My last trip to Brussels was 10 years ago, and even then, I was supposed to be going to Paris. This time, I was back in the Belgian capital for five days during the recent heatwave. I was working for most of it, but I managed to see a fair bit of the city — and found some wonderful places to eat, drink and wander.
Brussels is an underrated city break destination and has a lot going for it: historic architecture, street art, excellent museums and a vibrant food scene — not least the mussels, craft beer and chocolate. The city centre is walkable and with a central hotel, I only used public transport for trips out to Brussels Expo.
I arrived on Wednesday morning and left on Sunday afternoon, four hours earlier than planned — no thanks to Eurostar — which ate into my only free day. But I had some time to explore in the evenings when it was *slightly* cooler (31C instead of 36C 🫠).
WHERE TO STAY IN BRUSSELS
We stayed at The Usual and I would highly recommend it. This boutique hotel is located centrally, near Rogier Metro station and a short walk from pretty much anywhere in town — crucial when it's 35C and walking more than 10 minutes is not fun.
My seventh floor room was cosy and chic with minimalist décor, accented with Bauhaus art. There was a desk and a couple of lounging spots: perfect for relaxing after work. I wouldn't normally care about air conditioning in Belgium but in the heatwave, I was grateful that The Usual's worked so well.
The Usual is big on sustainability and they encourage recycling/reuse. Note that they only service rooms every fourth day, which was fine for me and you can request fresh towels at any stage. There's a cafe on the ground floor — and many great specialty coffee shops within walking distance.
Check out this map to explore and book other accommodation options in Brussels (add your travel dates to see updated price information):
THINGS TO DO IN BRUSSELS
City centre sights
I like to take a guided walking tour when I visit a new city, but my shorter-than-planned final day meant I didn't have time in Brussels, so I explored on my own.
My first stop was Grand Place, a magnificent UNESCO-listed square surrounded by gold-accented guildhall buildings. Go early in the day to experience its beauty during quieter times or at golden hour. Brussels also has several elegant arcades, like Galeries Royales Saint Hubert.
Brussels really, really likes statues of people (and animals) peeing! Mannekin Pis is the most famous and the titular boy is often dressed in different outfits. But he also has a female counterpart, Jeanneke Pis, and a canine equivalent, Zinneke Pis.
Many buildings in the centre of town were once home to important financial institutions. There's La Monnaie — once the Belgian mint but now an opera house — and La Bourse, formerly the stock exchange and now a beer museum. When in Belgium...
Brussels views
I stumbled upon the viewpoint in front of Palais de Justice by accident, while having a drink nearby. Brussels' sprawling court building looks particularly enchanting when the golden hour light hits its honeyed stone.
Many locals were sitting on the steps watching the sunset. If you want an even better view, the Grande Roue (Giant Wheel), AKA The View will get you even higher up.
Mont des Arts is another vantage point where you can soak in the Brussels views, with attractive, manicured gardens that give way to the city skyline below.
Unique museums
I only had time for one museum and opted for the Magritte Museum. I've always been drawn to surrealist art and I riff on the 'ceci n'est pas une...' wording so often that I had to check out the original pipe that is not a pipe. I spent a happy hour exploring three floors of Magritte's works.
If you prefer your art in a more graphic form, the Comic Art Museum may be more your speed. There's also Brussels City Museum, a beer museum, a chocolate museum and even a Sewer Museum if you fancy venturing underground.
Canal-side charm
Once a neglected, industrial area, the Canal District is now one of Brussels' most vibrant neighbourhoods, with its mix of historic buildings, street names that nod to mercantile past (the grapevines didn't get the memo they were growing on Rue du Houblon — Hops Street!), street art and cool eateries.
I didn't make it to Saint-Martin Bookshop (they're closed on Sundays) but I did visit a few coffee shops and enjoyed sitting by the canal in the Saturday evening sunshine with what felt like half the population of Brussels (NB this photo was taken the following morning)!
The Atomium
The Atomium is one of Brussels' most recognisable landmarks with its nine connected spheres that each represent an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. Constructed for the 1958 World Fair, the Atomium stands 100 metres tall. You can ride the elevator to the highest sphere for panoramic city views.
As it's out near Brussels Expo (where I'd already spent way too much time working/roasting), I didn't go inside but I'd like to next time. You can also buy a combo ticket with the neighbouring Design Museum.
WHERE TO EAT & DRINK IN BRUSSELS
Restaurants
Nightshop. I had the best meal of my trip at this hip but relaxed Canal District eatery. Nightshop serves creative small plates, natural wines and craft beer. If you're a solo diner, narrowing down your choices is hard but my stonebass crudo with samphire and dashi jelly, and my confit pepper agnolotti were sublime.
