Efforts to reach a Brexit deal should "accelerate over the months to come", British Prime Minister Theresa May and European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker said in a joint statement after a dinner meeting in Brussels.
The two leaders said they "reviewed the progress made in the Article 50 negotiations so far and agreed that these efforts should accelerate over the months to come".
Mrs May came to Brussels on short notice for the talks in a bid to break a deadlock in Brexit talks ahead of a crucial EU summit on Thursday and Friday.
The British prime minister was accompanied by her Brexit minister David Davis, while EU chief negotiator Michael Barnier was also in the meeting.
The statement added that Mrs May and Mr Juncker also had a "broad, constructive exchange on current European and global challenges", including their "common interest in preserving the Iran nuclear deal and their work on strengthening the security of citizens in Europe, notably on the fight against terrorism."
The other 27 EU leaders are due to decide whether or not negotiators can move on to discussing post-Brexit trade ties with Britain if "sufficient progress" has been made in divorce talks.
The indication from the EU side is that they will postpone their decision to a summit in December as the break-up negotiations are currently stuck, particularly over the multi-billion-euro exit bill the EU says Britain must pay.
The EU has also demanded progress on the rights of three million European citizens in Britain, and on the future of Northern Ireland.
Separately, Mrs May spoke to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar by phone earlier this afternoon.
Downing Street said the two leaders spoke about the "importance of maintaining constructive progress in the negotiations".
"Both agreed to continue discussions at EU Council later this week and the Prime Minister reiterated the UK Government's commitment to protecting the Belfast Agreement and the Common Travel Area."
