Our Brussels Favorites

A city guide by Katie's favorite Belgian

Restaurants: a top-10

• Toucan-sur-Mer (so our favorite)
• Brinz'l (so sophisticated)
• San (so cool)
• Au Vieux Saint-Martin (so classic)
• La Villa Emily (so pretty)
• Le Rabassier (so many truffles)
• Beaucoup Fish (so adventurous)
• Gazzetta (so small)
• De Hoef (so old)
• Amen (so simple)

Brussels is all about beer,  fries, chocolate and waffles.  You can find good beers in almost any bar, fancy chocolate in every supermarket and fries in each busy street of the city center, and you can even buy warm waffles from vans (and they are gooood). 

We recommend the following places : 

Beers

• Moeder Lambic Original
• Brussels Beer Project
• Poechenellekelder

French Fries

• Frit' Flagey
• Maison Antoine
• Café Georgette

Chocolate

• Laurent Gerbaud
• Pierre Marcolini
• Benoît Nihant
• Galler

(for a really awkward experience, visit the chocolate maker Patrick Roger in Place du Sablon - he is French, not Belgian, which could explain a lot)

Waffles

• Anywhere around Grand Place
• Any waffle van (be brave : it smells good, looks bad and tastes amazing)

Eat these Belgian staples at your own risks (for the daring only) : 

• Filet American 
• Moules Frites 
• Boudin 
• Mitraillette

A few years ago, the trend of small authentic Italian restaurants boomed in Brussels.  Make sure to try one: 

• Osteria Romana 
• Osteria Bolognese
• La Bottega della Pizza
• MiTo
• Nuovo Rosso
• La Piola
• Riccio Cappriccio

Sunday brunches are big in Brussels too. Book a table at one of these places : 

• Les Filles
• Beli
• La Fabrique en Ville
• Ici
• Comptoir Rodin

Where could you drink a good coffee ? 

• Lulu (make sure to pair you favorite beverage with a peanut butter and M&M's cookie)
• OR Coffee
• Forcado
• Café la Capitale
• Café de la Presse
• Café du Sablon

How about a nice glass of wine with a cheese platter ? 

• Etiquette (location of Katie & Gautier's first date - aka ground zero)
• Wine Fever
• Rubis
• Tarzan

If you are dying for a cocktail, do not miss : 

• La Pharmacie Anglaise 
• Bar B - Brugmann
• Alice Cocktail Bar

Three iconic low-key bars of Brussels : 

• The most Brussels-Brussels : Café Belga
• The most French-Brussels : Bar du Matin
• The most Dutch-Brussels : Café Walvis

For the sweet tooth fiend - delicious breads, cakes, macaroons, or afternoon pick me ups : 

• Wittamer
• Nicolas Arnaud
• Le Saint-Aulaye
• Maison Dandoy

Escape for some shopping : 

• Housewares - Dille & Kamille
• Stationery - Le Typographe
• Second-hand books - Pêle-Mêle Ixelles

"The 15 best things to do in Brussels" that you should definitely avoid: 

• Manneken Pis (but you still have to go)
• The Atomium
• Auto-World