It’s the first place I’ve ever eaten in Brussels, so it’s a very special place to me. 5 years, and not much has changed!

Getting more popular by the minute l’Ultime Atome is a typical café restaurant in the heart of Ixelles, squeezed between the shopping street of chaussee d’Ixelles and the African neighbourhood in chaussee de Wavre.

It’s a great place to rest after shopping or drink before clubbing. It offers food all day long, and has a very good beer list (seasonal beers, Trappist beers, regional beers,…). They also serve breakfast daily, but unfortunately only ’till 12:00!

I like the pot of fresh mint tea (with liquid sugar!) a lot. One of the specialities is the “chocolat chaud”, the hot chocolate which is served as hot milk and separate chocolate pearls which you mix at your taste. Not to miss is the “molleaux au chocolat” served with custard and the cakes in display on the left of the main entrance.

It has a dozen tables on the terrace, a bit squeezed but great on one of those few warm sunny day. The staff is friendly, prices are average but you’ve got to pay for the loo.

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L’Ultime Atome | Bars, Restaurants (Café) | Beer € 2.00
14, rue Saint Boniface | Ixelles | +3225111367
Mon – Fri 08:30 – 01:00, Sat – Sun 10:00 – 01:00

I’m always surprised to discover that Brussels has hundreds of small parks, hidden behind buildings, or around the corner of a busy street. Even locals do not know them, as the entrance is often a small door, with an opening timetable posted on it.

The other day I saw a gate and a sign “Parc Public, entree libre 09:00 – 18:00″. As a Brussels Spotter I can’t miss out on this! And… what a surprise. Nobody around, and music coming from a workshop nearby.

Quietness, this is the feeling I got from this Park. You need to think? You need to relax after walking around and shopping in Matonge (see the Matonge article)? This is the place to go!

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Parc Viaduc | Relaxing | Free
Entrance from Rue du Viaduc 131B | Ixelles
09:00 – 18:30 daily

This restaurant is excellent. Everything about it is worth your visit. The food, the service, the interior, and the price quality equation.

I go there often and I always have such a great experience. I have rarely encountered such a perfect service. You will be treated as royalty. You are offered a very high quality appetizer, with papadum, pickle, chutney and raita. All served in beautiful traditional bowls and plates. The main course is so fresh and great tasting you will feel good all evening.

Furthermore it is situated in a very active neighbourhood with bars everywhere and people walking even on a Tuesday evening.

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Shezan | Restaurants (Pakistan) | Main meal € 25
120 Chaussé de Wavre | Ixelles | +3225129495
11:00 – 00:00 daily

Ha, I love going to this place any day any time. Everybody knows each other and the good times are never ending. I always find someone there to have deep meaningfull conversations with and I adore the natural friendliness of the staff.

I absolutely appreciate the wooden interior and the stylish decoration. They also shedule some excellent live music and in the weekends or evenings the place is crowded with people watching the football or rugby. This must be the most homely place in the area surrounding avenue Louise. Next to a very large beer selection they have good food and high quality wines.

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Irish pub michael collins | Bars, Music | Glass of wine € 3
1, Rue du Bailli | Ixelles | +3226446121
08:00 – 01:30 daily

The best way to start your visit in Brussels is by going to Place Poelaert. This place gives a good overview of Brussels. It is especially nice to visit during sunrise or sunset.

You can see all of Brussels buildings in a wonderful panorama. There are binoculars to view the buildings in detail and there is a lift that takes you to the Marolles. You can also walk down following the parking space of the adjacent Palais de Justice.

You can sit on the stone fence to admire the view. On your right there is a beautiful art deco building functioning as a high school and on the left there is the Palais de Justice. Right in front of Place Poelaert is Avenue Louise, following this avenue completely to the end, or taking a tram, will bring you to Bois de la Cambre, a large ‘park’ with a lake (see the Bois de la Cambre article).

The whole area is worthwhile to walk around in and to discover at your own pace and interests.

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Place Poelaert | Art & culture, Relaxing
Place Poelaert | Ixelles
Daily

Metro stop Naamse Poort is the gateway to African shops, various ethnic restaurants, Italian, Greek, Indian, Pakistan, and Belgian cuisine. This is rue Nord, Brussels commercial clothes street converted into a nice area to wander in.

