Page 96 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Belgium & Luxembourg

94  BEL GIUM AND L UXEMBOURG REGION B Y REGION

Brussels’s Cafés and Bars

A long history of conviviality lies behind Brussels’s countless cafés
and bars. Brewing has been a major industry here since medieval
times, when the tavern was an important social hub. During the
19th century, the culture of the coffeehouse combined with the
time-honoured traditions of the tavern to produce elegant and
sophisticated cafés where men and women could meet with
decorum and still enjoy a drink in the customary Belgian way. Many
contemporary cafés and bars remain delightfully rooted in the past,
while others bristle with ultra-modern style, but all are heirs to the A waiter in a traditional tabard
same tradition of hospitality. apron at Le Roy d’Espagne

Mappamundo, in
the trendy St-Géry
district, keeps long
hours, like many bars.
It often brims over
with thirsty customers
spilling out onto the
outside tables. It
serves a variety of
Belgian beers and is
a great place to
unwind over a drink
and snacks.

Places with Character
Le Roy d’Espagne is a two-tiered bar
occupying the elegant guildhouse of
the bakers in the Grand Place. The
atmospheric interior famously has
characterful decor. It is a fine place to
sample the best Trappist beers and
traditional tavern food.

Café Metropole is the café-cum-bar of one of
Brussels’s most prestigious hotels, with an interior
lavishly decorated in 18th-century French style. The
terrace is the place to see and be seen. Despite its
grand air, everyone is made welcome.

Le Falstaff, facing the Bourse, is famous for its
authentic Art Nouveau decor featuring stained
glass, mirrors, lamps and woodwork.
This popular bar, café and restaurant seems
to have bottled the atmosphere of 1903,
the year of its creation.

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