Your essential guide to what to do, see and eat, and where to sleep in the Belgian capital during January
09:00 Jazz brunches are a treat at Sheraton Brussels Airport Hotel (tel. 02 710 8000) and Sheraton Brussels Hotel (3 Place Rogier, tel. 02 224 3111) for about €40 per person. Then beat the crowds and head early to the Atomium (Heysel Plateau, tel. 02 475 4777), Brussels’ most unusual architectural landmark. Built for the 1958 World’s Fair and reopened in February 2006 following a major renovation, its nine glistening silver spheres depict an iron molecule magnified 165 billion times. Inside the space-age building there are exhibitions and great panoramic views.
From there, it’s a short stroll to the Tour Japonaise and Pavillon Chinois (44 Avenue Jules van Praet, tel. 02 268 1608), designed by Alexandre Marcel for Leopold II in the early 20th century. Both are beautifully restored and open to the public. On Sunday mornings, kick-start your culture fix at 11am, with a classical concert at Hotel Astoria (103 Rue Royale, tel. 02 227 0505).
12:00 Grab a healthy snack at Exki exki.be, a popular budget chain with outlets across the city, including on the Rue Neuve shopping street, Place Stephanie and the Woluwe Shopping Centre. All ingredients are organic and even the cutlery is made from biodegradable vegetable fibres. Alternatively, check out one of Brussels’ museum restaurants. The restaurant at the top of the Musical Instruments Museum (2 Rue de Montagne de la Cour, tel. 02 545 0130) has splendid views, while Table d’Upignac, overlooking the vintage vehicles at Autoworld (Parc du Cinquantenaire, tel. 02 736 4165), is an atmospheric dining spot.
Downtown, you can’t go wrong with a waterzooi or other classic Belgian dish at Ogenblik (1 Galeries des Princes, tel. 02 513 4158), a bustling brasserie.
14:00 Nestled between Place des Palais and Place Royale, the BELvue Museum (7 Place des Palais, musbellevue.be), which opened in July 2005 for the country’s 175th birthday, offers a comprehensive introduction to Belgian history via well-preserved documents, film clips and historic relics. This is also the entry point for the underground archeological site of the Coudenberg (coudenberg.com), an 11th-century palace built for the Dukes of Brabant and destroyed by fire in 1731.
Afterwards, take a walk in the lovely Parc de Bruxelles. Once the shooting and hunting grounds of the same dukes, it was transformed into French-style gardens in 1835.
18:00 Start your soirée with an aperitif in the luxurious surroundings of the Hotel Métropole (31 Place de Brouckère, tel. 02 217 2300), or the more down-to-earth De Markten (5 Place du Vieux Marché aux Grains, tel. 02 512 3425), a hangout for the Flemish cultural elite.
Throughout January, the cultural menu is rich at La Monnaie (Place de la Monnaie, tel. 070 123 3939); the box office on Rue Léopold behind the theatre is open Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 6pm and one hour before each show. Highlights include The Fiery Angel, said to be Sergei Prokofiev’s most modernist opera (January 23, 25, 26 and 28).
20:00 From sole meuniere to stoemp, hearty Belgian fare like grand-mère used to make is the order of the day at the lively Roue d’Or (26 Rue des Chapeliers, tel. 02 514 2554; dinner for two about €120) near the Grand’Place, whose décor pays homage to Belgian surrealist René Magritte. Off the beaten track but worth the trek to Watermael-Boitsfort commune is Le Coriandre (21 Rue Middelbourg, tel. 02 672 4565; menus for €33, €50 and €68 per person), a cosy neighbourhood eatery with unique dishes crafted by fish-enthusiast Damien Vanderhoeven.
Those with an urge to splurge won’t be disappointed at Bruneau (73-75 Avenue Broustin, tel. 02 421 7070), which offers several menus for around €150 per person. Alternatively, head to Ancienne Belgique (110 Boulevard Anspach, tel. 02 548 2424) for a bite to eat before one of their nightly live music performances.
22:00 Au Soleil (86 Rue du Marché au Charbon, tel. 02 513 3440), which is located in a converted clothing shop, is a mellow place to quaff an after-hours beverage. However, those wanting to strut their stuff on the dance floor should head straight to Duke’s Night Club (2 Rue l’Homme Chrétien), which really gets going after 11.30pm. A newcomer on Brussels’ nightlife scene, it’s where baroque meets city chic. Think marble busts, pink neon lights, leather sofas and wallpapered ceilings.
When it comes to bedtime downtown, you can opt for an overnight stay in the artsy yet affordable surroundings of Comfort Art Hotel Siru (1 Place Rogier, tel. 02 203 3580; double rooms around €65, including breakfast) or the posh Hotel Amigo (1-3 Rue de l’Amigo, tel. 02 547 4747; double rooms €195, excluding breakfast), just steps from the Grand’Place and featuring the gourmet Italian restaurant Bocconi.
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