Etterbeek/ Eur. Qt Brussels – All our local tips

Working late? Dancing all night long? Having met this handsome guy and talked to him for hours? Your train was on strike and it took you 3 hours instead of 30 minutes? The meeting was long and your Japanese customers (who never heard about Spotted by locals) asked you for some tips about Brussels? Back in town in the middle of the night after 3 weeks of holiday?

You got the idea… we’ve all faced those situation who find us hungry after the opening hours of any decent shop. And certainly if you want some real bread and not some substitute they’re trying to sell us at the night shop.

Since years now, Au Vatel, a bakery in Etterbeek, had this smart idea to open its atelier while the bakers are busy preparing bread for the next morning. So you’ll be welcome to enter via the General Leman street after the bakery shop (and tea room) closes its door.

I can’t tell it’s the best bread in town, but when it’s 4 o’clock in the morning and you are starving… it sure is!

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L’Atelier Au Vatel | Snacks | Bread from € 0.90
8, rue Général Leman | Etterbeek/ Eur.Qt
19:00 – 07:00 daily

The first detail I discovered about the neighborhood I was going to live in: a step away I could find the best frites in the whole of Brussels.

Maison Antoine is widely known as one of the best places for French fries made from fresh potatoes, and although I can’t be the best judge on this typical Belgian food, I admit they are very good, just perfect when you add any of those dozen of sauces available.

What I also find very attractive is the deal they made with the pubs around the square. If you see in display on the windows of the pubs a “happy cone”, you are sure that they are happy to serve you a beer while you eat your “cone” of frites: very convenient!

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Maison Antoine | Snacks | Fries € 2.00
Pl. Jourdan, Etterbeek | Etterbeek/ Eur.Qt
Daily until 01:00

Opened 2 years ago, Mamma Roma is already one of the meeting points for quick and healthy food in town for any time of the day. The 3 shops are located near 3 of the main apero squares in town (Chatelain, Flagey, Jourdan) and they serve sliced pizza in 10 or more different flavors.

You choose which one, you choose how much and there you are: your quick dinner is ready. It’s good, really, I’m Italian and I have some knowledge about pizza. It’s cheap too. The “lunch” (anytime) is 2 slices plus a drink, and it’s just 7 euros! Also for take away, same price.

The only downside… it’s always crowded. I prefer the one in pl. Jourdan: it’s bigger and has a nice terrace.

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Mamma Roma | Snacks, Restaurants (Pizza) | Lunch € 7.00
Pl. Jourdan 37 | Etterbeek/ Eur.Qt
12:00 – 23:00 daily

It’s quiet, it’s small, it’s hidden in between place Jourdan, the Parliament and rue Belliard. It has a pond, few nice buildings, a long history, a few paths to walk around it, benches to rest and nobody will complain if you lay down with your pic-nic basket (as long as you take your trash home!).

It was created as zoological garden back in 1851, and at that time even giraffes were living there. Now you can see rare trees and animals, students passing by (there’s a high school, a bit falling apart I’ve been told, but it still fascinates me) and the Solvay Library which is now a conference centre.

Up the hill you can play basketball, and in winter I’ve seen the pond completely frozen… poor swans living there!

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Parc Leopold | Relaxing
Rue Belliard 133 | Etterbeek/ Eur.Qt
24 hours daily

One of the things I missed as soon as I left my Torino was the ritual of the aperitif. After work we used to meet in bars in the town center, and enjoy some drinks accompanied by free food, this is the concept.

And one day, walking around Brussels, I heard someone speaking my dialect, I turned around and saw “La Piola” aperitif bar in Brussels. I almost cried while ordering a glass of white Moscato wine and picking some of the food.

A few years have passed since that day, and the Piola is still running. There are 2 even.

La Piola Libri is a bookstore, wine bar, apero bar, concert/conference place for Italians or Italy lovers. The evenings with Guccini and Vinicio Capossela were unforgettable.

It’s nested in the European Quarter not far from Schuman.

The second branch, La Piola is just off pl. Chatelain (rue du page 2, Ixelles). It’s an apero bar, a wine bar and also a good simple Italian restaurant with a nice front terrace and a backyard garden.

Do not expect the variety of food you can get in Torino, but still I feel at home (you can even read La Stampa, the Turin newspaper).

Details about this spot (Show on map)
Piola Libri | Bars, Music, Shopping, Restaurants (Italian) | Daily special € 10.00
Rue Franklin 66-68 | Etterbeek/ Eur.Qt
Mon – Fri 10:30 – 20:00, Sat 12:00 – 20:00