There are also a lot of African barber shops, clothes, food and jewelry shops next to HM, Zara and the usual pack of Belgian stores.

Further down the shop street right in front of the subway you’ll find a park to sit in front of the cities town hall, in Ixelles. Various bars and restaurants add to Matongés cultural offerings.

The Chaussée de Wavre offers mainly restaurants, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indian and Japanese bars and several African shops. There are also various second hand clothes shops and other specialised shops. The prices for food, clothes, or other items in this area are fairly cheap. Be sure to see this area at your own interests and pace.

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Matongé | Art & culture, Bars, Restaurants (Different)
Chaussee de Wavre, Porte de Namur | Ixelles
Daily

When you want to see a good film head to cinema Vendôme. This beautiful venue marks the beginning of Brussels’ African Hub, Matongé (check the Matongé article)

The metro Naamsepoort or porte de Namur is just around the corner and so is the UGC, the cinema where you can see crap from Hollywood. But Vendôme guaranties an interesting cinema outing. They show various European, Asian and African films.

The installation is up to date and the sound is excellent.

The cinema doesn’t host a large crowd but mostly a film respecting and knowledgeable audience. During the year the Vendôme cinema offers various film festival. Like an African film festival, a short film festival, a Chinese film festival and other specific screenings. The ticket booth at the front of the building makes you think of the alternative cinema’s of the 40′s or 60′s. Great viewing and a great experience.

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Cinema Vendôme | Cinemas | Screening € 7.00
Waverse Steenweg 18 | Ixelles | +32206268694
18:00 – 01:00 daily

Therese et Dominique is one of those places where ordering the regular would be a true crime.

Although this is ‘just’ a sandwich bar, it would be a pity to go for the baguette with tuna fish you always eat. Apart from the usual stuff they have a bunch of specialties worth to be discovered. Try for instance an adapted ciccio bello, mozzarella-tomato with sweet peppers and fried aubergine slices, divine.

When the weather is nice I like to take-away my treasure and eat it sitting in the sun of the Poelaert square while doing some tourist watching, but it’s also possible to eat at the place itself, inside or in the cute garden.

Measured by the queues that might appear at the entrance it seems I’m not the only fan of the place, make sure you’re in it. Don’t worry, they work fast, you never have to wait too long.

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Therese et Dominique | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Baguette € 3.50
Dejonckerstraat 23 | Ixelles
Mon – Sat

The Rue Jourdan is one of the places to be when you’re looking for a cozy street full of nice resto terraces in the Louiza Area. Located close to movie theatres UGC Toison d’Or and Vendôme (check the Vendôme article) makes it a good spot for a pre-movie dinner.

Italians are well represented in this street, Al Piccolo Mondo, I Trulli, Il Rinascimento , Il Vecchio Mulino… your pick! Fancy French food? Try a Coq au vin in Le Délire Parisien or French/Belgian cuisine in Au Boeuf Gros Sel while Kwiling will feed the ones looking for Asian kitchen.

Take a look around the corner in Rue Dejoncker for other (and more budget-friendly) options such as Lebanese and Vietnamese restaurants and a regular brasserie.

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Rue Jourdan | Bars, Snacks, Restaurants
Rue Jourdan | Ixelles
Early breakfast – late dinner daily

You can already smell this is a place where you can forget the clichés of the typical Greek restaurants you’ve been to too many times. No giant souvlaki on your plate, sitting between fake Corinthian pillars while you’re being disturbed by bouzouki players bringing serenades at your table.

A typical Greek ouzerie is a place where people come together to drink their ice cold ouzo and enjoy some often cold appetizers, called mezedes. This mezedepoleio of course offers you ouzo, and has a broad selection of delicious cold and warm mezedes.

Fill your table with stuffed peppers, warm saganaki cheese, the Cretan dakos bread, fried aubergines, meat skewers, keftedes meatballs and fish.

Jump into the world of the authentic Greek, Cretan and Mediterranean kitchen and select, mix and share your favorite menu.

Kali oreksi

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Ouzerie mezedopolio | Restaurants (Greek) | Ouzo € 25.00
Chaussée d’Ixelles 235 | Ixelles | +3226464449
Mon – Sat 19:00 – 00:00