Having decided we wanted to go on a pre-honeymoon trip in November, the lure of Brussels was too strong to resist. We were drawn by the promise of stunning architecture, world famous beers and a rather sizeable Christmas market. We were certainly not let down on any front.
We flew out on the Friday evening from Birmingham airport and took the convenient train from the airport into the city centre upon landing in Brussels. We stepped out of the beautiful Central Station and set out on the short walk to our hotel; a walk that was made a lot longer by my temporary loss of map reading skills. Nevertheless, we arrived at the Scandic Hotel in enough time to quickly change and head back out to find somewhere to eat.
Whilst we found the hotel’s décor to be slightly dated, we were not too bothered as we had booked based upon the convenient location. We took the short 5-10 minute walk to the Grand Place where we were lucky enough to arrive at the beginning of the Christmas light show. Witnessing the Town Hall and other buildings being lit with such a display was a fantastic sight and well worth a look over the festive period.
We had discovered that Hard Rock was on the corner of the main square so,
at risk of changing the habit of a lifetime,we headed in to silence our grumbling stomachs rather than traipsing round to find an alternative vegan friendly restaurant open at the late hour.
Suitably stuffed and more than a little tired, we decided we would go for one drink before calling it a night. Heading back up from Grand Place, we stumbled upon the Che Habana Café. It was small, with just a handful of tables and Cuban decorations and pictures adorning the walls and ceiling. Here we spent a thoroughly enjoyable hour watching the live band playing some old Cuban favourites whilst drinking some classic Belgian beer before heading to bed.
We were not exactly early to rise the next day so it was more brunch-time once we had left the hotel. Having read good reviews on trip advisor, we made a beeline for Peck 47 on Kiekenmarkt. When we got there we were greeted with a queue outside the door. It seemed to be moving though, so we stuck it out and were seated within five minutes (although we did see that some people were waiting quite a bit longer than us). As it turns out, this was a great choice for us as the café catered for many dietary requirements and had a selection of local craft beers. Deciding it was a bit early for that, we both opted for hot chocolate. Whilst a vegan hot chocolate was not specified on the menu, the friendly waitress was more than happy to accommodate when Rhian asked for soya milk. We accompanied our beverages with meals from the all-day breakfast menu. There were a number of vegan choices, but Rhian opted for a vegetable ratatouille with avocado which she said was fantastic. I would say prices were a little on the high side but it was worth it for the level of service and delicious food. In addition, the evening menu looked very tempting and would be well worth considering for dinner.
After seemingly exploring every mulled wine and beer retailer in the Christmas market, we picked up a lunch of traditional Belgian frites (no vegan mayo unfortunately though) from one of the catering stalls around Beursplein. From there, we did a bit more shopping in the market before walking down Stoofstraat to catch a glimpse of one of Brussels’s most well-known sights – Manneken Pis. This is one of the stranger landmarks we have ever seen and seems to be famous more for its novelty factor than anything else. It is basically a fountain in the shape of a little boy urinating into a pool. On top of that, it is so small in size that you can actually take a life-size replica home with you if you have space in your luggage. I’m not sure we would go out of our way to see it again! Whilst the fountain was less than impressive, it did lead us nicely to Poechenellekelder; a cosy pub with quirky décor, traditional feel and an extensive range of beer. We were lucky to get a table in the busy bar area and settled in for a couple of refreshments before heading back to the hotel.
For our evening meal, we followed a Happycow.net recommendation and headed straight to The Sister Café located just of Grand Place. It was quiet when we arrived but had an authentic, local feel. The café prides itself on serving fresh, organic food and there were a number of vegan options from which to choose. However, the menu as a whole was limited to soups and focaccia and we both concluded it would have been more appropriate as a lunch time choice. Despite that, our meals of avocado filled focaccia (for Rhian) and chicken with pesto focaccia (for me) with a side steamy vegetable soup were extremely flavoursome.
After trying and failing to get into the packed Delirium bar (go there in the afternoon to have any chance of getting a seat), we went to a couple of quieter bars before turning in for the night.
The Sisters Cafe
Feeling a little worse for wear the next day, we checked out of our hotel and had a quick wander around some of the shops close to the Grand Place before making our way to EXKi opposite the town hall for some food. This is a chain of deli style cafés with a light modern feel and a number of vegan options. I had a pesto covered pasta while Rhian went for a hummus sandwich, which she enjoyed but did comment that it was a little heavy on the filling.
There was just time to have a final perusal of the Christmas market (picking up some vegan churros along the way) before catching the train back to the airport for our flight home.
Overall, we had a wonderful time viewing the stunning buildings and soaking up the vibrant atmosphere in Brussels. I feel our time was made even more special by the Christmas festivities such as the light shows around Grand Place and the brilliant market which covers most of the city centre. As a vegan, if you visit for a weekend break you won’t find yourself short of options for places to dine. We certainly enjoyed the likes of Peck 47 and The Sister, although we would have gone to the latter for lunch and the former for dinner if we had our time again. Visit in the run up to Christmas for a magical experience you won’t forget…however much Belgian beer you drink!
