We sent Andrew Threlfall out for beer and snacks — and he found a museum! Before we started counting carrots and apples, Brussels, Belgium is rightly proud of its deep relationship with, arguably, your essential three‑a‑day: beer, chips and chocolate.
Andrew Threlfall washes down some Belgian staples with a couple of glasses of the local refreshment.
My guide at the Belgian Beer World experience is from Paris and he’s not here to play, saying with a wry smile: “There are only three reasons you would ever come to Brussels: the beer, the frites and the chocolate.”
He might have a point, although there are a few eclectic museums worth exploring if you choose to add the Brussels Card + Museums option to your trip. The standard 72‑hour Brussels Card gives you unlimited travel on buses, trams and the metro, and you can bolt on museum access if you want to make the most of the city’s cultural side. But this home of the European Parliament feels like it occupies a place in a time warp, out of sync, like an out‑of‑date City Break VHS from the 1990s.
Why else would there be no signage or mention of the Eurostar terminal anywhere in the city, let alone any directions to it from the two‑mile periphery of the station you take the two‑hour train journey from? And once inside the graffiti‑covered Midi Station, still no mention of the hundred‑odd‑billion‑euro industrial achievement that linked the UK to the mainland. It’s bizarre. And very Belgian.
Anyway… let’s take down that VHS from the shelf, dust it off and see what 2026 Brussels has to offer by comparison. We are going to need some suitably strong and wonderful beers to make it through 72 hours (tip: do not go for longer) — (the co‑editor does not agree and has enjoyed many more happy days pottering around the eclectic, and usually alcohol‑accompanied, delights of Brussels.)
La Place de la Bourse
You need to visit La Bourse, a magnificent building that was originally conceived as a home to the financial markets, but which has now been transformed into a recreational place after a thorough renovation to house the Belgian Beer World Experience.
La Bourse is regarded as one of the most symbolic buildings in Brussels. With its imposing architecture. Designed by the Belgian architect, Léon-Pierre Suys between 1868 and 1873, it’s rightly considered a true marvel of 19th-century neoclassical style. It’s where the Stock Exchange operated until 1996. Furthermore, it was the site of heroic action: and during the First World War, the Bourse district of the city was the epicentre of the clandestine press, a symbol of the Belgian resistance against the German occupiers.
La Bourse has since been renovated to also host temporary exhibitions and events. A photography exhibition on Gaza was there when I visited.
Belgian Beer
Let’s start with the essential tasting during the beer tour — two small test‑tube samples and a free drink (33cl) of your choice on the rooftop from 150 choices, with the “best view in Brussels.” The tour costs £20. But for a fiver more, you can combine entry with The History of Belgian Fries, featuring over 1,600 truly fascinating items on display (plus free authentic fries thrown in) at the Friet Museum Brussels. The old food‑preparation machines and ketchup varieties are mesmerising — especially after a couple of ‘light’ blonde beers at a deceptive 9.8 per cent.
Belgian Friet
On to the highly immersive and interactive 900 m² space at the Friet Museum, a temple to Belgian chips and their primary ingredient: the potato. (It’s across the road from the chocolate place, we’ll come on to for dessert!)
With over 1,600 collection pieces, old posters, interactive games, films, and testimonials from friturists, you get to discover the history of the potato isn’t some plain old spud story, kicking off in Peru, the birthplace of the potato, before taking you on its world tour through the history of expanding in to South America and finally Europe. Yes, Ireland, you too: a poignant pause in the story for sure.
The tour wraps up with a taste of real Belgian fries, double cooked to perfection. A free cone of fries cooked in either typical Belgian beef fat or vegetable oil is to die for. Visitors can also capture their visit by snapping a free selfie in a friterie, harvesting potatoes on a tractor, or next to XXL specialties.
Across the street is the delicious world of chocolate – especially after the frites – at Choco-Story Brussels with a £12 entry ticket. The journey from cocoa bean to the Belgian Praline is beautifully mapped out and watching a skilled chocolatier in action enjoy the tastings after is a worthwhile final nail in your gym routine and diet coffin.
