Brussels on a Monday

On Mondays, most shops are open in Brussels. So, you can enjoy the high street fashion shops on Rue Neuve or on Chaussée d'Ixelles at your leisure. Looking for a special souvenir, a vintage collectable or an authentic market? Then make your way to the Marolles. Here you’ll find plenty of antique stores and vintage boutiques. At the iconic Jeu de Balle flea market, you can uncover trinkets, old photos, vintage furniture or second-hand clothing any day of the week. On Monday mornings, Place Flagey in Ixelles, Place de Helmet in Schaerbeek and Place Saint-Job in Uccle offer typical fruit, vegetable and flower markets. 

Enough shopping. Time for lunch. Sink your teeth into Belgian tradition with a richly filled roll from Pistolet Original. Treat your taste buds to a trip to the Far East at Chou Sando. For pita fans, there is only one address: the artisanal pitas from Fava are a must. At Les 4 jeudis, a completely vegan address close to Madou and the European Quarter, everything is homemade, organic, gluten-free and above all absolutely delicious.

Brussels is a city that’s made for strolling. Besides its distinctive mix of architectural styles, quite a few Belgian and international artists have decorated the city with their colourful graffiti. Out and about with the kids or a comic book fanatic yourself? Feast your eyes and explore one of the capital's many street art routes or comic strip walls.

Is the city too crowded for you? With more than 8,000 hectares of parks, gardens, woodland and even a forest, Brussels is one of the greenest capitals in Europe. There are plenty of parks to explore. Not an avid hiker or prefer to take a breather after a stroll? In Brussels Park, Cinquantenaire Park and King Baudouin Park, among others, you can visit a guinguette pop-up bar or a kiosk for a snack or drink any day of the week.

Avid cyclists can explore Brussels at their own pace with one of eight themed cycling routes on the cycling node network. Pedal from the absolute must-sees in the city centre, past the Atomium, to more remote and unknown spots.

All that walking and biking have, no doubt, made you thirsty. It’s the perfect excuse to sample Brussels' vibrant beer culture. Brussels brewery Cantillon is open on Mondays. Visit the brewery and learn all about gueuze, lambic and kriek as you sample them. BeerSecret also hosts tours of two craft breweries on Mondays. Prefer to drink your pint in peace at a pub or on a terrace?  Moeder Lambic, La Porte Noire, Les Brasseurs and À La Mort Subite are all cosy pubs with an extensive beer collection. In the majestic, magnificently renovated Bourse building, the interactive exhibition Belgian Beer World teaches you all about the history of Belgian beer. End your visit with a moment of relaxation on the sublime Beerlab roof terrace.

Do you prefer grapes to barley? Did you know that Brussels has its own local wine grower? Gudule Winery is a wine producer in the heart of our capital, without a vineyard. Unfortunately, you can only visit this urban winery at weekends, but you can find a glass of Gudule or other Belgian wines at these wine bars.

Fancy a lovely, extended meal or want to round off Monday with a romantic dinner? Fish lovers can head to the traditional seafood restaurants Beaucoup Fish and La belle Maraîchère , to COOQUUM if you love avant-garde gastronomy, and to L'écailler du Palais Royal for rock-solid tradition in an elegant setting. Please note that the dress code there is casual chic.

Prefer something a little less formal? At Nona you can eat delicious Neapolitan pizza in a relaxed setting. And we do talk about Fight Club as the place to be for New York-style pizza. The taste of Mumbai can be sampled at Mission Masala Bombay BBQ, or you can eat like Ed Sheeran at Gault & Millau's "Asian of the Year" Old Boy, Brussels' hippest street food joint.   

At Le Longue Vie and Mome in Ixelles and L'Altitude in Forest original creations can be shared. And the typical Belgian brasserie cuisine can be found at Les Potes en Toque in Ganshoren, Moutarde in Ixelles or Le Pigeon Noir in Uccle.  

Here is a list of all the capital's restaurants.