Gourmet products local specialties and wines Bruxelles - Brussel

Saint-Octave offers cheeses and charcuterie from small farms at home and abroad that focus on quality, tasty products. Their raw-milk cheeses, some home-aged, are superb. So are the charcuterie products from Catalonia and the Ardennes. Saint-Octave is also "responsible" (respect for the seasons and ethical working methods), sustainable (fight against waste, reusable packaging...) and collaborates with micro-breweries for perfect pairings!

Manneke is located a stone's throw from the Grand Place and offers only local products. In Lawrence's unique souvenir shop, everything is Made in Brussels, or at worst, Made in Brabant. From food items such as beers from small brewers, biscuits and confectionery, to recycled items, jewellery, T-shirts, cosmetics and even books on unusual Brussels, this local know-how, which is everywhere, is just waiting to be discovered by the general public.

A little ice cream is always a pleasure and here they are made with quality products (pistachio from Iran, strawberries from Wépion, hazelnuts from Piedmont, good cream from the Ardennes and fresh fruit for the sorbets). All this can be found at Gaston, the baby of Turan and Lucy Ucar. The long queue as soon as the sun is shining is proof of this: the ice creams are delicious. Alongside the classic flavours, there are more daring creations (pineapple-Sichuan pepper, berriolette - a mix of blueberry, raspberry and violet). Milk shakes and pastries are also available.

Papabubble takes you back to childhood! This small, artisanal confectionery literally plunges you into a world filled with sweetness and color, with its candies, lollipops and gummies (gelatin-free, to the delight of vegans). In addition to classic flavors like strawberry, orange, cherry or lemon, there are lots of much more original flavors (starfruit, coconut cream, orange blossom, geranium, aniseed or muscat grape, among others). As well as tasting good, they're very pretty to look at and are made on the spot in front of the customer.

If you're a lover of Japanese cuisine, you'll find everything you need to prepare your gyozas, sashimi and other specialties at this venerable institution: soy sauces, tsuyu, seaweed, mushrooms, noodles, miso paste... and everything you need to prepare your dishes and accompany them: cooking utensils, tableware, Japanese sake and beer, tea.... And if you don't feel like cooking, Tagawa also offers sushi boxes, sashimi platters and more. Other addresses in Stockel and Delta.

Some of the shops of the brand put a product more in the spotlight: at number 49 (rue au Beurre), more meringues; at number 43 (parent company) more chocolate; rue aux Herbes, more nougat... The products are typically Belgian and come from local craftsmen, with a few exceptions. About forty pralines (pure cocoa chocolate), about ten truffles, nougat (from Provence), cuberdons, gingerbread, fruit jellies, biscuits, marzipan, sweets... and we deliberately forget some, for lack of space!

The Chaussée d'Ixelles in Brussels is a pedestrian street located between Porte de Namur and Place Flagey. Once a bustling commercial thoroughfare, it is now mainly known for its many cheap stores and fast-food outlets. Reviews from travelers are mixed, with some describing the street as cluttered and uninteresting, while others appreciate the diversity of shops. Recent renovation work has also been criticized, with unfinished finishes and damaged sidewalks. Despite this, the Chaussée d'Ixelles remains a popular thoroughfare for locals and tourists alike, offering a varied shopping and dining experience.

At Origin'O, the consumer benefits from a contemporary layout and an equally modern range of products. The store offers a very complete range of organic products: vegetables, fruit, a range of organic breads (including sourdough, salt-free and gluten-free). You can also discover their juices, wines, beers, fresh products of the day, natural beauty products, ecological cleaning products. Given the professionalism and the concern for well-being, this is indeed a reference shopping area on Place Saint-Job. Other addresses in Brussels, see website.

The blue hour is the time of day when Mrs. Bijou finds the inspiration to make her creations and Mr. Tea prepares his favorite hot drink. The two passions come together in this unusual concept that works wonders! Creative workshops ofupcycling of jewels or tea initiation workshops are also happily complementing each other, among so many other tempting propositions. Online sales on their website with a magnificent choice of teas of different origins (China, Taiwan, Vietnam...) and qualities (green, matcha, oolong, Pu Er...).

The owner's aim is to unearth less popular craft beers with character. The choices of this small beer cellar are made in contact with the brewers. Malting Pot offers +/- two hundred special beers from home and abroad, classified according to their origin: Brussels, Wallonia, Flanders, Europe, the United States... Malting Pot brews its own beers, but they change regularly. Their beer of the moment is a gose (lightly salted) blond with lime and chili pepper, fruity, refreshing and spicy.

