The best bakeries Belgium

It used to be said that "where the brewer goes, the baker does not". But here, these two trades are reinforced because we brew and knead. The bread is made with natural leaven and organic flours low in gluten. There are several kinds, they are all superb! As for the Funky beer, it is brewed partly with unsold bread. As for the dregs, the residues of the brewing, they go to the kneading trough. The loop is closed, nothing is wasted and the quality of the products is great! The brewing place is the Brussels Cooperative Brewpub (CoHop).

Charli is green, organic, 100% natural... a true friend of nature! Charles Reboulet is off the beaten track! You must try his fig and almond demi-gris or his apple tarte tatin. Through the windows of the workshop, you can see the breads made from long-fermented dough (from 24 hours to 4 days!). A few seats are available for tasting. As an alternative to (small) breakfasts that are often not very nutritious, Charli Saléoffers, on the other side of the street, a (small) quality restaurant, highlighting artisanal productions.

Inaugurated at the end of February 2020 at the start of the pandemic, Fine Bakery has nothing to fear from the day after. No one could resist the crisp sourdough breads, the delicately flaky croissants, the French-style pastries such as this brioche lyonnaise with pink praline, the small savoury and sweet tarts... The bakery is in the back of the store, exhaling its aromas. As for the baker and his companion, they are on hand to serve and explain their daily production. Another gourmet address for Sablon and Uccle (^2nd boutique).

For five generations, Bevernaege has been known for its delicious, soft marzipan in various forms. The famous "lingot", a biscuit cake with raspberries and caramelized Italian meringue, is a must. There are also 13 types of bread (sourdough and baked the old fashioned way), pure butter cookies and homemade chocolates. Everything is guaranteed without flavour enhancers. The lightly toasted toast, sprinkled with cinnamon, is a must to rediscover the flavours of yesteryear.

Renowned pastry shop existing since 1990, the success can be seen on Sunday morning! The list of breads is long: white, grey, omega +, procorn, rye, sesame, vita +, cramic, fig bread, 10 cereals... We also like their buttery cakes, their creamy pies (fruits, rice, sugar...), ice creams and frozen cakes. Not to mention the marzipan figurines. Note that the production workshops are located on the spot, in order to keep the freshness and the warmth (of the baguettes for example). The service is impeccable despite the crowd of gourmands.

The Portuguese origins of Rui and his wife Emilia can be seen in the assortment... Of course, they sell the classic farmhouse breads and "French" baguettes, but next to the delicious pasteis de nata, you'll find their famous corn bread and a bunch of "good as over there" sweets, with orange or cinnamon. In a nod to their adopted homeland, the bakers have found a home in a superb Art Nouveau house. If you're afraid to share at home, you can also enjoy it on site, in the tea room.

There are countless French- and German-style bakeries in Brussels, but it's a Franco-English couple, Robert Hiller and Marianne Rousson, who are behind the city's only English-style bakery. Mind you, Robert and Marianne are not exclusive: alongside buns (both sweet and savoury), there are baguettes and rye breads. But it's obviously the buns that will catch the eye (and the taste buds): Cinnamon bun with cinnamon, Chelsea bun with redcurrants, Hot Cross with raisins... Plenty of variety.

Son of a baker, Romain Fiume and his wife Weronika came to settle in a small shopping street of Woluwé-Saint-Pierre and this brand new bakery has already seduced many inhabitants of the district with its breads made of organic flour, with slow growth and natural leaven. Opened on the eve of the Epiphany, La Petite Grange has also launched itself directly into the world of puff pastries and the reputation of the house is already well established in this field. The croissants and pains au chocolat are marvelous and the pastries are not to be outdone.

As a branch of the French parent company, the company delights both lovers of good pastries and gluten intolerant people. Chambelland has made this digestive speciality its own: all its products are guaranteed 100% organic and gluten-free! And there is no question of making concessions to quality, taste or visual pleasure, which are all important parameters when it comes to bread or sweet treats. The breads are made from buckwheat or rice flour (from the Po Valley, optimally processed in the Chambelland mills).

What makes one bakery better than another? At Saint-Aulaye, we have been finding the answer to this question for over thirty years: respect for tradition. The best ingredients, the time needed for a good preparation, the refusal to favour the quick and dirty. This philosophy gives rise to melting croissants like you won't find anywhere else, breads and cakes of all kinds. Two other addresses, in the Châtelain district and in Fort Jaco (Uccle).

A family history that began with the parents in 1967 in Butgenbach and then in Malmedy in 1970. But it is the children Luc and Marion who have been perpetuating the case since 1997. Artisanal production of local products such as milk from the farm next to the workshop, butter from Bullange, rye flour from the Eiffel or honey from our own production. The sourdough bread, rye bread and wholemeal bread (very dark, almost black) make the reputation of this bakery that has been passed down through the generations just like the pastries that are to die for.

Coming to Dinant without tasting its famous couque is like going to Cambrai without bringing back any nonsense. Although one is as hard as the other under the tooth, this treat is part of the trip. The Jacobs family has been in the traditional bakery-pastry business for three generations, and has won accolades all over town for its famous couques. The tasting room, paneled with period furniture, is ideal for a break with pastries and coffee served in a cafetiere.

As this bakery is well named: Bakkersdochter, that's the baker's daughter in Dutch. Jacques Vanderstraeten, the father, is in the bakery and Heleen, the daughter, in the store. A winning team that has taken over a small store but full of good things: breads, cakes, pastries, cookies but above all, THE sweet speciality of Hasselt: speculaas (not speculoos). They are indeed cousins, but instead of being a flat, dry cookie, the speculaas is curved, slightly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. A must-try.

A Frenchman who has lived in Belgium for a quarter of a century, Laurent Richard has made a name for himself by delivering his bread to such prestigious establishments as the Villa Lorraine and Rob's grocery stores. Using additive-free flours, he produces a range of particularly tasty breads. From the Ganshoren workshop (80 people work there), a thousand loaves, ten thousand rolls and six thousand pastries are produced every day to supply the five shops and the "professional" customers. The Court of Belgium would even be part of this clientele...