How do I drive to Chez Clément from Brussels?

The classic driving route from central Brussels to Chez Clément is delightfully simple. Leave the city via one of the eastern axes (Avenue de Tervueren, Boulevard du Souverain or Avenue Louise depending on your starting point), join the Ring R0 motorway going east, and take the La Hulpe exit. From there, signs to Genval guide you to Rue de la Bruyère. The whole journey typically runs to twenty-five minutes outside rush hour, longer in the weekday morning and evening peaks, when the Ring can slow significantly.

A practical detail that British and Dutch visitors often appreciate: Belgian motorways are toll-free, so there is no booth, no épéage and no transponder to worry about. The Ring R0 is well marked, with green signage for international destinations and white signage for Walloon Brabant villages. The La Hulpe exit is clearly indicated, but watch for the exit a little earlier than expected, the slip road appears before you see the village itself.

Once you leave the motorway, the drive becomes scenic. The road skirts the southern edge of the Sonian Forest (Forêt de Soignes), a UNESCO World Heritage beech forest, before entering the residential outskirts of La Hulpe and Genval. The brasserie itself is set on a quiet street with a large free car park directly across the road, an unmistakable advantage in a region where parking near restaurants is often the limiting factor of a Sunday outing. The car park sits ten metres from the entrance, which is also convenient for guests with limited mobility.

For a richer context, the brasserie has been at this address since 1858, when Henri and Sidonie Clément opened it as a coaching inn called “Bruyère à la Croix”. The road network of the time was very different, but the strategic position, between Brussels and the southern villages of Walloon Brabant, was already its key asset. The modern Ring R0 has only made the historical logic more practical.