Brussels - Do's and Don'ts

[Nogravyforyou]

Have recently booked five days in Brussels. One day has been earmarked for a day trip to Bruges.

Any recommendations for activities/museums etc? Is the Brussels card worth it? What should we expect for food prices?

It was all a bit spontaneous as the flights were cheap and am now panicking that we're there for too long and we will be bankrupt feeding ourselves

I love Brussels, it's got a surprisingly great vibe! I wasn't that keen on Bruges, it's pretty but a bit meh in my opinon.

Thanks, will look up Hotel Bloom now.

Bruges is DPs idea, because of the film. I think I would be happy just eating chocolate and drinking beer for the five days

Shops on Avenue Louise are nice.

Antwerp is also not far and worth a visit if you want somewhere else to go.

Actually having said that shopping is not great in Brussels, Belgium is famous for its design and there are some great homegrown brands.

Maybe get down to the shops on rue Dansaert/Chartreux/Flandres, it's quite a cool area too.

Thanks for the suggestions :) not overly bothered about the shops but will go for a look one of the days I imagine.

Does anyone have any food or bar recommendations? :)

It's a few years since I left Brussels after living there for three, but my favourite bar was Mappa Mundo.

Le Pain Quotidien and Exki are great for lunch. Chez Antoine at Place Jourdan is brilliant for chips - there are a lot of bars around there that have signs in the window saying you are welcome to take your frites in there to enjoy with a beer.

I would recommend having a wander along Rue des Bouchers and seeing whichever moules-frites restaurant catches your eye! I also think Belga Queen is a good fun experience.

You should try to find somewhere that serves traditional Belgian dishes like stoemp-saucisses, waterzooi and lapin a la gueuze - there used to be a brilliant place on Place Ste Catherine but I can't find it - does anyone know if it's still there?