We are travelling to Brussels in a few weeks time. We are staying in a bed and breakfast in Rue St Roch, about 10 minutes walk from Grand Place. I will be on my own for 1 or 2 evenings, and then with my son (adult) and then my husband as well. Any recommendations for good food (not too heavy) with a warm, welcoming ambience and not incredibly noisy would be great. One of the evenings my son and I will have dinner with his friends, so somewhere not too expensive and a bit funky could be good. Also, I love lingering over a good coffee in the mornings soaking up the atmosphere. Any suggestions? Many thanks.
|||
Your B%26amp;B is off Bd. E. Jacqmain in a slightly sleazy (though not dangerous) area, I sometimes go to a Turkish restaurant (Antep Sofrasi if you fancy that) around the corner from there at 19 Bd. d%26#39;Anvers.
For your coffee you can either go to the Illy Café below the Sheraton Hotel, on the corner of Place Rogier (better coffee), or down to the Metropole at Place de Brouckère, about 10 minutes walk away (better atmosphere), although I must warn you the latter is expensive.
For lunch, I recommend Tarte Julie on Bd. Jacqmain, a couple of blocks from you, on the side opposite the theatre and youth hostel; but this is closed in the evenings.
I hesitate to recommend anything for dinner given your particular criteria but perhaps you could take a stroll down to the rue des Grands Carmes, which crosses the rue du Midi a couple of blocks from the Bourse (stock exchange) in the St. Jacques area - it happens to be on one of the streets the Mannekin Pis is on a corner of, at a higher level. On the side nearest the big church (departure point for pilgrimages to Santiago di Compostela, hence scallop shells set into the pavement at intervals) you will find one of my favourite quiet restaurants, La Caneva, and opposite it the wildly fashionable Ethiopian restaurant, Kokob (www.kokob.be), then on the other side, going towards the MP, you will find the Cercle des Voyageurs, a nice place for a tea or coffee if not for a meal (I don%26#39;t know, having never eaten there, I just like its colonial atmosphere).
|||
Thanks for your prompt response. I%26#39;m a little surprised to hear that our B %26amp; B is in a slightly sleazy area. It is called Brussels at Heart and looks very elegant on the website. They have 2 guest house options - one in the Rue Saint Roch and one in Rue des Commercants. We have the choice. Which do you think would be better? In terms of the restaurants, 20 to 30 euros for the main course would be in our budget if that helps with suggestions. Would appreciate your thoughts, particularly regards where we stay.
|||
Rue des Commerçants is in the same area (parallel street), I think I would prefer the rue St. Roch.
All Brussels restaurants should post their menu outside so you will always be able to see prices (which should include VAT and service) before you go in, but all the ones I mentioned are in your price bracket. Just don%26#39;t eat in the %26quot;Ilôt Sacré%26quot; area of rue des Bouchers/petite rue des Bouchers/rue Grétry which is a tourist trap known for padding bills etc. - other than at Chez Léon, near the Galeries St. Hubert end of rue des Bouchers, if you fancy mussels and frites. It can be fun to look at, though, and your son might be interested in the Delirium bar which has a menu of something like 2000 beers (Impasse de la Fidélité, a little alley off the rue des Bouchers near the junction with rue Grétry).
|||
Do you think I should look for somewhere else to stay that%26#39;s in a more charming area? It would be nice to be in an area that has some character and a nice feel about it. I guess I%26#39;m just wondering how %26quot;sleazy%26quot; it is?
|||
Hi Ozie!
Try this link. It might be of interest to you.
http://www.bnb-brussels.be/guest.asp?LG=uk
The area you mentioned in your message is definitely sleazy in the sense that it is a regular hang-out for hookers. Not dangerous though.
|||
HELP. I%26#39;m concerned to hear that the area I%26#39;m staying in is sleazy, with hookers. There are areas where I live that have hookers but are also full of character. Is the Rue Saint Roche an ugly area? I%26#39;d like to stay somewhere attractive. What area should I be looking in? Suggestions gratefully received as I%26#39;ll soon be into my non refundable period for the substantial deposit I%26#39;ve already paid. Or is it ok where I am?? Many thanks.
|||
From older threads here, the advice I recall is to stay near Gare Centrale near Grand Place, or Gare du Nord.
Gare du Midi (south) area is supposedly less safe.
It%26#39;s a large city, so there are thousands of hotel and b%26amp;b choices. Just read the TA reviews here for recs.
If you are into art, the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium hosts an exhibition of some fifty paintings from the collection of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
Paintings from the British Royal Collection: Bruegel to Rubens are being shown at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts in Brussels, and had previously shown at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh and Buckingham Palace.
They%26#39;re on exhibit in Brussels through 21 September 2008.
|||
Anda11thatjazz ... the area around Gare du Nord is even sleazier than the one mentioned in Ozie%26#39;s posting. It is also close to Gare du Nord where you have so-called %26quot;window hookers%26quot; as is the case in Amsterdam. It is undoubtedly Brussels%26#39; red light district. If you want to be on the safe side, stick to the area around Grand Place and anything above that going east/southeast. The area around Avenue Louise, Avenue de la Toison d%26#39;Or and up to the Forêt de Soignes is a safe bet. Brussels is equipped with a well-working and affordable public transportation network (in my view at least). You should not hesitate to pick up a B%26amp;B option located in the burbs.
|||
Thanks Yalie%26#39;00. If my area is not too bad I%26#39;ll think I%26#39;ll stick with that. The B %26amp; B itself looks really nice and the reviews about it are good - I think I%26#39;m just too close to leaving Australia to change now. I%26#39;ll explore the nicer areas of Brussels while I%26#39;m there and basically just be using the B %26amp; B for sleeping.
|||
Good to know, Yalie, re: Nord red light etc... thanks.
Like every large city there are pockets of less safe areas and there isn%26#39;t really any rhyme or reason necessarily.
One can be in a perfectly nice district and then cross the street, immediately the elements become dicier, people are shadier.
Just be confident as well as cautious while you%26#39;re in a new place.
The metro and general transit do seem very efficient in general. Unlike the airport during labor strikes. Ha.
No comments:
Post a Comment