A London getaway was well over-due, but with a restricted time period and not wanting to travel too far i decided that a couple of hours on the Eurostar and a mini-break to Brussels was the perfect option. Brussels and a lot of Southern Belgium is highly influenced by all things French think crepes, French boutiques and copious amounts of butter, my kind of heaven!
Here are my top 5 things to do in Brussels:
1. Musee Magritte Museum
I think Magritte may well be the main reason I wanted to visit Brussels as i'm a massive fan of his work. I am particularly fascinated with the Surrealist movement and although the museum isn't too much of a history lesson it does document his associations with the likes of Breton and Dali. Don't expect to see his most famous works like 'The Son of Man' or 'The Treachery of Images' but there is a large and impressive collection of work showing his artistry from poster art to impressionism to (my most favoured) surrealism.
2. The Original Le Pain Quotidian
As a long time lover of the chain, you can imagine my excitement when i found out that the first ever restaurant was in the heart of Brussels, with giant salads, chia seed puddings and baked goods to die for Le Pain Quotidian never disappoints, we went most mornings for breakfast which always successfully fuelled us for the day ahead!
3. Galleries Royales Saint-Hubert.
A stones throw away from Grand Place is this beautiful gallery. Yes, it's normally bustling with tourists but it is a sight to behold none the less. Filled with chocolate shops, book stores, cinemas and various restaurants, this is a wonderful spot to spend an afternoon/evening. For chocolate i reccomend, Pierre Marcolini which is quite pricey but well worth it if you're after a little luxury or Mary which is equally as luxurious but a little kinder on the purse strings, plus they do the most beautiful packaging. For waffles we were informed the cafe Moka had the best and, they we're incredibly light, fluffy and delicious! As far as my recommended restaurant goes it deserves its own spot on the list...
4. Cafe-Resturant de l'Ogenblik.
I'm someone who is normally pretty healthy so i like to indulge in good quality and delicious food and, my goodness, this meal was worth every heavenly mouthful! The sea bass with saffron risotto was truly dreamy, one of those meals you reminisce about. The duck confit fell off the bone and the scallop and prawn starter was exceptional! The restaurant was quaint, with few tables and pretty lace curtains, the service was extremely attentive and well, need i rave about the food more? Definitely worth a visit if you're in Brussels but either get there early or book in advance, this place fills up fast!
5. Shopping in the St Catherine and Antoine Dansaert area.
It's no secret that my favourite past time is shopping. Subsequently, I hunt out the good shopping areas wherever i travel. There are a few shopping destinations in brussels but this long road was hands down my favourite. With fail-safe french brands such as Sandro, Ba&sh and Maje it was right up my street (excuse the pun) but the stand out feature was the independent concept boutiques. Icon which is pictured above is my top rated, i think this is as close as i'm going to get to heaven right now. They stocked designers such as; 3.1 Phillip Lim, Alexander Wang, Isabel Marant and Acne to name a few. With giant cacti and the best changing room area i've ever seen i was just about ready to move in.
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