Square St. Gery is probably the most famous place to go for a beer. A few minutes walk from La Bourse, it has a dozen bars of all kinds where to relax for a drink, some food, a chat and even to dance or watch a movie.

My favourite bar of all times is Mappamundo, right in the corner, with 3 floors, a wide selection of drinks and even the possibility of food during the day.

There’s a terrace equipped with heaters so that also in winter you can check out what’s going around the square.

Music isn’t too loud at the beginning of the evening, giving you the chance for chatting. In the back there are rooms where big groups can fit so that you have some kind of privacy.

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Mappamundo | Bars | Beer € 2.00
Rue du Pont de la Carpe 2 – 6 | +3225143555
Mon – Thu 11:00 – 02:30, Fri – Sat 11:00 – 04:00

I believe street markets are the heart of a city. There are plenty in Brussels, but the most famous and busy is the one on Sunday morning around Gare du Midi.

You can find everything you want here, from clothes and flowers to household stuff. But Brussels locals mainly come here to get their weekly fruit and vegetable shopping, as it is one of the cheapest places in town.

There is plenty of choice and the prices will start dropping to almost nothing starting 13.30, when sellers want to get rid of the leftovers: a real chance to buy good quality products for the cheapest price.

And when your hands are full and you can’t take any more, you can enjoy some tasty Arabic food prepared in front of you.

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Gare du Midi market | Shopping, Snacks
Around Gare du Midi
Sun 06:00 – 14:00

Ethiopia is where it all began for coffee, where humans first cultivated the beans and learned to roast and ground them to create the beverage drunk throughout the world today. Aksum, undoubtedly the nicest café in the Marolles neighborhood, has now moved a little closer to the centre and continues its tradition of intense coffee and delicious cakes in new premises. 

You can order an espresso, café latte, or cappuccino – I prefer the latte as the espresso really takes some getting used to – but all are made with Ethiopian coffee beans freshly roasted and ground on the premises daily, which they also sell to take away. 

If coffee’s not your thing, they also have interesting herbal teas from across Africa, unusual juices and excellent cakes to accompany your drink.

The new space is a little smaller but has been beautifully renovated and promises a terrace out front, if the sun ever deems to shine again. It is also a stone’s throw from the Grand Place and the Gare Centrale, so very convenient for a quick stop while visiting the medieval city.

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Aksum | Coffee & tea | Café au lait € 3.50
Rue des Eperonniers, 60 | +322484077695
Tue – Sun 10:00 – 20:00

Having recently moved to a new neighborhood, I am very much eager to discover new places where I can spend my days.

One night I was in search for a nice and cheap place to eat and I noticed this little bar/restaurant on a side street of Place Flagey.

First thing to notice is the kitchen right at the entrance: you can see the chef busy preparing some delicacies. 

Then the tables, either big ones to share or small and cozy ones for an intimate chat. In the summer there is a terrace…I didn’t check it out, it was raining!

The food menu is short but I found many inviting dishes, like a wrap or the “tatin d’aubergine”, a tarte tatin made with eggplants: don’t miss it. I also loved the “mi cuit au chocolat”, delicious.

If you are looking for some fast food and quiet, then this is not the place for you. You go to Penates for a chat with friends, sipping a good glass of wine and waiting for your food.

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Les Penates | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants (Intern.) | Tatin d’aubergines € 7.50
rue de Vergnies 42 | +3228508277
Tue – Thu 11:00 – 01:00, Fri – Sat 11:00 – 02:00, Sun 17:00 – 01:00

The night club Mr Wong used to be a gastronomic restaurant called ‘La Vièrge Noire’. In 2011 this architectural pearl was transformed into a club, keeping the original interior, the zinc bar and the majestic columns. The entire decor is designed in Brussels’ most famous Art-Deco style, which makes it even more pleasant. The wooden furniture and the nice and colourful wallcoverings make the place extra nice.

Mr Wong is located right in the city centre near La Bourse but it’s one of the smallest clubs I have ever been to. They often organise house music parties and have some interesting and varied line-ups to offer. Not only Belgian, but also international deejays play here during weekends.

The drink prices are reasonably ‘cheap’, in general you pay around € 8 for a long drink in Brussels clubs. Admission is always around € 10 but if you don’t have any girls with you (as a man), make sure you know the line-up so you can convince the bouncers you’re visiting the place as a music connoisseur! 

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Mr Wong | Bars, Music | Entrance fee € 10
Rue de la Vierge Noire 10
Fri – Sat from 22:00

The ‘Kaaitheater’ was founded in 1977 and was originally meant to be a biannual International festival. Since 1987 Kaaitheater has been the hot spot for anyone looking to enrich their cultural capital. The theatre offers a very broad programme including theatre, dance, movie screenings, performances and exhibitions. Kaaitheater is considered to be one of the best theatres of Europe, that is why it attracts the numerous top-class international theatre groups and artists.

