Image by Wouter Spitters

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life”, Pablo Picasso once said. Well, this shop is your washing machine.

Fashion magazines, art-house movies, exhibition catalogs, gifts, children books, T-shirts with fancy slogans and the widest range of national and international art books you can imagine, you can find it all in one place… the fine Bozar arts shop near the fine arts museum.

It’s an ideal place to buy birthday presents you cannot find elsewhere and I bet you won’t be surprised if I tell you this is one of my favorite places to hang out around Christmas time.

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Bozar Shop | Art & culture, Shopping
Rue Ravensteinstraat 15 | Center | +3225141505
10:00 – 19:00 (or till after concert) daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Brussels

Image by Yamina El Atlassi

So here I am again with one of my woman’s secrets… you already know one of my preferred address for dresses (Look 50 – see my Look 50 article). But a dress is not enough…. we need shoes, of course, but also some underwear and accessories…

Maxie is one of the places I use to go to find nice and cheap necklaces, etc…

They have several shops in Belgium. In Brussels, you may be tempted to go to the one near Sainte Catherine’s place, more central than the one in Anderlecht, but I would advise you to go to Anderlecht anyway.

In Sainte Catherine’s it’s a nice and cheap shop but you will not understand what I’m talking about before being at the one of rue Wayez; it’s bigger, more choices, nice staff helping you to find the bra in your size (what a nightmare in general: or you go to big cheap shops with no one to help you, or you go to those nice boutiques, you’ll have advice, but for a maximum price).

I also like to walk around rue Wayez and its shops… & of course while shopping in the area, you can always take the time to relax at Erasmus Garden (see the Erasmus Garden article).

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Maxie | Shopping | Accessories from € 3.00
149, Wayezstraat | The West | +3225225845
Mon – Sat 09:30 – 18:30

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Brussels

Image by Yamina El Atlassi

As many girls, I don’t go outside without my bag. Thanks to it I can have with me anything I need… one of those things being a book.

I can read many books a week and I often even read while walking in the streets. Sometimes when I finish my work, I can also realise that I’ve finished the last book I’ve had. My nightmare: being the whole evening without a chance to read….

Of course, I can go to Cook&Book (check the Cook&Book article), they’re open late (as it is also a restaurant), but come on, I’m tired, I’m in Ixelles on my way home, and sometimes I don’t want to run to the other part of the city.

Fortunately, I found out that the owner of the bookshop “Place Voltaire” is not counting the minutes before closing her shop. If you arrive around 18:30, there is a good chance you will be allowed to come in and to take the time to choose a book.

I like the fact that I can arrive after business hours and still find it open, and I also like the warm and nice atmosphere and the nice chat with the owner. It has the colour, the smell and the impression of being back in the time where people get to take the time for the good things.

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Place Voltaire | Art & culture, Shopping | Books from € 4.00
rue de l’Aqueduc, 101 | Ixelles
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 19:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Brussels

Image by Army surplus shop – Liquidoma – by Yamina El Atlassi

The first time I traveled abroad and on my own, I was 19 years old. I was on budget so I went to this shop and found all I needed.

Since then, years later, there’s no trip I do without at least having a look at this shop. Sometimes, even if I’m not planning to travel, I just like to visit this huge shop located in the center of the city.

The thing I like most is the fact that the super friendly staff seems not to have changed in years, and the shop remains the same year after year.

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Liquidoma | Shopping
28-40, Rue des Bogards | Center | +3225115269
Mon – Sat 10:00 – 18:30

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Brussels

Image by Yamina El Atlassi

There’s something you have to know about me: I like dresses and I hate to buy in those famous (and not really cheap) chains around the world…

This said, I want to keep my addresses secret in order to be sure that no other girl wears the same. A woman has to keep some mystery, isn’t it?

Anyway, today, and especially for you, I decided to break one of my numerous principles: “Never say where you find your nice clothes” (in the same list, you can find “never have a relationship at the office”, “never eat more than one chocolate a week”, “never have a girly discussions next to your boss”, but don’t count on me to let you know which ones I have already – or are on their way to be – broken).

When I have time AND money: I just love to go to this shop: Look 50.

The shop is a legendary second hand shop open since decades. Laura (the owner, and daughter of the first one) has a big stock of second hand vintage clothes for men and for women. She also started to sell some new clothes, that she chooses only in collection of young creators.

Having a small shop, you don’t find the same model in many exemplars. Then, if you find a nice one: don’t wait to buy it, you may never find it back!

