Latest revision as of 15:41, 4 January 2012

To update for 2012: Ghent!

Places to see

http://matadortrips.com/10-things-to-do-in-brussels-besides-drinking-beer/

edit: remark from dang3r Waffles are not in that list. See Belgian Waffles

For sites to visit check http://wikitravel.org/en/Brussels

Brussels nightlife

Coffin Bar (Le Cerceuil)

Just off the Grand Place you will find this little curiousity. Rip off for drinks ... but if you drop dead of shock they can always use one of the tables ... they are coffins!

Address: 10-12 Haringstraat / rue des Harengs Phone: +32 (0)25123077 Directions: Grand Place

Delirium Café (aka the beer Palace)

When you want to try some other beers you have to go to the Delirium Café. They have over 2000 beers in stock. You will get a beermenu in the size of a phonebook. It is almost impossible to choose only one. But after a few you will see al pink elephants on the ceiling...

Theme: Eating and Drinking Address: Impasse De La Fidélité 4 A Directions: Opposite Jeanneken Pis Website: www.deliriumcafe.be (Beer Menu is available online!)

Le Falstaff

The beer menu is the normal one you get at a Brasserie type of place. A selection of not too many beers by Belgian standards but more than enough to choose from by European standards. Food is rather expensive!

Theme: Eating and Drinking Address: Rue Henri Maus 19 Directions: Just behind the Bourse

Le Cirio

The interieur design makes you time travel into the good old times of the turn of the 19th/20th century. To me all the dark wood and rich decorations make me feel like being in the early 20th century train station or waiting hall. A fantastic place full of locals even.

Theme: Eating and Drinking Address: Rue de la Bourse 18 Phone: +32 2 512 13 95 Directions: Just behind the bourse.

L'Archiduc: Wicked Jazz bar, great atmosphere

This hit the nail on the head providing a great party atmosphere with some quality music and beautiful girls!

Located in the St-Gery neighbourhood (which has already a nice supply of trendy cafes) behind an unassuming door, hides one of Brussels' coolest bar. Ring the bell and enter this beautiful art deco gem. Originally a piano-bar built in 40's, the place is all in curves with a second floor overlooking the ground-floor, just like a mini-theatre (so people could watch - and ear - the musicians from above). An old piano, said to be Jacques Brel's own, sits at the place of honour and although I have not seen it, I heard amateurs are sometimes playing with it. Nice cosy armchairs, a mix of jazz, acid-jazz, cool electro and dimmed lights really add to the cozy feeling. Frankly, it was hard to leave. the prices are a little on the expansive side but you feel so faboulus ordering a cocktail in that kind of place and the bar team really knows what it's doing with its shakers!

Theme: Live Music Address: Antoine Dansaert's Street Directions: near the stock exchange

La Mort Subite: a must touristy stop

La Mort Subite may be a tourist trap but it’s a well deserved one and perhaps the perfect Fin de siècle long bar left on the planet earth. If turn of the century decadence is your thing then drink you must at this cavernous yet intricate and somehow intimate Brussels institution. Rustic wood and hues of muted yellow mingle effortlessly with high ornate pillars and mirrors. Quaff the house made gueuse sur lie and forget entirely that you have in fact not only passed the turn of that century but the one after it too.

Theme: Eating and Drinking Address: 7 Rue Montagne Aux Herbes Potageres Directions: Deceptively close to the Grote Markt beyond the Galleries Royale S. Hubert.

Looking for food

Food to try

• Frites
• Mussels
• Waffles
• Choclate and pralines
• ...

Places to eat

There are many many many good places to eat in Belgium. Almost on every corner of the street you can find a restaurant or brasserie where you can eat something. But what can you find and where? Check out the resto.be website: here you can look for specific restaurants all over Belgium.

http://www.resto.be/ware/index.jsp?lg=EN

Bellow we listed some of the restaurants we can recommend personally. We went and tried them for you ;-) If you know any other good restaurants in Belgium, feel free to add them to our list.

Brussels

• Restobieres

Little restaurant in the center of Brussels in the Marollen erea. They serve a wide range of traditional Belgian food and a lot of dishes include Belgian beer.

