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La Belgique Gourmande located on rue de la Colline (the street leading to the Grand place) is just one of the two thousands stores in the country selling chocolate. Wherever you may be in Brussels or Belgium you can be certain never to be far from one. Export numbers for these much in demand truffles and pralines amount around 200 000 tons yearly alone. PS: We do eat a lot of them ourselves as well

 

Handmade Belgian chocolate store

 

Close up on the pralines and truffles

 

Various kinds of chocolates

 

A Fountain of melted chocolate is seen just under the store sign

Tags: Belgian chocolate, Belgian specialties, Belgian Truffles, pralines

Located at 8 Rue Faider, 1050 Brussels is this Art Nouveau style privately owned house that was built for a photographer by Architect Albert Roosenboom (1871-1941) in 1900.  The artist let his imagination run free with the flamboyant facade with its ironwork ornament balcony and Sgraffito of a languishing women surrounding the top window. Student of Victor Horta his influences can be noticed.

facade at 8 Rue Faider

Armand Van Waesberghe’s Sgraffito of a pre-Raphaelite women

Tags: 8 Rue Faider, Albert Roosenboom, Art Nouveau, brussels, bruxelles

la Bécasse which first opened in 1877 is another typical cosy old style tavern of Brussels with its interior gorgeously all made out of wood. Once seated friendly waiters dressed in their traditional monastic style costume made of black and white will promptly bring you the impressive beer menu. They are renowned for their Lambic beer which you should join with oner of their plates of cheese and sausages. Located at 11 Rue de Tabora just next to the Bourse.

Be on the lookout for that “A la Bécasse” neon sign

Tucked away down a narrow alley street you will find its entrance.

The view I got seated at a table downstairs with the main entrance in the back

The bar

View from the opposite side

There is another less interesting room upstairs

Last glimpse of the back of the café as I leave

Tags: brussels, bruxelles, cafe, la becasse

The Mitraillette is a typical Belgian fast food snack that is serve in just about anyone of the small fries vending shops or restaurant commonly called friterie in French or Fritkot in Dutch.

It’s composed of half a baguette with inside some form of meat (there are countless variations such as sausages, pita, fish, chicken,..) though most basic version would be with hamburger meat. To this is added a bit of salad and tomatoes which is to be then submerged in fries and topped by one of about 15 different possible sauces available.

 

Tonight’s combination was a Mitraillette mergues frites

Tags: Belgian specialties, brussels, bruxelles, food, friterie, Mitraillette

La cure gourmande is candy store where they sell a wide variety of home made sweets. First opened in 1989 their initial idea was to reintroduce the good old ancient traditional products that were popular a hundred or so years ago. They have since branched out around 25 stores around France and Belgium and now most recently opened a new outlet in Barcelona. This one is located at 38 rue au beurre on the street that takes you to the Grand Place.

 

The colorful exterior of La cure Gourmande

 

A selection of their cookies

 

Candy sold either individually or by the bucket

 

The Caramel section

 

Everything in the store is sure to attract the eye with its flashy colors

Tags: brussels, bruxelles, candy, food, la cure gourmande, Stores