What To Do, See, Eat, and drink in Brussels, Belgium

Every summer, my family of three travel to a different region of the world. 2024’s journey began in Brussels, Belgium’s capital. Staying at a friend’s three-story house in an area called Etterbeek for a week, we explored for a few hours a day while also juggling remote work.

Despite guide books claiming Brussels as “boring,” we found the capital charming with its cobblestone streets, whimsical street art, long canals, and a vibrant food scene. Here’s what we recommend.

Eat:

• Durum kebab from Kebap House, a no-frills shop that sells a dinner platter for 10 Euros.
• Orange Flower ice cream from Bouboule, a popular local ice cream shop in Etterbeek.
• Milk chocolate with hazelnuts from Elisabeth, one of many chocolate shops throughout the city.
• Pastrami croquettes from Fernand Obb Delicatessen Saint-Gilles, an award-winning deli with murals inside.
• Tacos from LATYPIQ, a taco bar with taco platters named after world cities like the “Osaka” with fried shrimp and spicy sauce.

Drink:

• Beer inside the garden courtyard of Hospice Pachéco, a repurposed 19th century Neo-classical hospice with a courtyard bar with music and games.
• Caramel latte from TULIPE, a specialty coffee shop in Etterbeek that also sells pain Suisse au chocolat.
• Cocktails and sangria in pitchers at Wolf, a design-forward food hall with over a dozen food stands.
• Iced raspberry coconut matcha from Kosto, an inviting coffee shop and eatery along the canal.
• Latte from MOK COFFEE, a design-forward award-winning coffee roastery with a simple food menu.

Do:

• Explore Parc du Cinquantenaire, a 19th century park built to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Belgian Revolution with museums, a grand arch, and trails. During the day, there’s an ice cream and waffle truck near Square de la Bouteille.
• Find Jay the Author‘s hidden letter in Grand Place, a 14th century market square.
• Go on day trips to Antwerp or Ghent from Gare Centrale, Brussel’s main tran station with frequent quick trains throughout the country.
• Play with LEGOs at LEGO Discovery Centre, a play center with LEGO stations, rides, 4D movies, and a scavenger hunt.
• Sit on the plaza surrounding Saint John the Baptist at the Béguinage, a 17th century Baroque church.
• Stroll around Vismarkt, a square with fountains and restaurants that pops with light at night.
• Take your kids to Speeltuin Jürgen Bergman, an enclosed, castle-themed playground with sandpits and more.
• Walk along the Kanaal Brussel-Charleroi finding street art along the way.

See:

• Art at different metro stations like Comte de Flandre and Maelbeek.
• D.C.-based muralist MISS CHELOVE‘s hip hop mural at Rue de l’Eclipse.
• Garden at the Mount of the Arts, a hill with the Royal Library and other sites.
• Neo-Flemish Renaissance architecture at the Royal Flemish Theater, a working 19th century theater.
• Phlegm‘s mural on the side of the Royal Library of Belgium, a large library with a free exhibit.
• Rue de la Cigogne, a small medieval alleyway with cobblestones.
• Smurfs Statue, a white sculpture honoring the comic franchise born in Belgium.
• Tintin Comic Mural, one of several comic murals throughout the city. Use this map to find them all.