There is only one thing a great city needs: a quick escape route to the countryside! The Ketelhoeve (FR: Ferme du chaudron, EN: Kettle farm) in Anderlecht is the perfect getaway.
I grew up in a small village in West Flanders. Surprisingly, a large part of Brussels quite resembles the rural scenery of my youth: Neerpede in Anderlecht. It is one of the last historical remains of the Flemish rural countryside that surrounded Brussels for centuries. Vast fields, small winding streets, puffing tractors and ponds with ducks define Neerpede. Also, it is dotted with farms. One of them is the Ketelhoeve.
This late 19th-century farm was handed over from generation to generation in the family Snoeck. Until 2024, it was fully renovated and reopened as a hub revolving around local and fair food. Several Brussels organizations team up on the Ketelhoeve site. Together, they make sure everyone can enjoy a perfect bucolic day out.
Foodies eat in the Gastrosophes restaurant, offering delicious meals based on rescued biological food. Homeless people can enjoy a DoucheFLUX solidarity meal. Shopaholics buy locally in the lovely convenience store with fruits, vegetables and herbs from the nearby Champ du Chaudron field, Kiekebich sourdough bread or other regional products. Learnthusiasts participate in cooking, agriculture or composting workshops. And while heat seekers sit up a sweat in the Koti Sauna, sporties just go jogging around the ponds to the same end.
Every time I go, the Ketelhoeve proves: it can be hard leaving the countryside for the city.
Find your way with 294 Insider Tips from our Local Spotters
A simple but still refined style characterizes this café, which at night becomes a warm wine bar with small plates to share.
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The Perché rooftop bar is on top of the JAM hotel, which is why not many people wander up here, but it's so worth it! It has a great view and comfy chairs.
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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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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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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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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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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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294 Insider Tips from our local Spotters
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Escape the Crowd & Travel Slow 🐌
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