Nüetnigenough. A lovely, laid-back brasserie near Grande Place, with super-friendly staff, creative twists on traditional Belgian food, alongside craft beers — and even craft sodas for non-beer-drinkers like me. I had pork belly with XO sauce, served with fries and salad. It was delicious.
Au Stekerlapatte. I visited this cosy Belgian restaurant in the Marolles district with some colleagues. I'd have loved to try the beef stew or meatballs but as it was such a hot night, I ordered the baked salmon and croquettes instead. The portion sizes were seriously generous and the food tasty.
Frank. I went to Frank for an early brunch — or was it late breakfast? — on my final day. They're famous for their pancakes and eggs Benedicts. I went for a La Monnaie Benedict with smoked salmon, named for the mint just across the road. The food was top notch, as was the specialty coffee from MOK.
Cocktail spots
Plumette. The place to go for mixology in Brussels! The speakeasy-style bar has terrace seating for hot nights. The cocktails are inventive and impeccably mixed. I loved the Violet Reverie (gin, lavender, violet and chamomile) and the Pineapple Paradox (rum, pineapple, lemon and coffee liqueur).
The Eight. My friend recommended the rooftop bar at the Bedford Hotel for its well-mixed cocktails and stunning city views. It didn't disappoint! I arrived an hour before sunset and sipped my delightfully potent OBE (whisky, Cointreau, orgeat, lemon and Worcestershire sauce) while watching Brussels' skyline turn golden and then pink.
Foodie souvenirs and snacks
Belgium is famous for its expert chocolatiers but I didn't want to risk bringing any home in the hot weather. If you have a sweet tooth you may enjoy Brussels Chocolate Museum or a Belgian Chocolate Makers' workshop. Try Maison Dandoy for waffles.
I did treat myself to a bar of lavender chocolate (my favourite and so rare to find) from Carrefour along with some oh-so-Belgian flavours of Bret's crisps: fries and mayo, and cheddar and beer. Thumbs up to both!
Check out my Brussels specialty coffee guide for all my coffee recommendations.
GETTING THERE
Like with my recent Paris trip, my outbound journey from London St Pancras was great. It took just over two hours to Brussels South (Midi/Zuid) station and then it was a 10-minute tram ride to my hotel.
Several colleagues experienced heatwave-related cancellations en route to Brussels. I was travelling back on Sunday, when it was a bit cooler, but my train home was still cancelled and I had to leave at 2:50 pm instead of 6:50 pm.
Brussels Midi is big and not well signposted. If you're heading to the UK, look for 'Channel Terminal' signs. After clearing EU/UK border control, I passed into the crowded waiting area. There were only two poorly stocked cafes, so it's worth bringing snacks and drinks.
If you are flying to Brussels, the airport is is about eight miles northeast of the city. Trains run frequently to Brussels North (Nord/Noord; 11 mins), Central (Central/Centraal) 18 mins) and South (Midi/Zuid; 23 mins) stations.
GETTING AROUND
In Brussels, I mostly used the Metro to get from the city centre to Brussels Expo — and taxis, Ubers or Bolt when I was with colleagues. It was often hard securing a taxi or Uber at the Expo; they were often pricier and not much quicker than public transport. But they were more pleasant in the heat.
Single fares on public transport cost €2.40 and you can pay using contactless cards — tap your card on the reader when entering a tram or bus, or at the barriers when entering the metro. You need to tap out when leaving the metro but not on trams or buses.
NEED TO KNOW
Electricity
As with many European countries, Belgium uses round, two-pronged ‘type F’ plugs.
Language
Brussels is bilingual with French and Dutch as its official languages. English often serves as a lingua Franca and most people speak and understand at least some English. I did need to switch to French a few times; my spoken Dutch is poor.
Money
Belgium's currency is the euro and at the time of my visit, 1 GBP was worth €1.17 (1 USD = €0.87). I paid using credit card or contactless absolutely everywhere and many places are cash-free. Tipping isn't expected as service is included, but you can leave a few coins or 5-10% if the service was top notch.
Time zone
Belgium is on Central European Time, one hour ahead of the UK and six hours ahead of US Eastern Time. Brussels' location in Northwest Europe means very long days in summer: the sun didn't set until 10 pm during my late June visit.
Wifi/mobile data
I stayed connected during my trip with an Airalo eSIM. I paid £12 for an unlimited 5-day eSIM and had great signal (mostly 5G) throughout my trip. I had good wifi at my hotel, at Brussels Expo and in many restaurants and tourist attractions.
No comments:
Post a Comment