In June, my job took me to Brussels where I spent five days in the Belgian capital for World of Coffee. I didn't have a lot of free time but I still visited eight great specialty coffee shops and tasted coffee from even more Belgian roasters at the show.
I was in Brussels while Europe was baking in an unprecedented heatwave. The temperature reached 34–36C, which made coffee-shop-hopping hard work. Most days, I could only visit one cafe before heading to the show (luckily my hotel was very central — and air-conditioned!). I had Sunday free but I lost half a day to Eurostar cancellations.
World of Coffee Brussels
I had a great time at World of Coffee: I enjoyed meeting awesome people from right across the coffee industry (including London friends like the Nostos crew), tasted delicious coffees and bought the cutest Brussels-themed tasting cup from Minos.
But visiting coffee shops during the show wasn't ideal. Central Brussels is compact and there were often big queues. This was compounded by the excess heat — kudos to the amazing, dedicated baristas, who managed the crowds and the heat admirably!
During the show, there are many fun coffee events in town, but most collabs featured roasters from outside Belgium rather than the local roasters I wanted to check out. If I were attending World of Coffee as a consumer, I'd arrive a few days early or stay on for a few days to experience the city's specialty coffee scene more fully.
Brussels Specialty Coffee Guide
I had a wonderful and wonderfully well-caffeinated time in Brussels, visiting eight specialty coffee spots. You can read my thoughts below and I've also created a map to help you plan your own Brussels specialty coffee tour. My very favourites have asterisks in my guide below and purple icons in the map.
Addis Stories
Ethiopia is among my very favourite coffee origins, so I was thrilled to find a cafe dedicated to Ethiopian coffee — and crafts — in Brussels. Addis Stories is bright and spacious, with a few seats opposite the coffee bar at the front, and more at the back, past the gorgeous Ethiopian homewares and lifestyle goods.
The standard menu includes espresso-based drinks as well as some interesting seasonal species. I went for the Cloudy Mitmita Cold Brew, a World of Coffee special. It was refreshing and delicious: fruity cold brew, topped with Oatly cold foam and a hint of heat from the mitmita (an Ethiopian spice blend).
Addis Stories is located at Rue du Vieux Marché aux Grains 48. Website. Instagram.
BarkBoy
Small but very chic, BarkBoy impressed me with its marble counters and gorgeous 'see-through' Aremde espresso machine — and then again with its beautifully brewed coffee.
They have seating inside and out on the pavement but as I was in a rush, I got my cortado to take away in my KeepCup. It was smooth and sweet, with excellent latte art, and paired well with the chocolate bun I ordered for breakfast. The menu also filter coffee, various cold coffee drinks and the usual espresso drinks.
BarkBoy is located at Rue de l'Enseignement 20 (and Cantersteen 55). Instagram.
* Bouche
Bouche was a 25-minute walk from my hotel but I knew it would be worth it! Sadly, on the first day I went their espresso machine was feeling the impact of the heatwave and I didn't have time to wait. All was right with the world when I returned to the gorgeous cafe the next day.
Inside, it's cool and calming with colourful art on the walls. The baristas were super-welcoming and just in the process of hanging up their Best Coffee Shops Europe award (they won 23rd place the day before). As I didn't know if I'd get the chance to return, I doubled up, ordering a cortado to drink in and an iced black to take away.
Both drinks were delicious. Brewed with a washed Colombian espresso, the cortado was particularly tasty with lovely milk chocolate flavours and long-lasting latte art. Bouche is also a good place to stock up on beans: they sell their own (often featuring guest collabs) and coffees from other local roasters.m
Bouche is located at Rue de Namur 4 (and other locations). Instagram.
Drache
I came across Drache while strolling around Brussels' vibrant Sainte-Catherine district on my first free evening in the city and went back the following morning. The name is Belgian French for 'torrential rain' but given the heatwave, I was praying for rain of any kind!
Drache's coffee menu is extensive. I was keen to try the yuzu espresso tonic but they'd sold out. The other seasonal and iced drinks were a little sweet for my taste so I opted for my usual cortado instead. There's seating outside overlooking the canal but I took my cortado for a walk around Sainte-Catherine instead.
Drache is located at Quai au Bois à Brûler 11. Instagram.
Frank
With more time on Sunday, I opted for a leisurely breakfast at Frank, a cool all-day eatery next to La Monnaie — where the 'frank' coins used to be made, hence the name. If you're there for breakfasty-brunch, eggs Benedict and pancakes are the name of the game. There are more lunchy-brunch dishes too.
My La Monnaie Benedict was very tasty: smoked salmon with seaweed sour cream, perfectly poached eggs and hollandaise on an English muffin and accompanied by a salad. The coffee — roasted by MOK — was great too: my cortado was very nicely brewed.
Frank is located at Rue des Princes 14. Website. Instagram.
* MOK Studio
MOK has been roasting since 2012 and is one of Belgium's best known coffee roasters. I've tried their coffees many times over the years so I was excited to visit the mothership.
Located in the lobby of record label PIAS, MOK Studio is achingly hip: the perfect place to sip an impeccably brewed coffee while listening to great music. The baristas are lovely: it was really hot inside and there were many coffee geeks in the crew, but the staff made everyone feel welcome.
From the well-curated coffee menu, the barista suggested a Gesha from Finca El Paseo, Colombia. The coffee was co-fermented with beer hops — as I don't like beer, I was hesitant but the barista said the flavours were more floral and citrus. When in Belgium...
Brewed as an iced pourover, it was delightfully refreshing. Sitting on one of the comfy sofas, listening to the fab tunes being played, I felt like I was a world away from the heat and hustle outside. Sadly, though, it was soon time for me to hustle back to my hotel before heading home.
MOK Studio is located at Rue Saint-Laurent 36 (and Rue Antoine Dansaert 196). Website. Instagram.
* Wide Awake
I visited Wide Awake's beautiful, minimalist cafe on Rue Sainte-Catherine twice during my trip. The first time, the pre-World of Coffee queue was so long that I only had time to get a piccolo to go. I say 'only' but it was superbly brewed with the fruity and sweet Strawberry Fields espresso from Peru.
I went back on my last morning and it was still busy but I had more time to drink in. They were focusing on seasonal drinks and espresso that day so I couldn't order a pourover. But when the batch brew was featuring the super-fruity Superfreak coffee from Burundi, I wasn't complaining.
The curving concrete brew bar takes up most of the space. You can sit and watch the baristas crafting espresso drinks and filter coffees with care and dedication. Batch brew and cold brew is available on tap at the end of the counter. And the retail shelves host a sweetie-shop-like array of beans to take home.
My visit to the Rue de Flandre location was shorter but just as sweet. I tried the Strawberry Fields again, this time as an espresso and it was banging: juicy but well-balanced. If my bag wasn't already full of coffee, I would definitely have bought the beans.
Wide Awake is located at Rue Sainte-Catherine 2 and Rue de Flandre 185. Website. Instagram.
On my list for next time
Limited free time meant I couldn't visit all of the specialty coffee shops on my list. Damn Good Cafe was only a couple of minutes' walk from my hotel, but sadly, doesn't open at weekends. Cafe Boudin, Lil' Bouche (Bouche's lil sister), MOK's original cafe, Stella Pastry Atelier and Voort x Velvet are also on my to-visit list for next time.
Planning a trip to Brussels? My city guide is coming soon but in the meantime, read about my last visit to Brussels — in rather cooler climes!
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