Brussels Guide

Brussels is a city of fine food and caféculture. Belgian cuisine is known among connoisseurs as one of the best in Europe. Combine that with top class designer shopping and some of the best chocolates in Europe, then Brussels is a city that will be hard to leave behind for any visitor.

BonV Brussels Complete Guide

Important information

BELGIUM

Tourist Information www.belgium-tourism.be 

Emergency number: 112

Country code: +32

Currency: Euro

 

BRUSSELS

Tourist information visitbrussels.be

Tourist Information Office address:
Rue Royale 2-4 Bruxelles, Belgium
02 513 89 40

Area code: (0)2

Airports:

Brussels Airport www.brusselsairport.be
Zaventem, 14 km from the centre.

Brussels South Charleroi Airport www.charleroi-airport.com
46km from Brussels’ Grand-Place

Transport:

Train, tram, metro, bus,  www.stib.be

Taxi:

The two main companies are:
Taxis Bleus
02 268 00 00
www.taxisbleus.be

Taxis Verts
02 349 49 49
www.taxisverts.be

Emergency numbers:

Emergency Doctor 1307 / 02 479 18 18
Pharmacy/Chemist On Duty 09 001 05 00 / 07 066 01 60

Restaurants/Cafés

Comme Chez Soi

Type of Cuisine: Haute cuisine
Family-run 2-Michelin star Brussels institution where guests are made to feel at home as the name says ‘Comme Chez Soi’. With charm and discretion, Laurence welcomes her guests with a hearty smile. She will pay attention to every wish and do her utmost to make every meal an exceptional moment. In 1926 when Georges Cuvelier escaped the coal mines to open a small restaurant in Brussels. When the restaurant moved to its present location on Place Rouppe, Georges Cuvelier’s daughter married Louis Wynants, a pork-butcher from the Flemish town of Tienen, who took the quality of the kitchen to higher levels.

www.commechezsoi.be
23 place Rouppe B1000 Brussels
00 32 2 512 29 21

Villa Lorraine

Type of Cuisine: Haute cuisine
Villa Lorraine has been a well-known gastronomic restaurant in Brussels since 1953 and been rewarded with a Michelin star. New owners, who took over in 2010, have injected vitality into this elegant venue. The magic connecting the two areas, the Villa on one side and La Brasserie on the other, gives the restaurant its original quality. The alchemy between these two joined restaurants, one offering a gastronomical experience, and the other as an”upmarket pub-restaurant”, gives the place its originality. The trump card of the Villa Lorraine is its excellent Traiteur.

www.villalorraine.be
Avenue du Vivier d’Oie 75 1000 Brussels
La Villa Lorraine – 00 32 2 374 31 63
La Villa Lorraine Traiteur – 00 32 2 511 44 83

Chez Léon

Type of Cuisine: Traditional
Chez Léon represents the history of a typical Brussels’ restaurant which has been owned by the Vanlancker family since 1893, a history of know-how and traditions. Chez Léon, temple of mussels and chips, has been in existence for more than 100 years. Home of excellent Brussels cuisine, this restaurant has managed to gain the sympathy of the general public and can satisfy the standards of the greatest gourmet. Simplicity, a warm welcome and a picturesque atmosphere are all used to convince the customer of its worth.

chezleon.be
Beenhouwersstraat 18, 1000 Brussel
00 32 2 511 14 15

Friture René

Type of Cuisine: Traditional
Friture René has been around since 1932: Checkered plastic tablecloths, wood paneling, mirrors and antique tiles, and a service that outshines any Parisian brasserie. Family business Friture René has a delicious menu. The house specialties: eel with parsley, shrimp croquettes, filet américain (tartar) and mussels.

