It’s taken three months, but I’ve finally put together my Belgium post! During our Europe trip in September we stayed in Brussels for three nights, which in hindsight was too long. The weather was pretty rainy and honestly there isn’t a whole lot to see other than Grand Place and the peeing boy statue (so dumb). The main reason we went there was because Rob wanted to try “The Best Beer in the World” which is brewed by Trappist monks about an hour outside of Brussels. It turned out that the brewery was closed while we were in town, but we did get to try the beer thanks to our friend who lives in Germany! Obviously we had high expectations, but this delicious brown ale lived up to them! I’m not sure if it’s worth 18 euros, but it’s fun to say you’ve had it. We also tried A LOT of good food in Brussels and Bruges. With everything from waffles to chocolate, we definitely didn’t go hungry.
Belgian Waffles
Of course you have to eat a waffle when in Belgium! Make sure to try the Liege waffles, which have sugar cubes in the batter that caramelize when it’s cooked (you can see a photo of the dough below). The flavor and texture are amazing! Also, not all waffles are created equal. We went to Waffle Factory first, which wasn’t as good or authentic as the one we had at Maison Dandoy. You can get them with all sorts of toppings, but I really like them with a classic syrup or just powdered sugar.
If you want a savory take on waffles, eat at Peck 47. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, but are especially known for their all day brunch. It gets super crowded, so prepare for a wait or plan to eat at a less popular time. I ordered the Peck Special and it was AMAZING! This waffle consists of homemade chorizo and goat cheese, topped with perfectly poached eggs, bacon, and “psycho sauce” (their version of hollandaise). It was a very unique and flavorful dish!
Chocolate
Chocolate is also a must! We went to a few places, such as Elisabeth Chocolatier, Mary Chocolatier, and Pierre Marcolini. We mostly tried their truffles, which were all delicious. I noticed that hazelnuts are really popular in Europe. Not like Nutella, but actual chopped hazelnuts, which I LOVE!
Fries
I’m not the biggest fan of fries, but you HAVE to try them in Brussels. They are double fried, so the outside is nice and crispy, but the inside is still soft. There are quite a few places that sell them, but Fritland was recommended to us by a few people so we went there. It was a long line, but well worth the wait! They are served with a variety of sauces, which make the fries even better. A common theme throughout our trip was that a long line meant the food was really good.
Croissants
Brussels isn’t really known for croissants, but the one we had at Méert was the best out of our entire trip! The texture was perfect: buttery, flakey and moist!
Beer
We tried a variety of beers in addition to the Westvleteren. One rainy afternoon we hung out at Delirium Café, which has a great beer selection and cozy, pub-like atmosphere. My favorite beer was the Delirium Red, which is cherry flavored. It’s the perfect balance between sweet and sour. We also took cover from the rain in Poechenellekelder where they had a great selection of local beers and it’s right across the street from Manneken Pis.
Basically we ate and drank our way through Brussels.
If you have any favorite spots in Belgium, let me know in the comments!
