Brussels City Guide: 20 Tips for Design Lovers & Creatives
Paid partnership with Radisson Collection
The centre of Europe in more ways than one, Brussels is gleaming glass headquarters of downtown, golden guildhalls and Gothic architecture. Yet, the charming capital of Belgium also has another side to it — cool cafés, contemporary museums, beautiful design boutiques, and a vintage scene extraordinaire.
Here are my favourite 20 spots around town, all in walking distance from the classic Radisson Collection Brussels right in the cosmopolitan centre of it all.
Looking for a quick round-up of Brussels to add to your map? Here you go:
Seven Brussels
FRANK Café
Cafés + Restaurants
Seven Brussels: Located south of the city centre, the neighborhood Uccle is a charming area great for walking around, and making stops at the many small shops, bakeries and cafés. Seven is a favourite amongst locals, minimally designed by local architects Sill and Sound Architects. An all-day coffee shop and eatery, the menu offers healthy and home-made options for brunch and lunch.
Rue Edith Cavell 10
FRANK Café: Walk out the impressive doors at Radisson Collection Brussels, turn left and you’ll reach Frank Café after about two minutes. Inside a beautiful, light-filled room with a curvy wooden coffee bar, FRANK offers speciality coffee and a wholesome Australian-style breakfast (think fluffy pancakes, sourdough toast and a variety of egg servings).
Rue des Princes 14
MOK Coffee: Another one to add to your list is MOK Coffee located right by the canal in the trendy Dansaert district. Take your hand-brew, filter coffee, espresso or fermented soft drink outside by the small tables, and enjoy life in the area’s main street Rue Antoine Dansaert. MOK is founded by two times Belgian Cup Tasters Champion Jens Crabbé, and the minimal aesthetic is created in collaboration with Belgian interior designers WØTI.
Antoine Dansaertstraat 196
NONA: In the city centre, NONA is an Italian concept with two different restaurant types in town — NONA Pasta and NONA Pizza. The latter is located just a five-minute walk from the hotel, and I went on my first evening in town. The place is buzzing and busy, I was sat at a high table and enjoyed a tasty Pasta Zucce e Spinachi (pumpkin and spinach), whilst a queue lined op outside. Good for a quick dinner, and for bringing kids as well.
Rue Sainte-Catherine 7
Nightshop: Nightshop located just steps away from MOK in the Dansaert neighbourhood is a great option for dinner and drinks with friends. Inside an industrial warehouse, this cool restaurants offers small plates for the table, natural wine and beers, an open kitchen and music. Menu changes with the season, all is fresh and local. The restaurant is only open Thurs-Saturday, but definitely worth planning ahead for.
Rue de Flandre 167
Marina Bautier
NOJ Jewelry
Shopping
Marina Bautier: I’ve been following furniture designer Marina Bautier’s work for ages, and always hoped to visit her combined showroom and café some day. Yet somehow, I had completely forgotten she was based in Brussels. A kind barista at FRANK reminded me, and I went straight to the Forest neighbourhood of town. Very glad I did — if you’re into design and interior inspiration, definitely add Bautier to your list. This beautiful space is decorated with her signature functional designs crafted in solid wood. With a strong aesthetic, the Bautier universe offers essential products for the home, all of them serene and modest letting quality materials and craftsmanship speak. The in-house café is small and very cosy, and serves a daily selection of home-made food and cakes.
Chaussée de Forest 314
Isabelle Bajart: This beautiful vintage shop is a must-visit if you’re into quality, vintage clothing. Carrying brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Céline and Max Mara, Isabelle Bajart is located on Rue des Chartreux in the charming city centre full of cobbled streets, small squares and cafés and restaurants. Prices are very reasonable, and if you’re not a big fan of digging through piles and piles of clothing to find your next buy; Isabelle Bajart has made it easy and convenient for you, hand-picking only the best.
Rue des Chartreux 25
NOJ Jewelry: Non Ordinary Jewelry is a concept by local jewelry designer Aurore de Heusch. In a beautiful little shop in the hip Dansaert-neighborhood, Aurore has created a gallery showcasing small jewelry designers, whilst she has her small atelier and workshop upstairs. All designs are 100% handmade by the different artists, and the jewelry is beautifully displayed in clever wooden and glass boxes.
Rue Antoine Dansaert 175
Flea markets & vintage shopping: Brussels is big on vintage - and you’ll find clothing shops for both men, women and children spread across town, as well as an abundance of brocantes with interior, so be sure to bring extra space in your suitcase.