14, place de la Résistance, Brussels
00 32 2 523 28 76

Brasserie Ploegmans

Type of Cuisine: Traditional
Brasserie Ploegmans is located in the Marolles, authentic neighborhood where people still speak ‘brusseleir‘, and is a Brussels institution since 1927. All the furniture is original, the menu features traditional Belgian food with ‘stoemp‘ (dish made with a base of mashed potatoes), stew made with Faro (Brussels beer), meatloaf, vol-au-vent …

www.ploegmans.be
148, rue Haute, Brussels
00 32 2 503 21 24

Au Vieux Bruxelles

Type of Cuisine: Traditional
Since 1882 restaurant Au Vieux Bruxelles welcomes guests to a typical Belgian cuisine of high quality and with Brussels’ specialties. During this century Au Vieux Bruxelles has proudly earned its reputation as ‘the king of mussels with frites’! Hence this is one of the best places in Brussels to have mussels and chips in a historic café with a warm and friendly ambiance.

www.auvieuxbruxelles.com
35 rue St Boniface, Brussels
00 32 2 503 3111

La Marée

Type of Cuisine: Traditional
Since more than thirty years, it is without any hesitation that the truth gourmets and the great Belgian chiefs have come to eat in Mario & Teresa Alves’ very friendly house. La Marée reserves you the freshest fish, among which the biggest and most beautiful sole. “La Marée” can be proud that all her fish are of the best quality.  On the walls, you can find a lot of very promising critics from journalists. Located close to the Place Ste-Catherine – the former site of the fish market and still the place to eat fish in Brussels – La Marée has been establishing a solid reputation for fish cookery over the past few decades.

www.lamaree-sa.com
rue de Flandre 99 1000 Brussels
00 32 2 511 00 40

La Truffe Noire

Type of Cuisine: Haute cuisine
For over twenty-five years, the traditional and innovative cuisine of La Truffe Noire has been taking black and white truffles to new heights through intense research gaining it a Michelin star. Each of their original creations is the expression of the passion that they like to share with the most discerning of foodies. These exceptional diamonds of the culinary world need a first-class setting to show them off – La Truffe Noire is a restaurant dedicated to elegance and refinement, and to the magic of this extraordinary ingredient.

www.truffenoire.com
Boulevard de la Cambre, 12 1000 Brussels
00 32 2 640 44 22

Le Chalet de la Forêt

Type of Cuisine: Haute cuisine
Blending art with intelligence, Pascal Devalkeneer achieves the perfect balance between traditional and avant-garde concepts, for which he has been awarded two Michelin stars. Both elegant and refined, Le Chalet de la Forêt’s decor shows each and every aspiring cook that the reputation of a restaurant is not built on top-quality cuisine alone: atmosphere, work and consistency count just as much as the menu. An ardent supporter of seasonal cooking, Devalkeneer only uses ingredients that come from natural produce, as though he was cooking for himself. This almost philosophical approach is what makes all the difference in his dishes.

www.lechaletdelaforet.be
Drève de Lorraine 43‎ 1180 Uccle (Brussels)
00 32 2 374 54 16

 

Hotels

Steigenberger Grand Hotel*****

Formerly the Conrad now Steigenberger is just as grand as before with 267 luxury rooms and suites, several function rooms and a ballroom for 600 persons, a stylish bar, and even a ‘fumoir’ (smokers’ lounge). Enjoy a wonderful tea, coffee or cocktail in the Loui Lounge & Bar, furnished with finest wood and luxurios leather armchairs and sofas. At the hotel’s Café Wiltcher’s you can enjoy international and regional meals and selected wines at the famous restaurant with its beautiful summer terrace. A delightful breakfast awaits you in the morning.

www.steigenberger.com
71, Avenue Louise / Louizalaan 71 1050 Brüssel,
00 32 2 5424242

Le Berger***

Since 1935 the Berger has offered comfort and discretion to its visitors: double lift, cosy rooms with open bathrooms, lush Art-Deco interior. Travel in time and stay at this cosy hotel with wallpaper to the ceiling, floor creaking under the thick carpet, antique mirrors and scent of Marseille soap. Berger, a former brothel, was renovated in 2012 after narrowly escaping demolition. This hotel has a marvellous history, and it has kept its 30’s spirit; many parts of the original furnishings have been preserved such as mirrors and open bathrooms, and the rooms still invite an afternoon nap under dim lights.

