BRUSSELS:Move beyond the politicking and paperwork of the European Union headquarters and you'll find that Brussels is a multicultural melting pot of unique character, writes TONY CLAYTON-LEA
IT’S UNFORTUNATE that the first thing most people think of when you mention Brussels is its status as nominal capital of the European Union. Don’t diplomats and politicians equal eurocrat blandness, particularly in a week when the EU ended up with two relative unknowns at its head? There is, perhaps, a certain truth in that, but, away from the politicking and the paperwork, Brussels is a multicultural melting pot of unique character.
One key to the city's appeal is its lack of an Eiffel Tower or a Colosseum. Instead, Brussels has an architecturally opulent square – the splendid Grand Place – and a tiny penis: Manneken Pis, a miniature bronze of a child peeing away to his bladder's content.
The latter is said to represent the city’s irreverent spirit, and in a curious way it does exactly that. Where else might you get tourists queuing on a street corner to look at a urinating statue? Quite weird altogether, and a great leveller in terms of expectation, in that it both disappoints and makes you smile. Well, size isn’t everything, is it?
Grand Place, on the other hand, never disappoints, no matter how many times you see it. In winter it’s almost forbidding, a triumph of grandiose style; in summer it’s a haven for tourists, all of whom seem happy to take a pew in one of the outdoor cafes and watch the world go by.
The streets radiating like tendrils from the four corners of the square are, depending on how you regard such matters, welcoming or a nuisance. Certainly, some of the side streets can feel overly touristy, particularly Rue de Bouchers, to the north of Grand Place, where you have to run a gauntlet of waiters hoping to lure tourists with offers of cut-price food (accompanied, they might discover, by not-so-cheap wine).
Although this street is ostensibly a foodie wonderland, you should do as locals do and instead focus on other areas, such as Ixelles and St Gilles. The former features a high concentration of restaurants and bars that jostle for space with book and record shops; the main African neighbourhood, with its ethnic eateries, is minutes away.
St Gilles, meanwhile, is the city’s boho centre, with a multi-everything approach to food and pastimes, and some stunning art-nouveau and Haussmann-style structures.
What strikes you about most of the areas are their decidedly lived-in feel. It’s almost as if the eurocrats have forgotten to spend money on giving these parts of the city a makeover. Yet this slightly worn and down-at-heel sensibility is all-pervasive. It gives Brussels an alluringly rugged character that makes it as appealling as parts of Paris.
At the core of this is a casually proud celebration of the city’s cultural history – something Dublin, for example, seems not to have any more. It is a celebration of the old but not useless, of the withered but tempered.
Walk for 30 minutes from the centre and you’ll find gleaming high-rises, or high-end shopping along Avenue Louise, but such utilitarian commerce pales in comparison with, say, the neighbourhood of Marolles, with its down-to-earth cafes and shopping, or the neighbourhood of St Josse – even less of a joy for the eye but with restaurants that produce the best Indian food in town.
After a tikka masala and a few Belgian beers in a selection of some of the most unusual bars you’ve ever been in, you’ll come to realise that Brussels isn’t as staid or stuffy as you’re led to believe. And that isn’t diplomacy speaking: it’s the truth.
Where to stay, where to eat and where to go in the Belgian capital
5 places to stay
Radisson Blu Royal Hotel. Rue du Fossé-aux-Loups 47, 00-32-221-92828, radisson blu.com. A subtle rebranding here, as the once-known Radisson SAS group alters its focus. The business-style equation remains a strong element of the appeal of this hotel brand – free Wi-Fi and ultrasmart contemporary rooms at a very reasonable price. What’s not to like? Doubles from €52.
Hotel Amigo. Rue de l’Amigo 1-3, 00-32-254-74747, hotelamigo.com. Part of the Rocco Forte Collection of luxury hotels, Hotel Amigo is regarded as the best five-star property in Brussels. While we wouldn’t go that far, it’s certainly one of the best-located – it’s within spitting distance of Grand Place. Doubles from €293 per night as part of the hotel’s René Magritte package, which also includes tickets to the recently opened Magritte Museum and a hardback exhibition book.
The Dominican. Rue Leopold 9, 00-32-220-30808, thedominican.be. What a brilliant location – just off Grand Place, and tucked behind the city’s famous La Monnaie. This converted Dominican abbey has managed to blend its history with modernity, courtesy of award-winning architects FG Stijl. Free Wi-Fi and laptop safe. Rooms from €125.
