Brussels next week - any brilliant places we should visit?

[oranga]

I'm travelling to Brussels next week with my 8 year old daughter for a few days - it's our first time so looking for some hot tips for things to do, places to see and restaurants /cafes from you lovely lot! I've booked tickets for Atomium but so far that's all. Thank you in advance!

Mini-Europe, Lego discovery centre and Choco-story. For places to eat, I can only remember Lyly’s Fondue and Le Bistro. We went to the fondue place twice!

The comic strip museum is amazing. In a gorgeous Art Deco building as well. The railway museum was superb. Went with my girls similar ages at the time. They’re not in to trains particularly but the museum had so much to see they really enjoyed it. Another vote for mini Europe which is near the Atomium. A drink outdoors in one of the Grand Place cafes was a must do for us.

Would she enjoy the magritte exhibition? Its pretty interesting art more likely to enjoy as a child. Personally I'd drag mine through the attached musee de beaux arts to the breugal icarus but that's only because I love it and did a 40th birthday trip to Brussels based on seeing it (there is a WH Auden poem about it).

I love Brussels and its easy to get to antwerp Ghent or Bruges by train if you are staying a week.

I highly recommend a fishmongers called Noordzee in the St Catherine's district. On a weekend it cooks food and it gets busy as people eat outside on standing tables. Lovely seafood lots of choice and a pretty different concept.

There's loads of great fish restaurants in Brussels.

There's a highly recommended musical instruments museum she might like but I've not been.

Antwerp is meant to be good for kids with a lovely pirate playground. Bruges is beautiful and bound to be a hit as it has chocolate shops galore and windmills.

Would indeed second Nordsee; their fried fish and chips is excellent.

I would also suggest you pay a visit to Wittamer on the Grand Sablon in Brussels for some of their hot chocolate and cakes.

Natural History Museum is good. The Belvue museum has an underground part where you can see the ruins of the previous palace. Magritte museum is fun. The Art of the Brick expo is still on I think - Lego creations. www.comotapas.com/mobile/mobile-como-tapas.html this place does Tapas on a conveyor belt. Lots of choice and you can go for all in options. The 44 tram out to the African Museum in Tervuren is a nice trip on a sunny day. There's a lovely cafe on the roof of the musical instruments museum - you don't have to pay for the museum, just go up in the lift. It has a terrace and fab views over the city. Chez Leon in the Rue de Bouchers is a Brussels staple. Kids eat free. To get there you can walk through the Galerie St Hubert with its choc shops. Go to see if the Mannekin Pis is dressed up.

Oh thank you everyone- lots to research! We are there from Tuesday morning till Thursday evening so not too long but the tips are appreciated!

Grand place is not to be missed

Thank you to everyone for their responses- we had a fabulous time and packed loads into our trip. The Magritte exhibition was sold out sadly but we went to the chocolate museum and the comic museum which were both great. We were super lucky with weather and spent lots of time wandering around the central area soaking up the architecture. All in all a great trip and even managed a few Belgian beers, waffles and mussels along the way!

The EU buildings and exhibitions are brilliant. (seriously, DD and I only went because she studies politics and it was free 🤣) Came away seriously impressed and we only came away because we were starving.