- Brussels
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Belgium
Remember your Brussels Eurostar ticket covers same day onward travel to all stations in Belgium. This includes Brussels Central Station, so you can use it instead of the Metro to get across town from Midi station to your hotel or meeting near Brussels Central.
You must visit Brussels on a weekend day trip, then you will realise why Hercule Poirot is so proud about being Belgian. Amazing city with great buildings, the Royal Palace, the Palais de Justice, the Town Hall and the Atomium to mention just a few.
Thanks indeed to the Two Hairy Bikers for their suggestion to try this fantastic restaurant. The food was gorgeous and the staff were obviously selected for their efficiency as much as their looks. We dined like kings and yet the meal came to about 100 euros, a bargain. I'd love to go back and try the steak & chips and some more wonderful Belgian beer. Try it, you will not be disappointed.
Belga Queen Brussels
Rue Fossé aux Loups 32
1000 BRUSSELS
Phone:+32 2.217.21.87
Fax:+32 2.229.31.79
Email:info.brussels@belgaqueen.be
Pop over to the Royal Museum for Central Africa and the Geographic Arboretum in Tervuren - it's the best green space in Brussels.
Then head to "Het Park"in the town square for fantastic cuisine.
The Mokafe cafe in Galerie du Roi 9 serves a delicious and complete breakfast for around six euros including mouthwatering croissants and real fresh squeezed juice.
What is the Ninth Art? Discover its secrets at the shrine to the best examples of the Belgian masters, notably Herge and his Adventures of Tintin.
Within walking distance of the Gare Du Midi, and ideally placed to fill that wait before boarding the Eurostar, explore a nation's fascination with comic strip heroes.
Beautifully presented displays carry explanations of the storylines and characters, whilst giving interesting background of the creators and designers.
A reasonable knowledge of French would be useful, though. The Belgian Comic Strip Centre (Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinee) is in Rue Des Sables.
Brussels is a colourful, charismatic and stunning city, full of rewarding surprises, it is least of all “boring”.
Don’t bother with the slightly eccentric and haphazard metro system – just walk. Central Brussels is small enough to potter round in a day.
Aim for the splendid Place du Grand Sablon (where you can get the best chocolates in the world) then head downhill to La Bourse and Grand Place and west into the trendy St. Catherine and St. Géry areas.
Make sure you take in plenty of good food and drink along with the stunning Art Nouveau and Art Deco buildings that populate so many streets.
The best thing about Bruxelles/Brussel and the bilingual-Belgians is that they know all this; they just don’t go shouting it from every corner of the Grand Place.
I can heartily recommend buying the finest cheeses, meats and bread, beer and chocolates from the above areas, getting back on the Eurostar and turning all the other passengers green with envy as you tuck-in. Brussels is nearer than Paris too!
A visit to the African quarter in Brussels near Porte de Namur metro station makes an interesting change to the rest of the city.
Stroll down Chausee d'Ixelles and back via Chausee de Wavre, investigating the shops and bars along the way. The contrast with the rest of the city is heightened by the fact that the area is not out in the suburbs but close to the city centre.
Just the other side of the metro station are the antique shops and grand buildings of the Upper Town.
Restobières - In amongst the eclectic shops of Les Marolles, this restaurant is madly Belgian (eg biscuit tins of the royal family).
The food is utterly Belgian especially when the owner, Alain Fayt, matches the menu to his personally sourced Belgian beer.
A different glass with each course is accompanied with his unique commentary. The dessert even comes with its own floor-show.
Surprisingly, the centre of Brussels has probably the best interactive playground/museum to indulge your inner child or just the kids.
Scentastic is located underground at the Bourse metro/tram stop, and is just a couple of minutes walk from the Grand Place.
Once you’ve found the understated entrance (difficult, even if you know it’s there) you enter what looks like a large romper room/playground, all primary colours and play equipment.
Scientastic will then amaze and educate through its use of simple psychological, physiological perception experiments.
Virtually everything is hands on and a simple explanation leaflet can explain some of the impossible thing you encounter.
Try to arrive just as they open as usually a multi-lingual member of staff will perform a series of moves in front of a mirror.
