Maison Dandoy Review: The Best Waffles in Brussels?

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We ate a lot of waffles in Belgium, and the best of them, by some distance, came from Maison Dandoy. It is one of those rare places that is both a tourist name and genuinely good, a historic Brussels house that has been making biscuits and waffles since the early nineteenth century and still does them properly. This is our honest review of Maison Dandoy: what it is, what to order, and whether it lives up to the hype. It is part of our what to eat in Belgium guide and our full Brussels travel guide.

What Maison Dandoy is

Maison Dandoy is a Brussels institution, a family house founded in 1829 that built its name on traditional Belgian biscuits, above all the spiced speculoos, and later on waffles. Nearly two centuries on it is still going, with a handful of shops and tea rooms around the city, including right in the heart of the old town near the Grand Place. That longevity shows: this is a place that knows exactly what it is doing, and has been doing it for a very long time.

The waffles

The waffles are the reason most visitors come, and they are worth it. It helps to know the difference between the two Belgian styles. The Brussels waffle is light and rectangular, with a crisp outside and an airy inside, and is traditionally eaten simply, with nothing more than a dusting of icing sugar. The Liège waffle is denser, sweeter and chewier, studded with pearls of sugar that caramelise as it cooks. Maison Dandoy does both, and does them fresh, and the quality is a world away from the cardboard versions sold from tourist stands around the city.

Our advice is to try a Brussels waffle the classic way first, with just sugar, so you can taste how good the waffle itself is before you bury it under toppings. If you want to go all in, you can of course have it with cream, chocolate or fruit, but the plainer version is the one that won us over. It is the kind of simple thing that is easy to do badly and quietly brilliant when done well.

The speculoos and biscuits

The waffles may draw the crowds, but biscuits are where Maison Dandoy started, and they should not be an afterthought. The speculoos, the crisp, caramelised, lightly spiced biscuit that Belgium is famous for, is a house speciality and makes a far better souvenir than a melting waffle. They also make pain à la grecque and other traditional biscuits, and a box of them is the kind of gift that travels well and tastes of the trip long after you are home. If you are choosing between a waffle to eat now and biscuits to take away, the honest answer is to get both.

The tea room

Beyond the takeaway counter, Maison Dandoy runs tea rooms where you can sit down and have your waffle on a plate with a coffee or a hot chocolate, which is a lovely way to take a break from sightseeing. Sitting down turns a snack into a small occasion, and after a morning on your feet around the Grand Place it is a very civilised place to rest. If the weather is against you, it is an especially good call.

Is Maison Dandoy worth it?

Yes. It is more of a treat than a cheap street snack, and there are cheaper waffles to be had, but you are paying for the real thing, made fresh by a house that has been perfecting it for nearly two hundred years. In a city full of tourist traps selling mediocre waffles drowned in toppings, Maison Dandoy is the opposite: a famous name that genuinely earns its reputation. It was a highlight of our time in Brussels, and we would go straight back.

Book a chocolate and waffle tour

If you want to turn the sweet stuff into a proper outing, a guided tour walks you between the best chocolatiers and waffle houses with someone who knows them. You can book a Brussels chocolate walking tour and workshop on Klook, and browse other Brussels tours and tastings below.

Frequently asked questions

What is Maison Dandoy known for?

Maison Dandoy is a historic Brussels house, founded in 1829, known for its traditional Belgian biscuits, especially speculoos, and for some of the best fresh waffles in the city.

Does Maison Dandoy have the best waffles in Brussels?

In our experience, yes. The waffles are made fresh and are a clear cut above the versions sold from tourist stands. It was the best waffle we had anywhere in Belgium.

What is the difference between a Brussels and a Liège waffle?

A Brussels waffle is light, rectangular and crisp, usually served with just a dusting of sugar. A Liège waffle is denser, sweeter and chewier, with pearls of sugar that caramelise. Maison Dandoy serves both.

What should you order at Maison Dandoy?

Start with a plain Brussels waffle with sugar to taste the waffle itself, and pick up a box of speculoos biscuits to take home. If you have time, sit down in the tea room with a hot chocolate.

Is Maison Dandoy a tourist trap?

No. It is a famous name, but unlike many tourist-area waffle stands it genuinely delivers, with fresh, high-quality waffles and biscuits from a house that has been making them since 1829.

If you only have one waffle in Brussels, have it here. For the rest of the city’s food, see our what to eat in Belgium guide, and for everything else to see and do, our full Brussels travel guide and Paris and Belgium itinerary by Eurostar.