Maru Restaurant

I went to Maru yesterday and had a very good experience overall. The waitresses were extremely welcoming and explained the dishes clearly. We started with mandu, which were very fresh and tender — definitely a highlight. We then ordered bibimbap with raw meat and marinated bulgogi, both of which were excellent. My only small critique would be the level of spiciness: it would be great if it were a bit stronger, as even the kimchi was quite mild.

ALL dishes were absolutely delicious! High quality and very tasteful. Service was great and the owner was delightfully unique, with a charm all their own. I will come back for sure.

I had dinner her while on a weekend trip with my boyfriend! The food was amazing — flavorful, well prepared, and clearly made with care. However, a few things took away from the experience. I don’t really understand why only 0.5L still water is offered for 6€, which feels excessive (even compared to Michelin-starred restaurants 😅). There was also an uncomfortable moment when a waitress was explaining the desserts to us and was interrupted by the owner, who told her to just hand us a menu. Throughout the dinner, the owner kept correcting the staff in front of customers, which didn’t feel appropriate. Also, some dishes on the menu had not been available for a long time (this is what the waitress said), so why not removing them? That said, the food was excellent and remains the highlight of the evening.

Great food, flavours are on point, as well as the wine and beer we got recommended in there. The only thing is that sharing 3 dumplings for 2 was not easy, and overall bill for a simple dinner is quite high despite the great quality. We didn’t feel like it was worth it in total.

Delicious and authentic Korean food. Ingredients were very fresh and high quality. Friendly and prompt staff. Most of all, Maru has a great atmosphere with thoughtful artistic touches throughout the restaurant.

Overall a fun experience, we went during lunch time without a reservation. Would recommend it, but rather pricey and mediocre service. I always get excited when there is a new Asian and especially Korean place to eat at. The menu was cute with fresh meat and fish of the day options available. We ordered the following for 2 persons: 1) Dumplings (7.6/10): taste wise okay, but the dough sticked to the paper whereby everyone ripped apart. Also serving 3 for 2 people is logistically not superbe. 2) Korean Pancake (8/10): nice taste, refreshing but it missed a good flavour sauce, even some sweet soy sauce should have done the trick Main: Meat of the day: spicy pork (7/10) - it was not really spicy and once cooled down, the flavor was not really rich anymore. Fried Chicken (8/10): was fun, I was disappointed that they put cashew nuts on it, which was not on the menu. Good taste but 25 euro is way too much. A fun place to go, would go here back in a couple of months, but the amount of dishes was also not made for their tables and still quite pricey for the amount vs quality of food

This place is simply lovely, a high-quality & authentic Korean restaurant in Brussels! We had Korean fried chicken & Mandu (dumplings), together with a rice wine with yuzu - original and very tasty! The portions are generous as well - there was only 3 dumplings, but given how filling the chicken was that was absolutely fine. Prices are on the higher end, but reflect the quality & freshness of the cooking this was fine. It was 74€ for two people. We came on a Sunday night and it was packed, but still managed to get a table. Service was perfect. We will definitely be back!

Wow! The food, the vibe, the service all was incredible. It’s relatively small, but cozy and the service was so friendly and attentive. (The lady owner or manager really made us feel welcome and made our night, so thank you!) The quality and flavors of the dishes were really fantastic! The natural wines weren’t to my taste, but there’s other options for drinks. Can’t wait to go back!

Pretty good food. Little fusion twist to Korean food. Make a reservation to get a seat inside.

I was craving Korean food, so I went out of my way to have lunch at Maru on a busy Saturday afternoon. The restaurant was cute inside, modern and clean, but not too pretentious. I was very happy with my bibimbap. It comes out with the beef and egg raw, and then they cook in front of you in the stone bowl, which is pretty cool to watch. The server said they source local ingredients as much as possible, and the food definitely tasted high quality. The portion was a perfect size for one person. The other dishes I saw passing by looked delicious as well, and I would absolutely go back to try some other things. My complaints are pretty minor. They didn't give me any kimchi to start my meal, even though they gave it to other tables. Also, everything was rather pricey. A cup of tea, a water, a bibimbap, and a scoop of sesame ice cream came out to 36 euros. Service was fantastic. The servers were excellent, really nice and happy to explain things on the menu. And service was shockingly fast. I'll definitely be back.

Booking required for this popular Korean restaurant, ideally situated at the border of Ixelles and Uccle on Chaussée de Waterloo. Brussels has few Korean restaurants, so Maru is a welcome addition. The setting is simple and the staff very friendly. Tables are a bit close to each other but all in all a good look and feel. Their speciality is Korean BBQ and the star of the show when I first visited was my BBQ pork bulgogi. My partner had a tofu hot-pot, which was decent but not exceptional. For starters we shared chives & spring onion pancake, and a noodle & vegetable salad. Both were very tasty. Maru provided us with a good dinner, albeit a few euros overpriced. A relative newcomer, having opened in 2012 in an area which already boasts some great restaurants, its addition is good news for the local foodies. Desserts are, as is so often the case in Asian restaurants, uninspired and overpriced. Stick to starters and main.

Had high expectations as well. I tried a few Korean restaurants while abroad and this one is just okayish. Food lacks in flavor and in quantity, we're not big eaters but we were still hungry after a main dish. The worst is the service and the place is kind of dirty with stains of oil on the cushions and on the greasy menu. So disappointed :(

I had high expectations on this restaurant and unfortunately I got disappointed. The bibimbap was ok but doesn't come close to those I ate in Asia. It really lacked flavors (even though I dropped a reasonable amount of spices in the dish). Service was fine, location is good and indoor decor was nice.