32, Rue des Renards / Vossenstraat 32 1000 Brussels

http://www.restobieres.eu/index.php/en/En-cuisine (website is only in French)

• Exki

This is a chain of restaurants who serve bio food. They have delicious food. This place is especially popular around lunch break, but you could go there for breakfast or afternoon tea or a cup of coffee as well. I really recommend their cheesecake, it's the best ever!! They also have a lot of veggie stuff. There are several places in Brussels where you can find these restaurants, check their website

http://www.exki.be/default/en-be/restaurants/belgium/bruxelles.aspx

• Le touareg

Since we have a large Marocan community living in Belgium we also have some very good Marocan restaurants as well. One we can personally recommand in Brussels is 'Le touareg'. The atmosphere is as if you would be in the tale of 1001 Arabic nights. And the food is delicious.

80, Chaussée de Charleroi / Chalerloise steenweg 80 1060 Brussels

http://www.letouareg.be/photos.htm (website id only in French and Dutch)

Antwerp

• Den abbatoir

If you like a good piece of steak this is the place to go to. It's a little bit out of the center but it's totally worth making the effort to go there. It's located in the old meatpacking district hence their specialization on meat. They have also a small fish menu, but what the .... , if you come here please take some meat dish! You'll love it.

Lange Lobroekstraat 65, 2060 Antwerpen

http://www.abattoir.be/default.cfm?restoid=7220&source=photos&langue=nl (website is only in Dutch)

• Tokyo Sushi bar

This is one of my all time favorite place and the best sushi I tried so far in Belgium. It's very small here, so making a reservation might be a good idea. Nippu-san and his wife are very friendly and serve you some excellent sushi and other Japanese dishes. And they are very resonable in price too. The restaurant is located in one of the most beautiful old streets of Antwerp.

Wijngaardstraat 3, 2000 Antwerpen

Tel: +32 3 232 95 65

Hacking for beer

List of Belgian Breweries

There are a lot of breweries in Belgium, ranging from small home breweries to the large multinationals like inbev. They all have their own special beers. If you wanna see the magic happening, you can visit some of them. We made a list of places you can visit as an individual (at most breweries they only accept groups). If you know of any other, please feel free to add them here.

De halve maan 'De halve maan' family brewery has been active since 1856, and is today the only remaining brewery in the center of Bruges. On the brewery visit through the modern brewery and the authentic museum you are introduced into the interesting world of malt and hops, and you can enjoy a panoramic view of Bruges. After your visit they offer you a degustation of the 'Brugse zot'. The brewery tavern is a good place to have lunch or to take a rest with a good beer. http://www.halvemaan.be/e/default.htm

De dolle brouwers http://www.dedollebrouwers.be/en/bezoek.htm

Van steenberge http://www.vansteenberge.com/htm/2en/20000en.htm

Huyghe http://www.delirium.be/Anglais/Histoire/histoire.htm

De koninck Ask anyone from Antwerp to describe the city in a few words and you can guarantee the answer: 'the Schelde, the cathedral of our Lady and a Bolleke of De Koninck'. Few Antwerp companies have such an intimate connection with the city, or so rich a tradition as the Brewery De Coninck. You can visit the brewery every saturday at 3 p.m. http://www.dekoninck.be/visit.php?lan=EN

Duvel Moortgat http://www.duvel.be/pages/Main.aspx?culture=en&pageid=brouwerij/bezoeken/introductie

Hoegaarden http://www.hoegaarden.com/comingsoon/index-benl.php

Palm http://www.palm.be/benl/community/3bezoek/index.html

Leffe http://www.leffe.com/en-be/visit.html

A Vapeur http://www.vapeur.com/vap07e.html

General info

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Beer_and_breweries_in_Belgium

Recommended beers

Top 25 of Belgian beers

List of all Belgian beers

• Trappist Westvleteren: very hard to get Trappist beer. It's only available from the monastery in West Flanders. So if you can get your hands on this one you should try it.
• Een bolleke De konick: Antwerp pride if it comes to beer. Just ask for a "bolleke".
• Trappist Westmalle
• Trappist Rochefort
• Trappist Orval
• Trappist Achel
• Trappist Chimey
• Duvel
• Hoegaarden
• kwak
• Gueuze: A unique Belgian sort of beer, not like a regular ale! read more
• ...

Beer related events