For me, the best thing about travelling is the food! It’s great to try foods that are particularly famous in certain countries. Like the time I was able to try the most perfect pastries in Paris, or when I had the juiciest chilli crab in Singapore, or better still… when I had the most buttery roti canai in Malaysia (that post is coming soon – promise). My most recent adventure was just last week, when I headed to Brussels, in Belgium with my aunty. If you didn’t already guess, the highlight of my trip was fattening myself up with Belgium’s most famous foods… the creamiest Belgian chocolate and the fluffiest Belgian waffles!
I had an amazing day trip in Brussels! If you’re heading there soon, keep reading for my Brussels Travel Guide! 😀
TIPS FOR BOOKING:
- Eurostar often release tickets for only £29 each way. Watch out for these in March/April, August and January.
- Sacrifice your sleep and book the earliest train to Brussels to maximise your day!
WHAT I DID DURING MY DAY TRIP:
- 6.30am – Leave from King’s Cross St Pancras to Brussels-Midi.
The journey is around 2hrs 30mins
- 10.30am – BRUNCH
As soon as we arrived, it was time to EAT! Brussels has the CUTEST brunch spots! Thanks to my lovely followers on Instagram, I was pointed towards Peck 47, a cosy spot near the famous Grand Place.
They are known to serve great savoury waffles with eggs! I chose “The Cheesy One” which consisted of a fluffy leak waffle, two perfectly cooked poached eggs, grilled cheddar cheese and psycho sauce. It’s super filling, delicious and a great start to the day!
I also tried their charcoal latte, which was unfortunately not as pretty and tasted subpar.
12pm – GRAND PLACE
After brunch, we headed to the Grand-Place, which is the central square of the City of Brussels. The architecture is truly beautiful and so intricate.
- 12.30pm – MASON DANDOY
A short walk away, you will find Mason Dandoy. It’s famous for selling delicious speculoos biscuits as well as “the best waffle in Brussels”. I queued up for 40 minutes in the freezing cold, and I’m glad to say that it did not disappoint!
- 1.15pm – GALERIES ROYALES SAINT-HUBERT
Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert is absolutely beautiful and is one of the first shopping arcades that was built in Europe. Look out for a shop called Les Ecuadors! The shop sells amazing perfume and really unique jewellery at a reasonable price.
More importantly, keep a look out for the elegant cafes and chocolatiers all across the arcade! The arcade is home to Neuhaus, one of Belgium’s most famous chocolatiers.
You can also find La Belgique Gourmande for every type of chocolate you can imagine.
- 2pm – MEERT
It was time for a coffee break and we decided to visit patisserie Méert at Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert. My aunty opted for a cappuccino, whilst I opted for a delicious, thick, creamy hot chocolate!
We also had to make a tough decision and pick one of these treats…
We went for their salted caramel choux pastry that’s stuffed with salted caramel custard and topped with chocolate and a salted caramel macaron!
- 3pm – HOP ON HOP OFF BUS
From Brussels Central Station you can catch a hop on hop off bus for a tour of the city. We were able to see some interesting sites such as the European Parliament and the famous Manneken Pis.
- 5pm – EXPLORING
At the end of our bus tour, we ended up back in the Grand Place area and decided to explore further…
AUX MERVEILLEUX
A shop called Aux Merveilleux caught our eye because it had a huge queue outside. If it has a queue it must be good right?! We drooled over the shop window displays and decided to head in to take some treats home.
I later found out that it’s in South Kensington in London too, so I wouldn’t push it to the top of your list.
LE COMPTOIR DE MATHILDE
We also stumbled upon Le Comptoir de Mathilde which is the ultimate chocolate heaven!
I really regret not buying their hot chocolate spoons. Take a look below…
WAFFLE VANS
Keep an eye out for Brussels’ famous yellow waffle vans dotted around the city! Who needs ice cream vans when you can have waffle vans?!
- 6pm – DINNER AT BUN’S BURGERS
Before heading home we had to get something halal of course! We checked out Bun’s Burgers which is a one minute walk away from the train station – perfect location!
Overall the burgers here were pretty darn good, although not perfect. I’ll let you know more deets soon in a restaurant review post!
- 7pm – TIME TO GO HOME
There you have it … my day in Brussels! Albeit short, we packed in so much and it was a perfect, sugar filled day out! I would definitely recommend going to Brussels for the beautiful sites, the rich history and of course the delicious food!
Here are some other HALAL restaurants that were recommended to me:
CASPIAN – Persian
KOKOB – Ethiopian
LALE PIDE – Turkish
L’EXPRESS – Shawarmas
MAKIFORNIA – Japanese
SHEZAN – Pakistani
SULTAN OF KEBABS – Turkish
STORY’INN – Steak
THE CHECK IN BRUSSELS – Mixed options
Note: Brussels is famous for selling fries doused in cheesy sauce. Most of the shops serving this cook the fries in non-halal animal fat. Be aware of this when looking for food.
Anonymous says
beautiful place!
Anonymous says
Thanks for this. Checked all these places out when I was in Brussels.