Elbow Lunch Counter Brussels: pastrami review

Par Gabriel Goldberg 22 September 2026 4 min read

One of Brussels’ greatest strengths is its culinary diversity. Some restaurants announce themselves loudly; Elbow Lunch Counter looks almost modest. Step into this tiny Rue de la Paix diner, sit elbow-to-elbow opposite the open kitchen and a pastrami sandwich takes you straight to New York. I have returned alone and with friends. Each time, speed never comes at the expense of quality. Elbow Lunch Counter in brief: an American diner at 32 Rue de la Paix, 1050 Ixelles , near Porte de Namur. Steamed pastrami stars in the Pastrami on Rye and Reuben. The counter is particularly comfortable for solo lunch. Hours displayed on 22 September 2026: Tuesday–Friday 11am–3pm, Saturday 10am–4pm; check the official website before travelling. Elbow Lunch Counter open kitchen and illuminated menu in Brussels — Photo Gabriel Goldberg. 1. Brussels to New York in a handful of stools Elbow avoids the fake red-booth diner cliché. America arrives through the ritual: a concise order, visible cooking, hot griddles, a meat slicer, bread lined up and customers seated level with the cooks. BRUZZ described the roughly eight-seat American counter when it opened in 2020. New Yorker Tyler Gamble launched the concept with chef Nicolas Rabarison , according to Le Fooding . They imported a way of eating rather than a movie set. The name says it all: elbows on the counter, kitchen within sight, Brussels street behind the window. Customers eating at Elbow’s counter facing the open kitchen — Photo Gabriel…