Then go and play and explore at your leisure, it can and should take at least a couple of hours, adults will at least be surprised and kids just love it.
Opening hours are at 1400 hrs. Weekends and Belgium school holidays otherwise you will have to make a reservation. Their website is at scientastic.com or telephone 02.732.13.36 (usually an answer machine they will call back).
Belgium international telephone prefix is 0032 then leave off the first zero.
DVD devotees should ascend to the top floor of the Inno department store on the pedestrianised Rue Neuve, for the Media Markt store.
This major European chain sells general electronic devices plus a fair selection of CDs but excels with its choice of DVDs at competitive prices.
Art-house and world cinema titles which would be hard or impossible to find in the UK are well represented though remember to check that foreign language films have English sub-titles!
(There is also a branch of Media Markt in Antwerp on De Keyserlei close to the Central Station.)
On rue Antoine Dansaert, there is a beautiful little Chinese tea shop called Nong Cha, which brings science and art to making a cup of tea. Continuing the Chinese theme, a few doors down is Rouge, which sells Chinese furniture, ceramics, etc. and which has a sister shop on Stoke Newington High Street.
In Brussels you must visit Cirio’s Bar in the Rue De La Bourse.
Founded by Italian magnate Francesco Cirio in 1903 it remains much as it was a hundred years ago - dark wooded panels, marble and shining brass.
Be sure to try the house speciality of a “Half and Half” - equal measures of champagne and white wine filled to the brim by bustling ultra efficient waiters.
Say hello to the cat “Minou” (French for “Kitty”) and lastly don’t forget to visit the magnificent turn-of-the-century toilets!
Brussels makes a great weekend trip with children.
Not so big and overwhelming, with so many "must sees," as Paris, but more than enough to keep you busy.
And there is loads of great chocolate - need I say more?
Don't miss MIM, with more than 1,000 ancient and rare instruments from around the world.
There is a lovely cafe overlooking the city on the top floor.
The best place we've found to stay with kids: Novotel Centre/Tour Noire. It has a cool hammam/indoor swimming pool surrounded by rocks which creates a very cool atmosphere. It is walking distance to Grand Place, also to many waterside restaurants and off-the-beaten path neighborhood places and playgrounds, good ethnic restaurants nearby, easy access to train station.
If you have more than a weekend, take a day trip to Bruges, Antwerp, or any other place in Belgium: distances are short!
Be sure to visit Bobbejaanland Amusement Park. It is a great day out for all the family with rides to suit all ages, and very friendly
You simply must eat at the fishmonger’s pavement bar, the Mer Du Nord on the corner of Place Sainte Catherine and Rue Sainte Catherine.
It’s perfect for a delicious tapas style seafood lunch particularly if you are on a tight schedule, it’s also excellent value: small glass of Muscadet €2 (we had several).
Check out the fabulous Restaurant Vincent in Rue des Dominicains, where you walk through the kitchen to be seated.
No hidden secrets, the best steaks and the finest moules. Try the steak tartare, if you dare, prepared at your table with the freshest ingredients - and with amazing flair.
Practice your French and hone your ability to out-barter even the most masterly merchant in Europe, at the flea market on Place du Jeu de Balle.
Pick up a priceless rarity you never knew you needed, meet the locals and exhaust your euros surrounded by classic Belgian architecture, the shouts of stallholders and a unique, animated atmosphere.
Of course, when you can haggle no more, you can collapse at a local café with a glass of red and some sumptuous Belgian food.
My tip is to visit the bar La Mort Subite on rue Montagne-aux-Herbes Potagères 7.
This bar has a superb selection of beers, which are reasonably priced, and is frequented by locals rather than being a typical tourist trap.
The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed and it's an ideal place to meet up with friends for a good natter.
If that isn't enough, last time I went there an opera singer started to sing, with the whole bar joining in. Beer, opera and conversation - perfect!
Try the Mappa Mundo bar in the Saint-Gery area of the centre of Brussels (2-6 rue pont de la carpe).
It's a great cosmopolitan bar, with a very nice atmosphere, it's not too expensive, and it serves lots of good Belgian beers (try my favourite... Faro.) and great food.
Plus it has a nice terrace , so it's perfect for warm days!
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