www.lebergerhotel.be
24, rue du Berger, Brussels
00 32 2 510 83 40

Be Manos Hotel*****

The Be Manos Hotel, ideally located next to the Thalys and Eurostar Terminal, is the first Design Boutique Luxury Hotel in Brussels. The Hotel, with its 60 Rooms and Junior Suites decorated in Black and White with natural black stone floors, metallic curtains, joyful photographs laid in aluminum, terraces with a panoramic view and gastronomic Restaurant Be Lella are a mixture of esthetics, luxury and a timeless design. Whether you travel for leisure or business, it offers you a personalized welcome by trying to reinvent the art of the high class hotel service.

www.bemanos.com
Square de l’Aviation 23, 1070 Brussels Anderlecht
00 32 2 520 65 65

Stanhope Hotel*****

Historic Brussels hotel near European Parliament, the Royal Palace and the Parc du Bruxelles. Stanhope Hotel’s guestrooms are individually decorated with antique paintings and gilt mirrors. Marble baths offer plush robes. Guests can dine in the hotel’s Restaurant Brighton, inspired by the Banqueting Room of England’s Royal Pavilion palace; a sauna and fitness center are also onsite. The Stanhope Hotel is 1.5 km from the historic Grand-Place and 250 meters from the Trone Metro Station. The fashionable Avenue Louise is a 12-minute walk away.

www.thonhotels.com
Rue du Commerse 9 1000 Brussels
00 32 2 506 91 11

Odette en Ville****

Odette en Ville is a small boutique hotel in Brussels, originally a private residence built in the 1920s. It is lively by day and peaceful by night, and the ideal place for guests to relax after a day of sightseeing or working. Guestrooms at Odette en Ville have period features and are adorned with rich fabrics and vintage design appliances and furniture. All rooms have iPod docks, flatscreen TVs and free WiFi access. The hotel restaurant serves traditional Brussels cuisine and international dishes, with only room service available on Saturday afternoons. Located in the Châtelain quarter, the hotel is surrounded by many fashionable shops, art galleries, restaurants and bars.

www.chez-odette.com
Rue du Châtelain 25 1050 Brussels
00 32 2 640 26 26

Dolce La Hulpe****

Dolce La Hulpe Brussels is located in the heart of the ancient Sonian forest creating a tranquil and verdant sanctuary only minutes from the Brussels City Centre and Brussels International Airport. This premier resort and conference hotel is dedicated to inspiring its business and leisure guests – especially with its indoor pool and fitness center, a lavish CINQ MONDES Spa, two superb restaurants and lounges, and a selection of 264 guest rooms and suites newly appointed with ultra-modern conveniences and sleek, contemporary decor. La Hulpe Brussels balances work with play by offering exceptional sports, recreational and leisure opportunities as well as excellent meeting facilities.

www.dolcelahulpe.com
35, Chaussée de Bruxelles, 1310 La Hulpe (Brussels)
00 32 2 290 98 00

Hotel Metropole*****

Hotel Metropole showcases an ambiance that is uniquely Belgian. Discover this living monument to the palaces of the French Renaissance – with sweeping marble staircases, wrought-iron furnishings, stained glass, and leather couches. Built in 1895, the hotel is a flamboyant relic of bombastic belle-époque style. The 298 rooms, including 15 suites, are spread along 7km of corridors. Guests have included Jacques Brel, Charles de Gaulle, and Emma Thompson. On the place de Brouckère, Hotel Metropole is close to cinemas and theatres and the department stores on Rue de Neuve.

www.metropolehotel.com
31 place de Brouckère, Brussels
00 32 2 217 2300

Hotel Amigo*****

Hotel Amigo is a superior five star hotel located in the very heart of Brussels, adjacent to one of the most beautiful squares in Europe, Grand Place, with top class accommodation and personal service. Each one of the bedrooms and suites at Hotel Amigo are individual in style, spacious and luxurious, with some offering views towards Grand Place and others extensive views over the rooftops of Brussels. All the rooms are equipped with the latest technology and facilities for both business and leisure guests. Bocconi, Hotel Amigo’s Italian restaurant, serves creative Italian and Mediterranean cuisine while the Bar Amigo, with its broad selection of cocktails, is ideal for an aperitif.

www.hotelamigo.com
1-3 rue de l’Amigo, Brussels
00 32 2 547 4747

 

