Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

In out

3 of the best…Restaurants and bars in Brussels

There’s no place like home, so Guy Dittrich reacquaints himself with the locals at three hot Brussels hangouts

InOut has called in some help for this month’s selection of the hippest hotspots and trendiest watering holes, and taken inspiration from the fabulous Wallpaper* City Guides. After raiding its lowdown on Brussels – the latest addition in the collection – we head out on the town to meet and mingle with the Bruxelloises and sample some of the city’s finest nightlife

Café Walvis

209 Rue Antoine Dansaert, tel. , www.cafewalvis.be

Named the Flemish for “whale”, this canalside bar/eatery boasts a metallic interior by Fred Nicolay that’s in keeping with the edginess of the area, with black-painted corrugated iron lining the walls and shelving of wires and steel tubes. During the day the terrace is a popular spot, while a DJ attracts a lively evening crowd.

Chez Moeder Lambic

68 Rue de Savoie, tel.

They take their beer seriously at Chez Moeder Lambic, but there are plenty of comic moments. While you might not get to see barman Jean Philippe’s Hawaiian-print shirts on every visit, you can always raise a smile by ordering a Saison Silly or, at a punchy 7.5% alcohol, a Sloeber from Oudenaarde. None of the 200-plus beers are from mainstream suppliers, so you’ll need some advice from the staff, all of whom are passionate about the brown stuff. To learn more, join a tasting session in the cellar, which is crammed with Lambic beers, brewed using traditional techniques. The heavy wooden tables and dusty bottles displayed in the windows are all part of the charm – but note the sparkle of the glasses above the hand pumps.

Bazaar

63 Rue de Capucins, tel. , www.bazaarresto.be

The richly coloured arabesque interior, glass chandeliers and mismatched furniture of this large restaurant/bar sit above the earthy brick arches of the basement club. It does a good trade as a one-stop venue, with the upstairs bar a good option when the dance floor is full.

If you’re still hungry for more, other going-out options close by include the granddaddy of the Brussels club scene and alleged birthplace of European techno, Fuse (tel. ), and the eclectic bar/restaurant Recyclart (tel. ) underneath Chapelle station. And the Dirty Dancing evenings by resident DJ Cosy Mozzy at the former cinema Mirano Continental (tel. ) are also worth a crack.

Extracted from Wallpaper* City Guide: Brussels, €8,95/£4.95.

©Phaidon Press. Selected cities (Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Milan, Rome and Tokyo) are also available as iPhone apps, priced at €2,99/£2.30. www.phaidon.com/travel

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