But I’ve saved the greatest Brussels experience of them all until last: Ladies and gentlemen I give you ‘Bouillon Bruxelles’ your authentic brasserie in the heart of Brussels, “where tasty, convivial Belgian cuisine meets popular Belgian tastes. Immerse yourself in a warm and welcoming atmosphere,” where on a Saturday afternoon the place filled to capacity in 45 minutes.
Bouillon Bruxelles
Review by Lifestyle Writer Julia Nelson
Before we even opened the menus at Bouillon Bruxelles, we started our lunch in the way so many great Belgian meals begin: with a beer. There’s something about that first sip—cold, crisp, and unmistakably Belgian—that immediately sets the tone. Sitting up high in an elevated, cosy corner spot, the beer seemed to glow in the warm brasserie light. It was the perfect way to settle in and take in the room before the food arrived.
Opened in 2022 as Belgium’s first bouillon restaurant, Bouillon Bruxelles blends the freshness of a new opening with the soul of a place that feels as though it has always been part of the city.
The room has an understated, old‑world charm. The dark wood feels like the best shade a brasserie could ever choose — rich, warm and full of quiet history. Against it, the pastel‑green walls bring a soft brightness, a gentle wash of colour that lifts the space without overwhelming it. Then there are the moss‑green lamps, those beautiful vintage brasserie fixtures with their soft shades and warm glow. The combination of the dark wood, the pastel walls and those moss‑green lamps creates an atmosphere that feels both nostalgic and effortlessly elegant.
Once we’d enjoyed our traditional beers, we ordered moules-frites—because in Brussels, it’s almost a requirement. The mussels arrived steaming and fragrant, bathed in a sauce so flavourful that it made the first few bites go quiet. It was indulgent without being heavy, the kind of sauce you keep dipping into long after the mussels are gone. We were drinking in every last drop like a soup.
We also ordered the fish and chips, which turned out to be a brilliant choice. The fish was crisp on the outside, tender inside, and paired perfectly with Bouillon’s house-made tartare sauce—fresh, herby, and so good it almost stole the show. It was one of those combinations that just makes sense, the kind you’d happily order again.
The frites were just as impressive: crisp, golden, and clearly homemade. What really elevated them were Bouillon’s house-made sauces. The classic Belgian mayonnaise was silky and rich, the andalouse had that perfect creamyspicy balance and the samouraï brought a satisfying kick. Even the ketchup tasted more thoughtful than the bottled kind. Each sauce added its own personality, turning the chips into something you wanted to savour rather than rush through.
As the day went on, the restaurant filled quickly. Soon it was packed, buzzing with conversation and positive energy. Despite the rush, the staff remained friendly, attentive, and genuinely lovely. They moved with the kind of confidence that comes from knowing the place is running exactly as it should. We finished with a smooth and silky crème brûlée that tasted heavenly. Bouillon isn’t trying to reinvent Belgian cuisine; it’s celebrating it. With its old-school interior, homemade dishes, lively ambience, and warm staff, it offers an experience that feels both nostalgic and vibrant. It’s the kind of restaurant you leave already planning to return on the Eurostar.
Indeed for a no-flight trip / mini break hop on the Eurostar (for as little as £39!) and, in just a couple of hours, you’re in the Belgian capital – home in on the Portobello-Market-esque Marolles district – the daily flea market in Place du Jeu de Balle and the very cool café Chaff across the road (serving incredible coffee) that has live music every other night.
The amazing four-story Passage 125 Blaes on rue Blaes selling antiques over three floors is well worth a visit. A trip back in several time capsules all under one roof. Tip – Check Tiqets website for the best of Belgium combi tickets that you can find.
Tips from the co-editor: Once you have visited the museums above, where better to take your new knowledge of the fundamental building blocks of life than to a café in a 102-meter-tall iron crystal! The Atomium (lead image) is an iconic monument on the outskirts of Brussels, originally built as the centerpiece for the 1958 World’s Fair (Expo 58). Designed by engineer André Waterkeyn, it represents an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. Today it’s a museum with a restaurant in the top sphere. Brussels is also home to the wonderful Titin, Herge Museum and a statue, which is lots of fun for all ages, but we’ll leave you find that.
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