A local’s guide to Brussels, Belgium’s relaxed, moules-and-frites flavoured capital

Pierre Kompany, Belgium’s first black mayor, leads the way to the city’s best bars, food and a sporting landmark honouring his footballing son Vincent

There is delicious Congolese food to be had in Brussels – a legacy of Belgium’s colonial history. For a lot of choice, I would go to Matongé, a buzzy, very multicultural area close to the city centre. I have two favourite restaurants there. Chez Malou Bomboka, at 104 Chausée de Wavre is very popular, yet the service is relaxed. Malou, who runs it, came to Belgium with nothing 40 years ago and now has a number of restaurants in Brussels. Its chicken wings are popular, but you shouldn’t miss out on the goat, which is street food in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I also enjoy Malou’s pondu, a cassava-leaf stew. The other good Congolese restaurant in Matongé is Inzia: it does a €20 buffet, with grilled goat, beans, plantains and peanut chicken stew. In Ganshoren, the Brussels district where I was mayor until last month, we have fine-dining restaurants such as San Daniele and Bruneau by Maxime Maziers, but also good spots for smaller budgets. Brasserie The Spoon is good for moules.