabant province, ten metres from the communal border of La Hulpe. The Flemish-Walloon language border runs not far away, Hoeilaart, Overijse and Tervuren, all Dutch-speaking communes, are within a short drive, and Brussels itself, officially bilingual, sits roughly twenty-five minutes north-west by car. The brasserie's clientele reflects this mosaic: Walloon regulars, Brussels diners, Flemish visitors, European expats and Anglophone tourists touring Waterloo or the Sonian Forest (Forêt de Soignes).

The honest position is the following: the dining room team communicates in French. Menus, written communications, bills and phone interactions all happen in French by default. Dutch-speaking and English-speaking guests are sincerely welcomed; a word or two in Dutch or English is often possible at the table, but the main conversation, the recommendations, the explanation of the dishes, all take place in French. This is the everyday reality of a Walloon Brabant family brasserie, and the team prefers to communicate this openly rather than promise a level of multilingual service that would not match the day-to-day experience.

In practice, this works comfortably for most international guests. Vincent De Laloy's classical French and Belgian carte is a register that crosses linguistic boundaries (« cabillaud florentine », « vol-au-vent », « carbonnade flamande » are part of a vocabulary that an English-speaking visitor will recognise from any continental brasserie). A clear menu, the team's habit of pointing at dishes when needed, and the universal Belgian gesture of pouring a beer or unfolding a napkin take care of the rest.

If a specific language is critical for your visit, for instance an English-language wedding lunch in the conservatory where speeches and toasts will all be in English, the safest approach is to mention it at the moment of booking. The team will note the requirement and, where possible, assign a server with stronger English. The phone is the best channel for that conversation: +32 2 652 33 92.