36 Hours in Brussels: Things to Do and See

• Surrounded by stately guild houses, City Hall and the King’s House, the city’s must-see main square, Grand-Place, is a masterpiece of Belgian Baroque architecture.
• Located inside the recently restored Bourse, or Stock Exchange, Belgian Beer World offers a permanent exhibit on the country’s beer history and a very cool rooftop bar.
• Once filled with cars, Boulevard Anspach is part of a spreading central pedestrian area, said to be one of the largest in Europe.
• The bustling area around Place St. Catherine has great restaurants, cafes and occasional concerts and other cultural events.
• The city’s premier artistic attraction is the Magritte Museum, the flagship of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.

• In the city where Art Nouveau was born, Maison Hannon is a high point of the style’s residential architecture.
• Enjoy works by the preeminent Art Nouveau designer, Victor Horta, at the Horta Museum.
• In the charming Marolles district, Art et Marges focuses on outsider and self-taught artists.

• Find artisanal, bean-to-bar chocolate from small producers at Brigitte, just off Chaussée de Waterloo.
• Buy unique stationery, souvenirs and gifts at Le Typographe.
• Find great modern artists in the new location of the Alice Gallery, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary.
• The Brussels outpost of Galerie La Forest Divonne, headquartered in Paris, offers great artworks in a comfortable viewing space right on Avenue Louise.
• Shop for unusual mixed media artworks at LMNO, located at the entrance to the sprawling Bois de la Cambre park.
• People have been shopping for great antiques, vintage clothing and just plain weird junk at the flea market at Place du Jeu de Balle since 1873.

• In the former location of a beloved but now closed “brown bar,” Billie carries on the tradition of cheap (but delicious) pasta plates and great Belgian beer.
• The largest rooftop bar in a city that truly loves them, Rooftop 58 offers panoramic views of the skyline.
• Kafei offers border-crossing brunch, lunch, coffee and matcha drinks.
• Fancy frites, burgers, sausages and the best shrimp croquettes in Brussels can be found at Fernand Obb.
• The chef Christophe Hardiquest is once again setting the standard for upscale Belgian brasserie cooking at Le Petit Bon Bon.
• Get drinks and make new friends at the cafe-like Life is Beautiful bar on Dansaert.
• Edgar’s Flavors serves excellent cocktails with a focus on classic recipes and agave spirits.
• The hottest new cocktail bar is Under the Stairs, located at the Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria Brussels.
• A hotel bar that feels like a destination in its own right, Double Standard brightens the city’s business-focused Northern Quarter.
• For vegan coffee, tea drinks and pastries, try the local favorite Izy Coffee.
• The Belgian cramique, or brioche, is one of the best things at the pastry cafe Aux Merveilleux de Fred.
• Have a coffee or brunch in the indie cafe le Chaff in Marolles.

• The city has gained several important hotels in recent years. At the top is the Corinthia Grand Hotel Astoria Brussels, which last year opened its 126 luxury rooms and suites, as well as the city’s most decadent spa, in an Art Nouveau palace from 1910. Double rooms start around 560 euros, or about $660.
• In May, the upscale Standard chain opened the 200 rooms and suites of its Brussels location among the skyscrapers and boulevards of the Northern Quarter. With breakfast, double rooms start around €200 per night.
• Craves, a boutique hotel in a historic building right off Grand-Place, opened its 75 rooms (with interiors by the London design studio Saar Zafrir) in 2022. Rooms start around €130 per night with breakfast.
• A charming neighborhood for short-term apartment rentals is St. Gilles, home to some great cafes, galleries and cozy restaurants.

• With its expanded car-free zones and dense, walkable neighborhoods, Brussels is the kind of city where most travelers definitely won’t need to rent a car. Both Google and Apple Maps work well with the city’s excellent public transportation system, which accepts contactless bank cards, smartphones and smart watches, charging just €2.30 per ride and maxing out at €8.40 per day, no matter how many rides you take. Wear comfortable shoes, as much of your exploring will probably be done on foot. Among ride-sharing services, Uber is the most popular.

4 p.m. Enter a world of beer

Get familiar with several of the city’s big pluses — amazing architecture, car-free zones, rich beer culture and a fun rooftop-drinks scene — in one place: the former stock exchange, or Bourse, which sat empty for most of a decade until Belgian Beer World opened here in 2023 (entry, 19.50 euros, or about $22). A ticket to the permanent exhibition on Belgium’s beer history gets you up close and personal with the beautifully restored 1873 building, including ornate plasterwork and sculptures that Auguste Rodin worked on as a young construction assistant. Each visit also includes a free beer from a list of about 150 at the building’s rooftop bar, the Beerlab, which also offers views over the former central automobile thoroughfare, Boulevard Anspach, now part of the central pedestrian area that recently expanded to become one of the largest in Europe.

