Besides the fact that my German and Dutch friends think Brussels is a sad, dirty, little Paris, I defied them and spent a night in Brussels regardless. Any city can be beautiful at Christmastime; Brussels proved that for sure.

True to my quick and dirty style, I had an agenda. Waffles. Beer. Chocolate.

What I Did

Waffles– Research told me that Maison Dandoy has the best waffles in the city. WARNING: there are several Maison Dandoy shops, but the one at Rue Charles Buls 14 has the tea room and waffles. I queued for no good reason at the first one. In terms of the queue, it isn’t worth waiting for a table upstairs since I woofed my waffle down in about 10 minutes. Selection was pretty standard and customizable. I got one waffle with ice cream, powdered sugar, chocolate sauce, and raspberry sauce.

Beer/Food— A friend from Brussels I met in a hostel in Quito, Ecuador highly recommended Fin de siècle for dinner. One of those spots that handwrites the menu in chalk with no English version and only takes cash. I asked the waitress to give me whichever local beer and dish she loved most. Beer was Leopold7 and the food was Chicon: endives stuffed in meat, wrapped in bacon, smothered in beer sauce, and served with mashed potatoes. 2 thumbs up!

Later on I went to Poechnellekelder and sat with a nice couple from the UK/Belfast. They have been coming to this place every year at Christmas for a long time, and had great advice. I tried several beers from the Christmas list and was overwhelmed by the selection. This pub is right next to the Manneken Pis, so you can spend a good 30 seconds pondering why a peeing boy is a popular landmark en route to beer.

Chocolate– I don’t care much for chocolate and was told Leonidas is too touristy but I went along the main drag anyway since it was close. Walked into a few other shops and was underwhelmed… hopefully my family and office like my selections. Apathy is high haha.

Christmasy things– There are lights in the main square every half hour and it’s set to music. It reminded me of a nightclub. Oh Europeans. The pub couple told me that the light show isn’t what it used to be… but for what it was I enjoyed it! Make sure you avoid the main square every 15/45 minute of the hour since there is a mass exodus and made my 3 minute walking commute a 15 minute walking commute.

 

Where I Stayed/How I Got There

2GO4 Hostel — This place was literally 20 meters from the main square of Brussels and is so convenient in that way… BUT there are 2 locations and I had to check into the other place which is much further away before making my way to the real spot. I walked about 45 minutes covered in luggage and coats and was completely annoyed. So there’s that. Julia kept trying to convince me to navigate public transport… and I listened to her only when I was told taxis are pointless in the pedestrian areas of town.

Tip

• Finding ATMs was randomly difficult in the historical center. Withdraw cash when you can!