genesys9

Hi All,

Am arriving into BRU at 6:15 PM and leaving on 10:15 AM flight next morning. Would you recommend going out to the city for this short duration to see some of the places or this is just stay in the hotel lay over kind of timing?

Thank you.

Ghentleman

Take a train to Central Station (Brussel Centraal / Bruxelles Central) and walk to the main square (Grote Markt / Grand Place). Have a drink in one of the bars, then walk over to the Royal Galleries (Koninginegallerij / Gallerie de la Reine) and have dinner at Taverne du Passage (and not in the tourist traps in Rue des Bouchers).
Book a hotel near the central station/main square (Novotel, Best Western Premier, Ibis, Le Dixseptième) or the Sheraton at the airport. The other airport hotels require a shuttle and you'll lose time. In the morning, catch a train back to the airport.

fischi

I do this fairly frequently - with all the Africa flights going out of BRU in the morning, but with the ex-DME flights departing in the afternoon. In fact, I'm doing this this Sunday. You absolutely should take advantage of being in Brussels overnight. I've tried a variety of stay options - airport, near airport, town. With the train leaving the airport from underneath the arrivals hall being so convenient, I just don't see the point of staying at the airport for such a late departure. I suggest picking a hotel near the central station (Novotel, for example) or near the north station (Hilton, for example) and enjoy dinner (and beer!) out in town. Central station is a 5 minute walk from the Grand Palace which is both scenic and hosts a cornucopia of restaurants and chocolate shops. If hotel cost is a serious issue there are a few more reasonable B&Bs - check TA.

UA1K_no_more

Here's my plan, and I would appreciate your feedback.
- Traveling in late December.
- I arrive in Brussels at 19:45, and I leave at 10:00 the next day.
- I plan to take the train to Central Station and get a room at a hotel nearby. I don't know how quick luggage service usually is at the airport, but I'm considering to travel with carry-on only to save time at BRU. I think it's reasonable to assume that I can be at the hotel by 21:00-ish.
- Since it would be a shame to go to Brussels without eating mussels and fries, my plan is to find a place near the hotel. I am aware that the restaurants on and around Beenhouwersstraat are very touristy, but I won't have time to venture very far from the Central station area since I'll arrive pretty late. If I had more time, I would consider going to Le Chou Bruxelles or Au Vieux Bruxelles in Ixelles.
Reading FT posts on, there are quite a few posts recommending Aux Armes de Bruxelles (closes at 22:45), while others consider it a an overpriced tourist trap. Chez Leon (closes at 23:00) would be another option, but it seems to be have a "fast food" feeling judging by some comments on FT. Any other mussels-and-fries places close to the central station that are worth visiting instead of Aux Armes de Bruxelles? Taverne du Passage (closes at midnight), as mentioned earlier in this thread, is an option, but the reviews I've read are mixed. How about Restaurant Vincent? Any good?
- Any good places to get a late-night waffle in the central station / Grote Markt area?
- Anything interesting to see at Grote Markt late at night?

Koby

You don't have to venture out very far to get away from the tourist traps. The Sint-Katelijne / Sainte-Catherine area is only a few minutes away, with lots of restaurants.

The last time I had mussels (last year) I had them Le Pré Salé, in that area. But the more recent comments I read are a bit worrying... My prefered place howver for mussels when I was working in Brussels was Restaurant de la Bourse in the same street. But I hesitate to recommend it to others since it's more a snackbar than a restaurant.

If you want to stay at the Grote Markt, 't Kelderke (the one in the basement) is still a decent choice. Open late, and not much of a tourist trap considering the location.

UA1K_no_more

Thank you for your advice. I briefly read about the restaurants in the Sint-Katelijne area, but I didn't realize it was so close to Grote Markt.
Restaurant de la Bourse sounds like a good place to visit, and I don't care if it's a snackbar or a restaurant as long as the mussels are good.
I'll put Le Pré Salé and Restaurant de la Bourse on my "candidate" list.

OB one

Am in Brussels now and it is not exactly mussel season. Staying in Sainte Catherine area. Ate at restaurant sainte catherine last night. Very good fish and beef but no mussels. Colleagues ate at Chez Leon last night ant thought the moules et frites plus a beer were excellent value for money. Ate at Taverne du Passage tonight and my rack of lamb was excellent but the one person who ordered mussels thought the portion was a bit small but decent. nicer atmosphere than chez leon. On Rue de Boucheres don't eat anywhere with hawkers out front. Abd yes Aux Armes is expensive.

UA1K_no_more

Yes, the season has traditionally been September-February in Belgium, but some places serve it all year since they import it.