Brasserie on the Groenplaats in Antwerp
A brasserie (the French word for brewery) is a restaurant where one can eat and / or drink something.
The brasserie originates in the German Brauhaus, a brewery where the beer could be consumed on the spot. Such breweries with café also existed in Alsace, where they got the French name brasserie. Some Elzassers opened such a "brasserie" in Paris in the late 19th century. Similar occasions where no more beer was brewed, used that name too.
This was the typical Parisian brasserie: a spacious hall with large windows and mirrors, often with a terrace where you can eat and drink. Characteristic of the Parisian brasserie is that one can always eat the same dishes à la carte, while the term restaurant in France was previously reserved for a more chic and formal occasion, where only menus could be ordered. Traditional brasserie dishes include steak or charcuterie with fries and lettuce, sauerkraut, mussels, oysters and mixed salads.
Brasseries are present in many parts of Europe, but like many catering concepts, the term is quite faded. There is hardly any difference between a brasserie and a tavern. Even cafes, small bars and restaurants, and even sandwich houses sometimes use the name 'brasserie'. Nevertheless, the actual brasseries remain popular. Some successful chefs who excite gourmet restaurants, chose to switch to a brasserie formula.
In Dutch there is a connection between brasserie and breasts, "wasted by excessive food and drink". The theory is contagious, as (far) brasses are associated with an older Dutch word bras, meaning "litter" and still comparable to German prassen, "swelgen"; The French brasserie, on the other hand, would relate to the "arms" (bras) used for brewing. Sources
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