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Look 50 | Shopping
Rue de la Paix, 10 | Ixelles | +3225122418
Mon – Sat 10:30 – 18:30

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Brussels

Image by Yamina El Atlassi

Forget about any other postcards you may find on your way. The only and unique place you’ll get some really beautiful ones are in this boutique, situated not to far away from Grand Place!

When you’ll see what Plaizier has to offer, you will only agree with me about the fact that in general, postcards are “kitsh” and not really worth to buy them.

When you’ll visit Plaizier you will find yourself wondering why you didn’t took the postal address of all your friends, relatives and colleagues as the choice is just amazing!

Some pictures are showing famous places but in an artistic way, other are historical, all are beautiful… You will probably end up buying some for yourself….

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Plaizier Art Shop | Art & culture, Shopping
50, rue des Éperonniers | Center
Mon – Sat 11:00 – 18:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Brussels

Image by Yamina El Atlassi

You would like to buy some creative items made by an artisan?

Want to discover some local talents off the beaten path?

Want to have a drink in a place which connects travellers and a certain way of discovering the world?

Here you’ll find a market (every Saturday and Sunday – 11.00 – 19.00), a place to drink and eat for a decent price (Via Via Travellers Café), an exhibition, a show yet to begin, a workshop for kids, people having a seat and talking, some travel books, friendly faces, an organised chaos, a new way to live the world without having long and boring argumentation but just by acting differently.

Spending some time in this place make me feel being in an other part of the world and not in the center of the city I live in. The spirit of the place and the bright patio may be an important part of that feeling!

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Micro Marché | Art & culture, Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks
9, Quai de la Houille | Center
11:00 – 23:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Brussels

Image by Yamina El Atlassi

We have all faced that kind of appointments : we don’t know who’s going to join, some will join but a bit late, another cancelled at the very last minute, the other one is coming but with his two kids as he couldn’t find a baby-sitter.

When I face that kind of mis-organization, I choose Cook&Book.

As it’s a bookshop, you don’t mind waiting for someone, you find things to see. As the place is spacious and the staff open mind, you know that you all figure out how to sit when everyone is there. If it’s summertime, even better : the terrace is huge.

If it’s only for a drink, it’s also perfect, they have the music department, which is also a wine bar.

I have nothing to say against this place : it’s spacious, modern, nice books, friendly staff. Oh yes, actually I have one thing: it’s not in my neighborhood.

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Cook&Book | Bars, Coffee & tea, Relaxing, Shopping, Restaurants (Brasserie)
1, Place du Temps Libre | The East | +3227612600
08:00 – 00:00 daily

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Brussels

Image by Sarah Van Parys

Ethika is a beautiful ethical clothing, shoes and accessories store that is run by a super friendly couple. Unlike most of the things on sale close to the Grand-Place, you’ll actually find gifts to bring back that will be used and appreciated by the person back home!

As soon as you enter the shop you’ll notice that the owners have paid great attention to detail, with the beautiful paintings on the wall, the carefully selected items on sale and the cosy interior.

They have everything from colorful jewellery, to purses made from recycled materials, original shoes, printed t-shirts for men and women and beautiful dresses, jeans or baby clothes. All the items are made by companies or organizations that are fair trade and use organic or ecological materials and the designs are always edgy and fun.

Also, the shop is situated up a charming little cobbled street with a few interesting shops and nice windows to browse along.

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Ethika | Shopping
63, Rue des Eperonniers | Center | +3223259311
Wed – Mon 11:00 – 18:30, Tue 11:00 – 16:30

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Brussels

Image by Seán Kerrigan

Every city has witnessed the sad demise of the record store, but the stock of music shops in Brussels has been decimated in the past decade. That there are a handful of quality independents still knocking about is testament to the welcome perseverance of a few headstrong owners and the shoppers for whom the thrill of crate digging can never beat the value and ease of online shopping. The pick of the bunch (for retro tunes at least) in the centre of town has to be The Collector.

Going strong for over 20 years, this shop carries a very healthy selection of original and new-pressed vinyl, from rare 60′s beat band box sets to immaculate 70′s soul originals with stops at most joints in between. You pay a premium for vinyl these days so it’s a relief to see that there are well stocked CD racks as well. It is run and staffed by knowledgeable and friendly folk without any of the muso-snobbery common to record shops (and folks who write about them…).

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The Collector | Shopping
Rue de la Bourse 26 | Center | +3225126835
Tue – Sat 10:30 – 18:00

Copyrights Spotted by Locals Brussels