6:30 p.m. Dine at a new classic

A popular destination for a night out, the bustling area around Place St. Catherine to the northwest is filled with an array of restaurants and cafes. One of the long-running favorites, Monk, made headlines in three languages when it closed down in early 2023. Six months later, the space reopened under new management as Billie, a nearly indistinguishable “brown bar” — a local term for a dive — serving a familiar menu of spaghetti Bolognese variations, from classic to vegan, in its backroom restaurant, with toppings that include hand-washed Orval monastery cheese (entrées, €10 to €19). As in its previous incarnation, the beer list includes rare bottles like Fontan-Elle Young & Wild gueuze, a gently acidic and highly complex local specialty; 10 excellent Belgian ales on draft; and a number of low- and no-alcohol options (beers, €3.60 to €35), with more bottles, drafts and other drinks available in the charming front bar.

9 p.m. Party on the roof

Rooftop 58 serves as a near-perfect metaphor for the city’s recent apotheosis: Where a crumbling eyesore of a parking garage stood for decades, a new local government office, Brucity, opened in late 2022. But because the parking structure’s panoramic top floor had long served as a public hangout, the new building maintains the tradition, offering even better 360 degree views over the skyline, as well as drinks, bites and music. Plan your visit in time for sunset snapshots, currently around 9:50 p.m. — but plan on sticking around for a while: at this latitude, summer evenings often seem to last forever.

The Horta Museum features Art Nouveau works by Victor Horta, the style’s champion.

10 a.m. Brunch across borders

Enjoy a multicultural breakfast at the Louise district outpost of Kafei, a self-described Asian coffee shop with matcha lattes and other tea-based beverages, as well as high-grade coffee from the local roaster Wide Awake and soufflé-like, Japanese-style fluffy pancakes, including tiramisu and matcha-strawberry variations. The brunch menu includes a fluffy pancake served with Canadian maple syrup, as well as apple juice, a hot drink of your choice and one of the hearty lunch plates. These include the excellent eggs Benedict served on whole-grain toast with thick slices of crispy, Chinese-style pork belly, topped with sesame seeds, micro-greens and a tangy miso-hollandaise sauce (€31.60). Since the first of its three locations launched in 2020, Kafei has become extremely popular; reservations are recommended.

11:30 a.m. Step into a masterpiece

Once a ruin that temporarily served as a St. Gilles neighborhood squat, the glorious villa known as Maison Hannon required years of reconstruction before it finally opened to the public as a permanent museum in mid-2023 (entry, €14). Built in 1904 as a one-off attempt at Art Nouveau by the architect Jules Brunfaut, the house showcases the glories of Art Nouveau residential architecture and symbolist design, including a massive allegorical fresco in the entry room, as well as ornate stained-glass windows, filigree railings and other decorative jewels. These make the home a rich complement for the creations of the style’s champion, Victor Horta, whose works are visible at the nearby Horta Museum. Due to the villa’s small footprint, entry is limited; time slots can be easily reserved online.

1 p.m. Shop for tasteful souvenirs

Belgium has long been famous for chocolate, though its artisanal, bean-to-bar producers are hard to find outside of small shops like Brigitte, just off Chaussée de Waterloo, about eight minutes away from Maison Hannon by foot. Consult with the owner, Brigitte Courbot, for personal recommendations, like a special-edition chocolate-sesame bar from the local producer Elsa (€10.50), or a single-origin Kerala chocolate bar from the Ghent maker Holy Cow (€8.50), among an array of other flavorful bars and pralines, all made from sustainable, responsibly sourced cacao. Afterward, walk one block down and just around the corner to Le Typographe, a chic stationery boutique with plenty of thoughtful gift and souvenir options, including its own line of letterpress greetings cards (€5.90), travelers’ notebooks (€6.50) and “I’m in Brussels” correspondence pads (€15.70).

2 p.m. Lunch at a local champion

The St. Gilles neighborhood burger joint Fernand Obb, which opened in 2018, won awards for the best shrimp croquette in Brussels during its first two years of operation. Sample a crunchy-on-the-outside, gooey-on-the-inside, shrimp-filled delicacy as a starter (€9), followed by a Diable burger, which is topped with caramelized onions and chili sauce (€14) or a traditional grilled fricadelle, a beef and chicken mincemeat sausage (€6.50), all of which pair perfectly with an eye-openingly tart Cantillon gueuze beer (€9). Don’t miss out on the crowd-favorite potato gaufrites, in which the country’s beloved fries, a.k.a. frites, are shaped like a Belgian waffle, or gaufre, creating a crispy, deep-fried savory side dish that is every bit as ridiculous and delicious as it sounds (€5.50).

4 p.m. Experience contemporary art

Three of the city’s best contemporary art galleries recently moved to new spaces south of the Louise subway station. Start at Galerie La Forest Divonne, which focuses on living artists like the Belgian-based American artist Jeff Kowatch, who showed here this spring. A few minutes away, the playful Alice Gallery occupies a light-filled space formerly held by the influential Baronian gallery, which closed in December. Finally, a quick tram ride to the Legrand station will take you to the new location of LMNO, spread across two historic pavilions at the entrance to sprawling Bois de la Cambre park, which focuses on artists working across science and the arts, often on environmental and social themes. A not-to-be-missed experiment from the artist Adrian Lucca involving light and living plants should occupy the gallery’s basement space over the next year. Since European galleries often take breaks over the summer, it’s recommended to email or call to make sure they’re open.