This unique tasting room is located in the center of Ixelles. Here you can sample a wide range of teas, as well as coffee served in stylish teapots and cups. Enjoy a hot drink accompanied by their famous fruit tarts. The old-fashioned setting takes you back to the beginning of the last century and makes you feel like you're in an episode of Downton Abbey. You can also buy teas, infusions and accessories. This downtown address celebrated its 120th anniversary!

Soaps, beauty products, liqueurs, jars, candies, syrups, pollen, royal jelly..., all these products have one thing in common, they are made of honey. You can browse through this shop with its marvellous southern fragrances and discover 100% natural products, honeys that are difficult to find in the shops (we love the lavender honey with its characteristic texture and the orange blossom honey, which is soothing). We will quickly melt with pleasure and follow all the advice generously given.

At the right time of year, you'll find over twenty varieties of mushroom in the window, both cultivated and wild! Count on a dozen or so in normal times, alongside the fruit and vegetables. As champi remains a niche product, Alain Schoorman, the late boss, has diversified his offerings, and his successors continue in the same vein: balsamic vinegar, caramel with fleur de sel, charcuterie, sausages, chocolates, pasta, beer, liqueurs and even this amazing 100% organic birch sap, ideal for detox cures.

Grey, white, baguette, brioche, olive, walnut, onion, sesame... the list goes on. In the boutique, a host of gourmet products await you: honeys, fruit syrups, Dandoy cookies, olive oils, tapenades... As for the breakfast option, it's perfect for those who love pastries, scrambled eggs or fresh orange juice. A bakery, a boutique and a tasting room all in one: the Tout Bon Espace Gourmand concept has been flawless for a quarter of a century!

In his workshop, Frédéric Blondeel pushes the boundaries of chocolate. More discreet than most, he is one of Brussels' finest chocolatiers. A roaster himself, he makes sure his cocoa is of the highest quality, thanks in particular to the machine he inherited from his grandfather. His trademark? The herbs and spices that enhance his creations. In the boutique, you'll find his chocolates and champagnes from small producers. In the tea room: pralines, cookies and pastries, hot chocolate and ice creams made by Frédéric himself.

Excellent beer shop located between the Madeleine church and the eponymous concert hall. The owner is Nepalese, and even if Nepal is better known for its yak milk, Lila Pant has become a reference in beers, mainly Belgian. If the surface is not huge, the choice is large with more than 350 references. A good address and reasonable prices considering its very central location. To satisfy the most passionate, Lila adds postcards and posters.

It is the art of gelato à la florentine that is celebrated at Bargello. In fact, it was in the great Tuscan city that ice cream was born at the court of the Medicis. Here, only noble ingredients (pistachio of Bronte AOC, vanilla of Madagascar, hazelnuts of Piedmont IGP, wine Santo... The list already makes you salivate. In addition to the classics, we recommend the crema, a mixture of tasty ingredients: crema toscana with pistachio and almonds, crema fiorentina with eggs and lemon or crema bargello with mascarpone and coffee. Be patient, the line is long in summer!

Oxfam offers a wide range of food and non-food items, unique and original products made from natural materials and traditional manufacturing. The prices allow thousands of partner-producers from Africa, South America and Asia to make a living. On the food side, rice, chocolates, beers, biscuits, coffee, cereals, oils, spices, juices, teas, wines, honeys, etc., attract lovers of authentic flavours. Their Worldshake juice(grapefruit, orange, banana and beetroot) is well worth a visit.

Artisanal chocolate factory located in the heart of Schaerbeek, founded in 1972! As Easter, St. Nicholas' Day or Valentine's Day approaches, the shop window and display are adorned with classic shimmering attractions that literally grab the passer-by inside the store. Hollows, pralines, decorated or undecorated casts... everything here is a happy reminder of the carefree hours of a childhood not always as far away as one might think. Marzipan and jelly, among other things, are other colourful "madeleines". A classic to be absolutely preserved!

If you are looking for gourmet surprises that you can't find anywhere else, this grocery store on the edge of the Châtelain district is for you. The store is divided into 3 areas: sweet (cookies, jams, sweets...), savory (sauces, terrines, chutneys...) and aperitif (various alcohols, snacks...). Didier has chosen sharp products coming from different horizons, often surprising but always greedy. It's simple, we would devour half of the store by simple curiosity! Fortunately, tastings are offered in the store.

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.

Goat's cheese, raclette varieties, cold cuts, soups can be ordered (by weight, piece or tray) and will transport your taste buds to the pastures... Jams, strawberries (in season), bubbles and chocolates are also available for a complete and copious meal. A real Swiss chalet atmosphere, masterfully orchestrated by Carla Di Falco and her husband! You can smell the aroma of about sixty French, Italian or Belgian cheeses and you arrive straight in Eugène Plasky Square! Special mention for the gorgonzola "à la cuillère"!