Chambres en Ville. Rue de Londres 19, 00-32-251-29290, chambresenville.be. Located about 20 minutes’ walk from the city centre, this is a lovely bed and breakfast housed in a charming 19th-century building. Its four rooms drip with style. Rooms from €90.
Royal Windsor Hotel Grand Place. Rue Duquesnoy 5, 00-32-250-55555, royalwindsor brussels.com. Something of an ideal mix for the business and leisure traveller, this is very centrally based, with – following an extensive three-year refurbishment programme – more than
260 rooms and sharp service. Brussels Central Station is a few steps away, so it’s very handy if you’re travelling to the city from the airport by train. The hotel’s winter package (available throughout December) offers rooms per night, per person for €69.
5 places to eat/drink
Cospaia. Rue Capitaine Crespel 1, 00-32-251-30303, cospaia.be. Designed by Marcel Wolterinck, who interior- designed the London pad of Robbie Williams, this sleek’n’chic gastronomic restaurant is all silver and black and engagingly futuristic. Its menu is as smart as its design – drool at the desserts created by Brussels-based chocolatier Pierre Marcolini.
Café du Vaudeville. Galerie de la Reine 11, 00-32-251-12345, cafeduvaudeville.be. Situated in one of the city’s loveliest galleries, this candlelit restaurant exudes casual style. When we visited, the menu included calf’s brains with tartare sauce. Er, nice.
A La Mort Subite. Rue Montagne-aux-Herbes, 00-32-251-31318, alamortsubite.com. A Brussels institution. Its namesake twice-fermented beer (aka Sudden Death) is far too sour, but anything else here is fine as you ponder the classy floor-to-ceiling decor, the leather banquettes and the obnoxious cigarette and cigar smoke wafting through the air.
Brasserie de la Roue d'Or. Rue des Chapeliers 26, 00-32-251-42554. The locals head here for hearty Belgian food (pig's trotters, anyone?), but the main interest for the visitor, perhaps, is the decor, which is styled à la René Magritte. Don't bother asking for anything as simple as a café crème, however, as the brusque waiters don't want to know.
Le Perroquet. Rue Watteeu 31, 00-32-251-29922.This cheap and very cheerful art nouveau cafe-bar is a short walk from Place du Grand Sablon. Its pitta menu is one of the simplest yet inventive around – munch through the owner’s anything- and-everything approach to fillings as you browse stained glass and artwork.
5 places to go
Magritte Museum. Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium. Rue de la Régence 3, 00-32-250-83211, musee-magritte-museum.be. Belgium finally honours one of its seminal artists with this impressive interactive display. Expect to see some mind-bending works of (often repetitive) surreal art.
Grand Place. Brussels’s main square is incredible: gold- trimmed gable houses and a 15th-century Gothic town hall look down on a large cobbled square that is rightly considered to be one of Europe’s finest.
Mary’s. Rue Royale 73, 00-32-221-74500, marychoc.com. Something of an institution, Mary’s is the queen of Belgian praline makers. Its all-natural chocolate, created by hand, is eaten by royalty and peasants alike.
Hergé Museum. Rue du Labrador 26, Louvain-La-Neuve 00-32-104-88421, museeherge.com. I’m not sure of the appeal of Tintin (although tell that to Steven Spielberg, whose movie of the cartoon cub reporter is released next year), but for those who can’t get enough of the singular moptop, this museum housing the work of Brussels artist Georges Remi (aka Hergé) is the place to visit.
Place du Grand Sablon. Anyone with an interest in antiques should not miss a visit to this charming square, which hosts a small daily antiques fair, as well as being the location for rather more high-end antiques stores.
Shop spot
Veals Geeks. 8 Rue des Grands Carmes, 00-32-251- 14014, vealsandgeeks.com. Prepare yourself for a wade through a huge collection of second-hand vinyl and vintage video games (quite a few from Russia), which, as the shop’s name reflects, undoubtedly appeals to the geeks. Unlike the shop, however, the website needs a rehaul.
Hot spot
Fontainas. Rue du Marché au Charbon, 00-32-250-33112. It might not look like anything special during the day – ripped vinyl seating, cracked tiling, 1960s light fittings – but this ultratrendy bar packs them in come nightfall and in the early hours of the morning.
Go there
Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com) flies to Brussels from Dublin. Ryanair (ryanair.com) flies to Brussels Charleroi from Dublin and Shannon.
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