Bars/Nightclubs

Fuse

Fuse is Brussels’ hottest three-level nightclub playing techno music, recognized as a reference in the Belgian techno-world. This club attracts big-name DJs from around the world to spin mainly techno music, also house, jungle and hip-hop. Four bars and a “chill out” room offer some rest and relaxation. The crowd is stylish and cool.

www.fuse.be
Rue Blaesstraat 208, 1000 Brussels
00 32 2 511 9789

Le Corbeau

Le Corbeau may look like your traditional Belgian pub, but this unique venue is so much more, with appeal to many different people and a change in ambiance according to the hour. Le Corbeau is a typical Belgian pub with wooden walls, tables and chairs and a cosy familiar atmosphere. This great brasserie transforms into a nightclub after 10pm and people dance on the tables. Le Corbeau is a specialist in Belgian beer which is served in an original ‘knight’ glass. Mixed, international crowd.

www.lecorbeau.be
18 Rue Saint-Michel / Sint-Michielsstraat 18, Brussels
00 32 2 219 52 46

Spirito Martini

Spirito Brussels is housed in an old anglican church and features innovative crystal and gold decor, a huge dance floor and an incredible ambience. Three different bars are at your disposal in the club: On the ground floor, you can find the Carré Dom Pérignon, where you can enjoy your night within a privatized area and a relaxation lounge. In a sumptuous and unique design, the centrepiece is a chandelier, made out of real Murano glass. Tinted glass railings, mirrors and clean lines make the place’s exceptional environment.

www.spiritobrussels.com
Stassart Street 18, 1050 Brussels
00 32 483 58 06 97

M. Wong

Under the dimmed red lights of the tasselled lanterns all Brussels dances at M. Wong. Once completed, the place vibrates to the beat of electro, rock and disco in the evening. Live music and DJs make Brussels’ finest dance plugged flower.

www.mrwong.be
10-12-14, rue de la Vierge-Noire, Brussels
00 32 488 31 02 49

L’Archiduc

One of the coolest bars in Belgium, this classic place near the Bourse has to be seen to be believed.  This art deco bar is home to several artists and hosts many concerts, especially during autumn and winter months with, among other events, Saturday’s ‘Jazz After Shopping’ and Sunday’s ‘Round About Five’, both from 5 pm to 7 pm. L’Archiduc has existed since 1937 and has a vivid history. In 1937, Madame Alice opened L’Archiduc. During Archiduc’s Jazz Age with Stan Brenders at the grand piano most evenings, saw famous Jazz musicians such as Nat King Cole coming from everywhere.

www.archiduc.net
Antoine Dansaertstraat 6 1000 Brussels
00 32 2 512 06 52

Les Jeux d’Hiver

Hip and glam nightclub vistied by the rich and beautiful, the car park is full of convertibles and inside the “Games” (Les Jeux) attract the offspring well-to-do backgrounds and playboys with Rolex watches.

www.jeuxdhiver.be
Croquetweg 1 1000 Brussels
00 32 2 649 08 64

Shopping

Gabriele

In a welcoming and dreamy interior, Gabriele offers a superb collection of extraordinary clothing – from women’s ball gowns, dresses, blouses and coats, to men’s shirts, jackets, raincoats and tailcoats. At Gabriele’s, it is the singular beauty of each piece that counts: the cut, the unusual fabric, the characteristics of a specific period, before the advent of brands – the history of fashion from the roaring twenties to the eighties of the Denver clan parades in front of you. To accompany these outfits, Gabriele has collected matching accessories and hand bags: you’ll find tiny pearl-encrusted evening bags intermingled with 1950’s snake-skin bags and brightly coloured patent leather examples from the 1970s.

www.gabrielevintage.com
27, rue des Chartreux, Brussels
00 32 2 512 67 43

Galeria Inno

This prestigious department store with big name brands and a large selection of products was initially named ‘À l’innovation’ when it opened in 1897 in Brussels. At Galeria Inno you can get just about anything, from prêt-à-porter to fashion accessories, perfume to lingerie, leather goods to jewellery, furniture to kitchen appliances. Cool and trendy shopping ambiance assured!

