Many places for students and tourists can be found here, but also some gems in this vibrant entertainment district. We list them here.
HAVE A DRINK
Cafés and lots of terraces here. Especially in the summer, this is a nice place to be.
Around the Halles of Saint-Géry you will find a lot of cafés, where you can often also eat something small.
Check out Mappa Mundo, Roi des Belges and Café Zebra, or go a bit further at Gecko. Personally, this is my favourite, just a bit quieter and a larger selection to eat.
If you prefer a more brown café, you can find Le Coq and Les Brasseurs nearby. There is also a wide choice of beers (including many from Brussels). At Le Coq they serve young Lambic, a sourish beer that is not easily available everywhere.
And the pleasant folk(er) atmosphere comes for free.
DINNER
If you like stoemp or more traditional cooking, Fin De Siècle and 9 et voisin are the right place for you. Especially winter food. You can't make reservations and sometimes you have to queue up, but most of the time it goes very smoothly. Also pay attention to their prices, they are rather strangely rounded after the comma. With the introduction of the Euro (a while ago) they refused to raise their prices and now this gives this funny image.
Rather the type that likes to share the meal? Then go to Bélier Bar/Resto. Tapas style, you choose different dishes to share with your company. They are of a higher culinary level. Wonderful restaurant!
Also ask for their cocktail menu, this is one of the places where the bartenders know what they are serving.
Or go for something more exotic, at Horia they serve Moroccan dishes, often vegetarian too.
SHOPPING
You can do it almost everywhere here!
In Kartuizersstraat, you will find a large interior design shop or the fun gadget shop of Blender01. Le Typographe sells stationery made in Ixelles.
Dansaertstraat and Oude Graanmarkt are a paradise for fashion lovers. For more info, check out the other blog post.