7 p.m. Sample the classics

For 20 years, Christophe Hardiquest’s Bon Bon brasserie defined upscale Belgian recipes, earning two Michelin stars before the chef closed it in early 2022. At the end of 2024, he launched his follow-up, le Petit Bon Bon, once again bringing brasserie fare and fine dining with dishes like the North Sea crab gratin — a fondue-like starter redolent of ginger and leeks (€30) — and a flaky cod filet entrée served à l’Ostendaise, in a chowder-like gravy filled with tiny shrimp and mussels (€35). Despite the relatively informal setting, service is polished and attention to detail is evident throughout: You’ll get (amazing) frites with your main course, but the mustard-inflected mayonnaise accompanying them is made in-house, and the drinks menu includes bucket-list beers like Brasserie de la Senne’s Saison Brett (bottles, €8) and Het Boerenerf’s Symbiose, a gently tart blend of lambic beer, cider and mead (by the glass, €9).

9:30 p.m. Mix drinks with pleasure

It might be under the radar compared with beer, but the city is also home to a creative cocktail scene, like the agave-focused classics at the atmospheric Edgar’s Flavors in the Ixelles neighborhood, where you can cool off with a citrusy Akelarre, made with Koch Elemental espadín mezcal, lemon and hibiscus (€16). On Rue Antoine Dansaert, locals are drawn to Life is Beautiful’s chatty, cafe-like atmosphere and border-crossing drinks, like the Brussels-Oaxaca, made with mezcal, Jamaican rum, elderflower liqueur, Fernet Branca and walnut bitters (€15). Hotels are getting in on the act, with the Corinthia hotel’s newly launched luxe bar, Under the Stairs, paying tribute to the tequila-bergamot Queen’s Park Swizzle (€20) and other historic hotel-bar recipes. The recently opened Standard has two destination bars on either side of its reception desk: the calm Lobby Bar and the jumping Double Standard, where visitors and locals mix over great drinks like the Rocksteady Negroni, a Rob Roy-like concoction of Johnnie Walker Black, sweet vermouth and apricot brandy (€14) as well as low and no-alcohol cocktails (€10 to €12) and snacks (€4 to €26).

Les Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, a shopping arcade, is near the Grand-Place.

9 a.m. Take coffee exploring

The city center has a beautiful calm on Sunday mornings. Get started with a takeout coffee or matcha from Izy Coffee, a sustainability-focused local chain that offers plant-based milk, vegan pastries and recyclable cups (drinks, €3 to €8). Or if real milk and lots of butter is more your thing, grab a coffee (€3 to €5) and a fluffy cramique, or brioche (€3), at one of the two branches of Aux Merveilleux de Fred and head out to explore the labyrinth of streets around the Grand-Place, the city’s main square, lined with its ornate, Baroque-era guild houses, as well as the old City Hall and the King’s House. You’ll get the best snapshots of the historic buildings and the narrow pedestrian lanes in the early light, especially if you arrive before most tourists get there.

10:30 a.m. Hang out with history and culture

Look for loot and get a glimpse of life in the historic Marolles district south of the city center, once famous for the increasingly rare local dialect, Brusseleer, a.k.a. Brusselian. Start out at the flea market at Place du Jeu de Balle, said to have started in 1873, where you’ll find more than 300 stands selling everything from vinyl records to Limoges china sets, brass candlesticks and leather jackets, all with wildly varying prices that are generally open to counter-offers. The surrounding neighborhood is home to dozens of colorful cafés and bistros, like le Chaff, where you can fuel up with a cafe au lait (€2.90) or even grab the quiche of the day with salad (€12.50) or another quick lunch while checking the list of upcoming post-punk and indie concerts that occasionally take place here in the evening. On your way to the metro, stop by Art et Marges, which doesn’t look like much from the outside but is a surprisingly good museum focusing on outsider and self-taught artists (entry, €6).

undefined Spend time with a surreal one

Two years ago, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium reopened its flagship Magritte Museum after six months of renovations, adding 29 works and a giant green apple atop the building to celebrate what would have been René Magritte’s 125th birthday (entry, €15). Inside the multi-level space you’ll find installations dedicated to the great surrealist’s life and work, including early sketches, studies and advertising work, as well as many of his most famous paintings, including “The Treachery of Images” (a.k.a. “This is not a pipe”), and deeper cuts like 1924’s “Untitled [A Box at the Theatre].” Afterward, use that same ticket to visit the attached Old Masters Museum, where four centuries of masterpieces by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Rubens and the Pieter Bout School should help you recover your sense of reality.