Cool quarters

Once you’ve seen Brussels’ main sights, why not explore some of the city’s unique neighbourhoods? Armed with this brief guide to three hip districts, you’ll be on well on your way, says Renée Cordes

Châtelain Chic

It’s hardly surprising that the area known simply as “the Châtelain” is so popular among young professional expatriates and Belgians alike. Nestled between Avenue Louise and Chaussée de Charleroi, the neighbourhood boasts a bevy of designer boutiques, arty bookstores and welcoming cafés. “It really started to flourish over the past five or six years,” explains Charleroi native Marc Rochet, who at the time opened accessory studio/shop l’Atelier (99 Rue de l’Aqueduc, tel: +32 (0)2 534 8828) here with his wife, Micheline, because of the central location and the affordable rents.

Art nouveau architect Victor Horta lived here long before it became trendy, in a house he designed that’s now a museum (25 Rue Américaine, tel: +32
(0)2 543 0490). Once you’ve had your culture fix, start your shopping spree at the Parvis de la Trinité which leads you straight to the the bustling rue du Bailli and Place du Châtelain, where there’s a lively outdoor market every Wednesday at 2pm until late.

The quarter is ideal for quirky gifts. Pick up bespoke jewellery (felt necklaces are the current craze) or a leather bag at l’Atelier, or an outlandish cuckoo clock at Rose (56-58 Rue de l’Aqueduc, tel: +32 (0)2 534 9808).

Dédée K (18 Rue de l’Amazone, tel: +32 (0)2 549 1596) sells affordable costume jewellery. Or head to Peintre Fraîche (10 Rue du Tabellion, tel: +32 (0)2 537 1105) to browse the art books. There’s also a range of designer shops for you to take your pick from. Mais Il Est Ou le Soleil? (38 Place du Châtelain, tel: +32 (0)2 537 8277) sells affordable comfy-yet-pretty women’s clothes, as does the brand-new Blackberry (1 Parvis de la Trinité, tel: +32 (0)2 544 0722). Splurge on a Diane van Furstenberg creation at Greta Marta (58 Rue de l’Aqueduc, tel: +32 (0)2 534 8824) or an evening gown from B.A. Pendisi (19 Rue du Page, tel: +32 (0)475 268 119). The tempting Eva Luna (41 rue du Bailli, tel: +32 (0)2 546 4645) sells beautiful lingerie.

After your spree, satisfy your sweet tooth with a cream-filled chocolate manon from Irsi (15 Rue du Bailli, tel: +32 (0)2 648 7050), a Brussels institution since 1929, or try home-made ice cream from Le Framboisier Doré (35 Rue du Bailli, tel: +32 (0)2 647 5144). Restaurant La Quincaillerie (45 Rue du Page, tel: +32 (0)2 533 9833) a former hardware store, is worth a visit for the stunning Antoine Pinto-designed interior alone.

Dansaert Fashion

About 20 years ago Brussels’ Rue Antoine Dansaert was in a state of neglect and decay; today it’s the place to be if you’re a Belgian designer. It all started when Stijl (74 Rue Dansaert, tel: +32 (0)2 512 0313) opened its doors in 1984, laying the cornerstone for a hip fashion district that today extends from the Bourse to the canal in the centre of town.

Get your bearings with the excellent area guide published by fashion-promotion agency Modo Bruxellae (38 Rue Léon Lepage, tel: +32 (0)2 502 5264), or just amble aimlessly. Most of the shops are quite small and intimate, with designer-owners often on the premises to advise you.

Stijl remains a benchmark of Belgian fashion, featuring men’s and women’s clothing by Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, Xavier Delcour and other notables, and award-winning newcomer Cathy Pill. Olivier Strelli (44 Rue Antoine Dansaert, tel: +32 (0)2 512 0942) draws inspiration from his native Belgian Congo, while Nicolas Woit (80 Rue Antoine Dansaert, tel: +32 (0)2 503 4832), a former Barbie-doll collector, creates long, flowing dresses that evoke a romantic bygone era.