www.inno.be
Rue du Damier 26 1000 Brussels
00 32 2 211 21 11

Neuhaus Chocolatier

Jean Neuhaus was a Swiss immigrant in Belgium who began selling chocolates from his store in the Garleries Royales Saint-Hubert in Brussels back in 1857. His grandson Jean Neuhaus II has made the name Neuhaus internationally renowned with his invention of the praline. To this date Neuhaus is a premier chocolate manufacturer worldwide known for making some of the best chocolates in the world. The company has expanded and besides its main store in Brussels there are now stores across the country and abroad.

www.neuhauschocolates.com
Grand Place-Grote Markt, 27 1000 Brussels
00 32 2 514 28 50

Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert

The Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert is a glazed shopping arcade in Brussels that preceded other famous 19th-century shopping arcades such as the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan and The Passage in St Petersburg. Like them it has twin regular façades with distant origins in Vasari’s long narrow street-like courtyard of the Uffizi, Florence, with glazed arcaded shopfronts separated by pilasters and two upper floors, all in an Italian Cinquecento style, under an arched glass-paned roof with a delicate cast-iron framework.

www.galeries-saint-hubert.com
rue de l’Ecuyer 1000 Brussels
00 32 2 545 09 90

Modes

Born out of a passion for ancient textiles, this is THE address of all the costume designers. Some pieces date back to the eighteenth century. Vintage paradise!

www.modes-antique-textiles.com
164 rue Blaes, Brussels
00 32 2 512 49 07

Culture/Leisure

Grote Markt

The Grand Place or Grote Markt in Flemish is one of the most beautiful squares in Europe with architecture from 3 different eras (Baroque, Gothic and Louis XIV) making their marks on the square giving it an eclectic flavour. This eclectic quality earned the Grand Place a listing as one of the Sites of World Heritage by UNESCO in 1998. Historically, the Bruxelles Grand Place was essentially a market place where traders and citizens sold and bought food. Nowadays you will see grand old buildings standing in the place of market shelters. Most of the buildings were rebuilt or restored after the bombardment of Brussels by France in 1695.

Grote Markt, Brussels

Manneken-Pis

Manneken Pis (literally Little Man Pee), is a famous Brussels landmark – a small bronze fountain sculpture of a naked little boy urinating in the fountain’s basin – put up somewhere around 1618 or 1619 Hiëronymus Duquesnoy the Elder. Manneken Pis embodies the rebellious spirit of Brussels and a legendary figure. The little man gets dressed up regularly with numerous costumes and decorations, his wardrobe includes some 800 pieces.

Rue de l’Etuve 46, 1000 Brussels

Van Buuren Museum

Museum Van Buuren is a gem built in 1928 by architect Léon Govaerts for patron couple David and Alice Van Buuren. Van Buuren was born in Gouda, Holland, in 1886. He settled down in Brussels in 1909 , married Belgian Alice Piette (1890-1973) and began a period of 30 happy years with the cultural vocation of their Art Deco house. Van Buuren sponsored several charities and cultural activities which work his wife continued till their Private Foundation in 1970, to which she be queathed her house, works of art and gardens, and which constitutes the present museum.

www.museumvanbuuren.be
1180 Uccle, Brussels
00 32 2 343 48 51

La Loge

Drawing its identity from the specificity of the historic building that houses it, as well as from the commitment and concerns of its founders, La Loge invites contemporary artists to develop projects engaged with questions of space, habitat and use. La Loge is driven by encounters between disciplines and aims to serve as a dynamic site for dialogue between its guests and public. Alongside its exhibition programme, it brings together a variety of contemporary practices through series of discursive events that explore specific issues in the visual arts, architecture and design through a technical, theoretical and/or subjective approach.

www.la-loge.be
Kluisstraat – rue de l’Ermitage 86, Brussels
00 32 2 644 42 48

The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium

The Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium (Koninklijke Musea voor Schone Kunsten van België) is one of the most famous museums in Belgium. The collection of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium covers a period from the 15^th to the 21^st century. It provides a vast overview of western art, with remarkable ensembles of works of artists from Belgium or from the former Southern Netherlands. Composed mainly of paintings, sculptures, drawings and prints, it also includes, in particular through donations or deposits, items of decorative arts and furniture along with a small number of non-European works.