Check out shops as such Atelier Clove for interior, La Superette for clothing and smaller objects, and stores such as Melting Pot, Oxfam Vintage, and Rare for clothing (if you have patience and time! These are larger stores, that require some digging and searching). More the flea-market type? Visit Brussels’ most famous flea market, Marché aux puces de la place du Jeu de Balle. Open every day from 9am to 2pm (3pm on weekends), this huge outdoor market offers an abundance of vintage furniture and décor, second-hand clothing, art, and all kinds of trinkets.
MAD Brussels
Xavier Gallery
Museums
Indeed a city of culture, Brussels offer many interesting museums — and while some of the classics such as the Magritte Museum and Royal Museum of Fine Arts should also be on your list, I wanted to suggest you explore three of the most cutting-edge and contemporary art spaces in town.
MAD Brussels:
In the happening Dansaert neighborhood (mentioned a few times now!), MAD Brussels is a fashion and design platform providing not only guidance and counseling for upcoming artists and creators, but also hosting events such as Brussels Jewelry Week, and the popular MAD Parcours, creating pop-up venues across town showcasing emerging Brussels designers and brands. MAD’s programme is definitely one to watch for your next trip to Brussels.
Place du Nouveau Marché aux Grains 10
Xavier Hufkens: In the Uccle neighboorhood not far from café Seven, Xavier Hufkens is one of Europe’s leading contemporary art galleries. With three locations in Brussels, the Saint George gallery in a traditional townhouse expanded and renovated by Robbrecht & Daem Architect, all four floors of this beautiful space has unique scale, light, dimension and feel. Entrance is free, and the gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday.
Rue St-Georges 6
CENTRALE for Contemporary Art: Located on the corner of charming Place Sainte-Catherine just a few minute’s walk from Radisson Collection, Centrale for Contemporary Art is housed inside a former power station with spacious, industrial rooms displaying the works of emerging artists from Brussels and beyond. Photo art, video installations, textile pieces and everyday objects on display, there’s no boundaries for the media used here.
Place Sainte-Catherine 45
Architecture
Just a few minutes walk from Radisson Collection Brussels you’ll find two architectural landmarks in town: The Royal Galleries and the Grand Place of Brussels. In fact, you’ll walk through the galleries to get to the latter, so just set your GPS or follow the signs and you’ll be on your way.
The Royal Galleries offer luxury boutiques as well as architectural grandeur under the magnificent arched glass arcades. Thought out by architect Jean-Pierre Cluysenaer, the historic arcades have traditionally been a central meeting point for the colony of French refugees like Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas and Edgar Quinet. Today, visitors can browse through for speciality chocolate shops, luxury Belgian brands such as Kaai handbags and renowned French furniture designs by Ligne Roset.
Galerie du Roi 5
Continuing on to Brussel’s perhaps most famous landmark, the Grand Place or Grote Markt is an elegant Baroque square in the heart of Old Town. Here, the ornately decorated guild houses twinkle and sparkle in the sun, and the square is home to both Hôtel de Ville and Musée de la ville de Bruxelles. Grand Place gets busy throughout the day, but since the Radisson Collection Brussels is a mere minutes away, why not get up early and enjoy the sight of the breathtaking square (almost) all alone?
Radisson Collection Grand Place, Brussels
Where to stay
With a location right in Brussels historic city centre just a few minutes’ walk from a vast majority of the spots mentioned in this guide, the Radisson Collection Brussels is the perfect base to explore the city from.
I enjoyed being right in the centre of it all, and having several great options for food and coffee right outside the door. This hotel is a striking post-modernist architectural building with all the amenities of a modern hotel. Especially when travelling solo, I found the Radisson Collection to have the perfect mix of feeling right at home with the help of kind, professional staff, as well as a buzzing atmosphere in lobby and the famous, glass-covered atrium.
Sitting in the Atrium Bar, I enjoyed long breakfasts with a freshly-made omelette and soft, Belgian waffles, coffee and fresh fruit.
In the evening, the in-house restaurant Shanghai Kitchen served a modern twist on Chinese street food classics and Shanghainese specialities (still thinking about the dumplings!).
After taking the panoramic elevator (swipe through the gallery above for a look — something very Wes Anderson about this place), I came home to my room; updated and beautifully designed with warm materials and an elegant colour palette overlooking the atrium.
Just a few minutes walk from the Central Station with fast and easy access to the airport, the Radisson Collection Brussels is highly recommend for a stay in beautiful Brussels.
Rue du Fossé aux Loups 47