Average. Initially the experience was very good, then it became a disappointing when the food arrived. Nothing special really. Tasteless. Overpriced too. Two stars for decorations and location.

This message is for all korean food lovers and experts i think you will be disappointed! The food tastes ok but not like traditional korean food. Japchae was not too bad but the Bulgogi was too peppery and not sweet as it should be! Even the side dishes didn't have the usual sesame flavor. And the price is really overrated... Other than that, the place is really nice and the service is fast! And i fell in love with the homemade tea! To sum up: if you don't know about korean food, this place is good enough but if you go while craving for the spicy kimchi and gochujang you will be disappointed

I really enjoyed my experience at Maru, but I give only three stars for the high price, rice could be even more tastier, and lack of rice cakes. Since my stay in Korea last year, I love Korean food! Reason why I was so happy to have some kimchi and bibimbap! Very tasty dumplings, loved the kimchi (not too spicy for our European taste) and happy of my bibimbap ( not the best isomething was missing, but couldn't figure out what) Even though I knew how to do it, I was pleased when the waiter offered to explain and show how to handle the dishes. Unfortunately, they don't have any rice cakes.

Amazing food, great service. Extremely fresh food and all that in an amazing modern setting.

The food was pretty good, I didn't know what to expect as I have never had Korean food before. Quite spicy and a bit more on the bland side but still good. I had a very spicy fish soup (I love spicy food and this was definitely up there in spiciness) and we had also some vegetarian appetizer. Dessert was great, it was some kind of pancake, filled with brown sugar and nuts, topped with honey and powdered sugar--I tried to make this myself at home but it was a disaster and not as good as at Maru. Service was ok, we were 4 in our group and reserved ahead of time. We were, however, about 15 minutes late to our reservation and the waiter scolded us for being late and kept giving my poor friend the stink eye the rest of the evening (the one who reserved). He also said he was about to give our table away, even though the place wasn't even busy when we arrived. So kind of bummed about the service in this respect, although I do understand it is best to be on time for a reservation, they should also mention if you are so many minutes late, they will give away your table. I think it is normal for a restaurant to have at least a 10 minute grace period for reservations when busy and when not around 15 minutes. Would recommend for a change in kitchen, make sure to reserve and be on time!!

I have to admit I don't know much about Korean food, I only tried it a few times but what I have discovered and tasted at Maru's I really liked. It is a little expensive but still, I will go back because the food is fresh and tasty, the service is really nice, they explain what is in the menu and how to prepare it when is dishes to be prepared by you or in front of you, they are kids friendly and the service is quite fast. Only inconvenient is that it is quite crowded so if you go without a reservation there is a high chance during evening not to have a place.

Lemme just say something: I don't like this restaurant, I adore it. The staff has always been very nice to me whenever me and my godmother come to eat, and they've greeted us each time with a smile on their faces. The food is great, the portions are pretty generous and the only item that I don't really like is the kimchi that is served before your main dish comes (but it's free, so who cares?). All in all, I always have a good time. The only low-points for me are that the restaurant is rather small, so it's hard to navigate when there are lots of people (specially when someone brings in their small children), the delay can be a little slow and the food is a little pricey, but it's more than worth it.

One of my favorite restaurants in Brussels! Food is amazing, they have a great selection of (natural) wines, nice atmosphere, good service... I have been several times and tried different things, but I would totally recommend the potato pancakes, the bibimbaps, the salmon salad or the pork barbecue. I suggest to try make a reservation as it is rather popular, especially the weekends. Enjoy!

Varied and fresh Korean food, simple and tasty. Kimchi is obviously homemade and simply excellent. Good service and some surprise whiskies. I recommend!

i just spent 2 H there, I did not like it.... no one out of 5 people liked it. the food is mediocre at best ! The plates are small and pretty pricey. You will pay at least 25/person. I don't eat much but this was just ridiculous. The place is narrow and crowded but the service is pretty fast and the people are nice. The food was spice, they don't write that in the menu, so ask first, specialy on the grill, if you try the BBQ pork, get alot of water. So out of 5 starts, i'll give it 2 for the people who work there.

Exellent food! Appetizers were a very pleasant discovery, we had the dumplings and the Korean crepe, and we loved it. As a main I had the beef bbq. It was very good but the somewhat boiled aspect of the meat was a little disappointing to be honest. Service was good but nothing too special. Overall a great discovery and a place to recommend!

Très bon service. Bonne ambiance. Le bbq est une option sociale et bonne. Les soupes sont délicieuses. Choix entre des plats viande et poisson. Plusieurs choix de riz. Desserts succulents. Cela vaut un 5 étoiles dans sa catégorie.

Nice place. Good atmosphere good food. I can definitely recommend the pork BBQ. A bit pricy though and make sure you get their on time when you reserve.

I love Korean food but this place just doesn't come close to home. We had their Korean pancake which was fantastic in taste but lacked seafood. The fried chicken was delicious but there was nothing Korean about it. It completely lacked the rich sauce that is usually poured all over the chicken. Instead, we were served just a drizzle of sauce, not enough to call it dakgangjeong. Great service with beautiful interior decor. Overall, the place does give a great atmosphere for a nice Friday night dine but if you seeking an authentic Korean dish, this is probably not it. Also expect to be charged a lot for one meal.

Beautiful place. Every detail is so pretty - the menus, the furniture, the plates. Service was phenomenal. I'm glad I've tried it, but I've had a bibimbap in many places, in Maru it was just as good... but it was double the price than any other that I've had. Next time, I'll go back for a glass of wine and an order of dumplings

Overpriced for poor quality food. Korean barbecue is served with canned veggies on the side. At 20 euros a plate that's just paying for being in a posh area.