www.fine-arts-museum.be
Rue de la Régence 3 1000 Brussels
99 32 2 508 32 11

Mini-Europe

Mini-Europe is the only park where you can have a whistlestop tour of Europe in a few short hours. Enjoy a stroll taking in the typical atmosphere of the most beautiful towns of the old Continent. The incomparable chimes of Big Ben welcome you to the heart of London. The gondolas and mandolins invite you to discover the charms of Venice. Follow the TGV high-speed train from Paris to the other end of France. You can make the models work yourself: the eruption of Vesuvius, the fall of the Berlin Wall, a bull-fight in Seville and many others. All in all, 350 models and sites with an unequalled level of craftsmanship.

www.minieurope.com
Bruparck, B-1020 Brussels
00 32 2 478 05 50

 

Wellness

Aspria

Upmarket fitness club Aspria offers high quality lifestyle, fitness and well-being services. Aspria offers: group lessons: salsa, stretching, step, latest fitness equipment,21-meter pool, spa with hammam, sauna, jacuzzi. This comfortable and convenient place allows international communities to meet each other while getting in shape nicely in high-end facilities. Aspria also offers an extensive range of social and cultural events including talks on fitness and health, business and social issues and evening activities ranging from nightclub events to wine and international cuisine tastings.

www.aspria.be
Avenue Louise 71, 1050 Brussels
00 32 2 610 40 66

Rodolphe

Only the very best for today´s man: The art of gentlemen’s hairstyling is Rodolphe’s passion. Rodolphe made his debut in Cannes, where he was quickly noticed and invited to join the best hair salons in Paris. In 1998, he chose to open his first barber shop in Brussels with a simple recipe: efficiency, consistency and attention to detail. Thanks to the experience and know-how of his team, Rodolphe is able to offer the very best in hair care to today’s man.

www.salon-rodolphe.be
Avenue Louise 137, 1050 Brussels
00 32 2 534 00 14

Maison Roger

In Belgium Maison Roger is known as an exceptional institution. A house of tradition and quality that, since 1935, enjoys prestige and welcomes a diversity of clients: Fashion-conscious young people, artists, businesswomen and politicians, diplomats, from the nobility to princesses and queens. When you walk into Maison Roger, you will find yourself in a true jewel, a stylishly appointed retreat that invites you to relax. Both the layout and the decor of the various spaces have been designed with one objective: At Maison Roger you unwind, relax and enjoy the exclusive services.

www.maisonroger.com
Naamsestraat 86, 1000 Brussel
00 32 2 512 36 37
00 32 2 512 25 81

Christophe Robin

Christophe Robin is now associated with Françoise Couder, one of the great colouration specialists of the last 20 years and expert in contrast and colour, for his salon in Brussels. “Françoise is an incredible hair expert, we have been working closely together for 5 years now”. The studio is a unique and intimate place located in a charming district of Brussels; an exceptional, specially designed place dedicated to hair colouring and care. Christophe Robin’s expertise will help you define your expectations, reveal your personality and understand how your choice of colour will develop over time.

www.christophe-robin.com
Atelier Christophe Robin
Rue de Namur 65A, 1000 Brussels

00 32 25 111 600

Serendip Spa & Yoga

Serendip Spa & Yoga is a luxurious holistic wellness centre, situated in the heart of Brussels at Place Stephanie, just off Avenue Louise. With an oriental atmosphere offering traditional massages and specialised treatments using ancient techniques, derived from century old traditions and ancient wisdom. Also offered are yoga and meditation classes and a store stocked with a range of natural, organic and bio dynamic products from around the world.

www.serendip-spa.com
18 Place Stephanie 1050 Brussels
00 32 2 503 55 04

The Spa

Pure relaxation with unrivalled five star facilities including indoor jaccuzzi pool, a thermal heaven sauna experience and luxury Hammam. Add The Spa’s custom award winning treatments and 19th century interior design and you have the most perfect spa experience you could wish for. Located in the very heart of Brussels between Toison D’or and Avenue Louise, this beautiful 19th Century building on Rue De Stassart provides a Luxury 5 Star Spa experience within easy reach.

www.thespabrussels.com
Rue de Stassart 56 Brussels, 1050
00 32 2 324 93 29