Off the beaten track, you’re likely to stumble across a T-shirt that converts into trousers and other quirky items at Aleksandra Paszkowska’s Y-Dress? (102 Rue Antoine Dansaert, tel: +32 (0)2 502 6281). Accessorise with a hat from Christophe Coppens (2 Rue Léon Lepage, tel: +32 (0)2 512 7797), whose studio is on the nearby Place du Nouveau Marché aux Grains; or fancy footwear from Hatshoe (89 Rue Antoine Dansaert, tel: +32 (0)2 512 4152), in a nifty Art Deco building.

Take a break from the fashionista scene at Alice Gallery & Shop (182 Rue Antoine Dansaert, tel: +32 (0)2 513 3307), which rotates exhibitions devoted to “emerging artistic movements” every seven weeks. For lunch, refuel on soup or quiche at the funky Arteaspoon (32 Rue des Chartreux, tel: +32 (0)2 513 5117 or a salad from Le Pain Quotidien (16 Rue Antoine Dansaert, tel: +32 (0)2 502 2361), saving room for dessert.

Lunch or dinner is always fun at Comocomo (19 Rue Antoine Dansaert, tel: +32 (0)2 503 0330), a Basque tapas eatery where you grab food as it passes on a conveyer belt (plates are colour-coded according to the type of cuisine) and eat with your fingers. Design your own French-Mediterranean dinner at Switch (6 Rue de Flandre, tel: +32 (0)2 503 1480, where diners choose from a selection of ingredients, cooking methods and condiments.

Historic Marolles

Sunday is the perfect day for strolling through the Marolles, where antique shops along the Rue Haute and the Rue Blaes will all be open. One of Brussels’ oldest and liveliest neighbourhoods, this area, anchored by the Palais de Justice and the Notre Dame de la Chapelle, is a melting pot of immigrants and cultures.

Excluded from the confines of the 13th-century city wall, this notoriously feisty part of town – one of the few places where the Bruxellois dialect is still heard – has always been inhabited by the fringes of society. Today, there are mainly Moroccans, Turks and Spaniards living here. The Marolles gets its name from the 17th-century Marion Colentes nuns, later shortened to Mari-Cole and finally to Marolles. The Marolles’ most famous resident, 16th-century painter Pieter Brueghel the Elder lived at Rue Haute 132, and is buried at Notre Dame church.

Start your shopping spree at the flea market on the Place du Jeu de Balle, here since 1919, open daily from 6am-2pm. It’s the place where comic strip character Tintin found a model ship in one of his many adventures. Afterwards, breakfast on a hearty omelette at cosy vegetarian eatery Het Warm Water (25 Rue des Renards, tel: +32 (0)2 513 9159). Just across the way, the Utopia-Gallery (16 Rue des Renards, tel: +32 (0)475 81 75 10) boasts an impressive collection of Tintin collectibles assembled by Alain Van Neyghen. Don’t miss the outdoor comic-strip frescoes featuring Roby’s Boule and Bill on Rue du Chevreuil near the flea market, and Quick and Flupke, by Tintin creator Hergé, at the corner of Rue Haute and Rue des Capucins. A comprehensive guide is available from the Centre Belge de la Bande Dessinée, 20 Rue des Sables, tel: +32 (0)2 219 1980.

You could while away hours strolling in and out of the shops on Rue Haute and the parallel Rue Blaes, which stock everything from kitsch to class. Espace 161 (161 Rue Haute, tel: +32 (0)2 502 3164) is the place to go for mounted stag heads and antique mirrors; it’s a massive 1,300-sq-metre space used by several dealers. New de Wolf (91 Rue Haute, tel: +32 (0)2 511 1018, and 46 Rue Blaes, tel: +32 (0)2 503 3836) is a wonderland of trinkets and household items. For dinner, you can’t go wrong with French restaurant l’Idiot du Village (19 Rue Notre Seigneuer, tel: +32 (0)2 502 5582).