I’m always vivified strolling in cemeteries (check the Cemetery of Dieweg article) and parks (check the Rood Klooster or Woluwepark article), yet nothing beats a combination of both.
The Cemetery of Brussels is the largest in the Brussels-Capital Region, located in the northeast municipality Evere. Starting at the end of the 18th century onwards, rapid population growth forced dead citizens out of the city centre. That’s why today many cemeteries are to be found on the outskirts.
Opened in 1877, the 400.000 m² Cemetery of Brussels was designed as an English landscape garden. It makes for a park in which to get lost among avenues and cobblestone streets, ramshackle graves and sepulchres, grass and greenery. Funerary art will incite mournful musings not only on your own mortality, but also others': impressive monuments and graveyards for the Waterloo Battle (1815), Belgian Revolution (1830) and Belgian, British, German and Russian World War victims are strewn across the site.
Most ironically, a few eternal tenants in this city of the dead testify to some destructive episodes in Brussels’ architectural history. Politicians Charles de Brouckère’s and Jules Anspach’s names live on in Brussels’ central boulevard, for the construction of which a thousand houses disappeared in the 1870s, and politician Paul 'Manhattan' Vanden Boeynants was responsible for the North district’s demolition in the 1960s.
Fun fact to counter all this gloom: look for Adolphe Quetelet, who coined the Body Mass Index (BMI). That’s right. A mathematician from Belgium - land of chocolate, fries, beer and waffles - invented the BMI.
Find your way with 292 Insider Tips from our Local Spotters
With an extravagant vintage decore, the bar takes its name from Queen Fabiola, a Spanish noblewoman who was a very beloved Queen consort of the Belgians.
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With a cozy interior and a pleasant scent of toasted coffee beans, Caleo offers different options for brunch, from viennoiseries to delicious pancakes.
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The name Nenu comes from the Vietnamese concept of “an nhau”, a style of drinking and eating culture, sharing small and large plates with friends & family.
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If you come with a group, I suggest taking the “Moriawase” (Japanese for “assortment”), a larger plate that is easier to share and to try different things.
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Peaking at my neighbors' plates, I decided to try the bass with garlic oil, ginger, and furikake, and the tartare de boeuf with pepper mousse and pickles on the side.
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The stars of the menu are the homemade fluffy pancakes - an explosion of flavors, which come in different flavors, including a tiramisu and matcha version.
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As a meat lover, I absolutely enjoyed the dishes based on Iberic pork, including the spare ribs and the Jiang Rou Bao, which literally melted in my mouth.
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At Piola the specialty of the house is the “Siciliana o’ Cornicione” pizza, but it is only for the bravest: it comes with a ricotta cheese stuffed crust.
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Mexican dishes with popular central American influences. But be ready to share: the options are way too many (and delicious) to just get one dish.
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One bite and you will forget all about your next day’s meetings or other adult-life tasks. Crispy fries and fried chicken come as an extra...
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If beer is not your cup of tea, and you fancy some charcuterie boards, then Etiquette is the place for you with its vast selection of wines from all over.
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Kaiju are giant monsters featured in Japanese fantasy and science fiction films and television programs. Once I stepped into this place, it all made sense.
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292 Insider Tips from our local Spotters
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