The renowned modern dance collective Rosas by choreographer Anne Teresa ‘De Keersmaeker’ often performs here, and of course tickets are immediately sold out. By the way, visitors under 26 years pay only € 8 for a show. 

Kaaitheater also has a bar called Kaaicafé. It is a very spacious room with a sleek but cosy design. Whilst having a bioande (organic lemonade) you can surf the web or read the daily press. There is also the possibility to eat some snacks and daily dishes at very reasonable prices. The kitchen is open until 20:30. The opening hours of the bar are quite unspecified, it depends on the mood!

If you are going to the area during summertime you will find Bruxelles les Bains, Brussels Beach, with loads of food, drinks and animation.

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Kaaitheater | Art & culture, Bars, Snacks, Theaters | Entrance adults € 15
Sainctelettesquare 19 | +3222015858
Theatre open depending on event | Kaaicafe Mon – Fri 11:00 – 00:00

Rue du Page is definitely one of my favourite streets in Ixelles and the whole Brussels Region in general. Certainly during summertime this street is so lively with numerous cafés, restaurants and shops. My favourite restaurants are for example the Basque ‘Le Fils de Jules‘, the Italian ‘Gusto’ or the French La Quincaillerie. 

Amongst the nice little clothing and accessory shops, you can also find numerous vintage shops in rue du Page and of course a cupcake bar! What would a hipster area be without cupcakes… Make sure to enter the shop ‘Septante Sept’ (number 77). There you will find clothes, but also toys and accessories made by Belgian designers and manufacturers. Definitely a good occasion for some gift shopping.

I absolutely encourage people to pay a visit to this street and the entire area on an afternoon. If you want to feel really lucky then it is recommended to go there on Wednesdays, as the delicious Chatelain market is just at the end of the street.

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Rue du page | Bars, Shopping, Snacks, Restaurants (Intern.)
Rue du Page
24 hours daily

If you are up for some typically Belgian food, you should definitely pay a visit to C’est Bon, C’est Belge. This tiny shop has loads of Belgian products like beer, cheese, special charcuterie, cookies, typical sweets and so on. If you’re allowed to bring Belgian food back home then you’ll find your presents over here.

C’est Bon, C’est Belge is not only a shop with Belgian specialties, but it is also a tiny restaurant (also has a catering service and traiteur) where you can eat dishes that only our grandmothers can prepare. Boulettes with tomato sauce, real Vol-au-vent (chicken and minced meat with white sauce in a sort of pastry) or chocomousse, you’ll be able to taste it all!

The restaurant is only open during lunch time and is only open on Thursdays at night. The prices are very reasonable, usually around € 10 for a dish. 

Enjoy your food the Belgian way!

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C’est Bon, C’est Belge | Shopping, Restaurants (Belgian) | Main dish € 10
Rue du Bon Secours 14 | +3225121999
Shop Mon & Thu – Sun 12:00 – 17:00 | Restaurant till 23:00

The building in which Fuse is situated used to be a cinema and was named RAF after the second world war, as a tribute to the British Royal Air Force (RAF) who liberated Brussels. In 1971 it became a ballroom and since ’94 it’s been a legendary techno club.

Fuse club is the most renowned (underground) club of Belgium and even amongst the best in Europe. For more than 15 years already Fuse club has been offering the floor to international top deejays including Jeff Mills, Dave Clarke, Laurent Garnier, Sven Väth, Richie Hawtin, Felix Da Housecat and so on. Legends like these but also current deejay stars often return to the club, which has a capacity of approximately 1500 people. 

Personally I love to go to Fuse club because there are no ‘boundaries’ like type of clothing or the number of girls you bring with you. Fuse is all about the music and the experience that comes along with it.

The Fuse Event Space is also used to organize another concept under its umbrella, called Blaes 208. Mostly on Fridays, these parties generally focus more on electro, drum ‘n’ bass and dubstep music.

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Fuse | Music, Festivals & events | Entrance fee € 10
Rue Blaes 208 | +3225119789
Fri – Sat night from 23:00

Little Miss Bagel is a nice and cozy place to eat near the magnificent town hall of Saint-Gilles. A bagel typically is not a time-related dish, and that’s great because you can have one whenever you want!

On the menu there are ‘classic’ bagels with cheese, vegetables and bacon for example, or even wanabe-hamburgers, but you can also taste sweet bagels with Nutella and banana (delicious). Furthermore, clients are also given the opportunity to compose their own custom-made bagels. Fresh drinks like smoothies and juices are also offered, which makes it a healthy bagel experience.

The atmosphere is great, prices are reasonable and the staff is friendly. And if you don’t have any time to lose, you can also decide to take-away your Bagel so you don’t miss anything of what this area has to offer!

Enjoy, because you won’t find that many bagel places in Brussels!

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Little Miss Bagel | Restaurants (Bagels) | Bagel from € 5
Place Maurice Van Meenen 7 | +3225344251
Mon & Wed – Sun 11:00 – 18:30