Since 1864, when it was the first delicatessen in Namur, the Maison Delahaut has climbed the ladder of excellence in coffee roasting and tea importing. In their Brussels shop, you can find pure origin coffees (Kenya, Brazil, Colombia, Papua or the famous Blue Moutains from Jamaica), blends (their own house blend or Italian blends), organic, bean, ground, pods... the choice is impressive. Let's not neglect the teas and herbal teas (we love the "Royale du panda") and the gourmet baskets.

The little soft cake with a tasty frosting is a real institution. The delights that Lilicup offers us are a variety made in Belgium. Every day, depending on their mood and the season, the pastry chefs offer more than fifteen different flavours. The menu also contains other surprises: brownies, cheesecakes, cookies, muffins... All this can be accompanied by a tea or a cappuccino with milk foam, the only one that should exist... Lilicup has a^second address in Uccle, Chaussée de Saint-Job.

Behind Xocolate is Xavier Declercq who launched his chocolate factory in 2019. All ingredients are organic and fair trade. No wonder this is important to him since Xavier worked for 33 years at OXFAM. In his Schaerbeek store, everything is handmade and you can see the workshop at the back. As for the chocolates, there are the classics: ganache, speculoos, Liège syrup, rum and grapes and other more daring creations with herbs and spices (lemongrass, coriander, cardamom...). His chocolates are powerful but not bitter. A delight!

Wine bar, delicatessen, tapas bar and sandwich bar with the Basque Country in common. You will love the gourmet baskets that are already prepared, but you can also make your own and take advantage of a suspended loyalty booklet. The taste buds travel: bread with pata negra, chorizo or other sheep's cheese for lunch, cooked dishes to enjoy with the family such as piquillos à la bacalao, axoa from Espelette or a glass of wine with friends around a plate of tapas... Groups of 20 to 40 people to taste wine and nibbles

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).

Jean-Marie is at the head of this pretty grocery store specialized in exotic fruits and vegetables. In fact, he is a fruit producer himself, especially pineapples which are grown in Uganda. Just looking at the front of the store, with its full bags of beautiful products, you'll want to come in. Jean-Marie can prepare a fresh juice for you at a moment's notice (you'll just have to be patient for it to be ready) but he also has a catering corner with African specialties, full of freshness. Chocolates, spices and wines finish filling the shelves.

The Lanni ice cream parlour is well known in Brussels, with its pink and blue coloured truck. Now he has also set up shop in Uccle, right next to the town hall. He offers a wide range of home-made ice creams and sorbets and a large assortment of ice cream cakes and pastries. The ice-cream maker gets up at dawn to select his fruit at the morning market (Charentais melon, kiwi, mango, lemon, banana, pear, apple, pineapple or fresh mint and basil). For other hungers, Lanni also offers milkshakes, sandwiches and pasta cones.

Bakers in Poland, the Ciszkowski family has been developing the business in Brussels for about fifteen years now. In total, there are four shops (Ixelles, Anderlecht, Jette, Forest) where local specialities with unpronounceable names for our French-speaking mouths take pride of place. But our taste buds appreciate the caraway or pumpkin bread, the swidry (doughnuts), the rolled cakes or the poppy strudels. Another advantage of these gourmet haunts is that the shops also sell groceries... local products, of course.

L'Épicurieuse is Marianne Lebrun, passionate about artisanal and tasty products. Her mouth waters as soon as she presents each item with its particularities and the spirit of its producers. The shelves are filled with her oils and spices, fresh pasta, nougat, speculoos, truffade, Kusmi tea, Lov Organic infusions, Brussels Ketjep sauces, jams, etc. As for chocolate, it is surprisingly the Swiss brand Carré Suisse that fills the shelf! Never mind, we'll stay for a few gifts to make, in the form of a gift basket for example.

The first cheese bar in the capital is now open in the friendly Saint-Jacques district. Lovers of good cheeses, on your marks, it's on! Véronique Socié is passionate about raw milk, maturing (which she also does) and good cheese. She was a goat breeder in the Jura before training as a cheesemaker at the Saint-Michel cheese factory in Waterloo, and is now at the helm of a superb place. You can enjoy it on the spot with a charcuterie or a Jura wine (or a Belgian beer), or you can take it home to treat your friends.

In this festive neighbourhood near the Ixelles cemetery and the Free University of Brussels, there is a small shop where you can still distinguish between the banal and the perfect. The best spirits and cigars are on offer to make you lose your head. A real "havanathèque" (a nice neologism...), spirits, champagnes and wines of great finesse. As a result, there is only one piece of advice: ask the boss, who knows his subject inside out. He advises novices and gives customers his informed epicurean point of view!

Santos Palace's reputation is well established! The roasting company was founded in 1911 under the name of Compagnie Brésilienne on rue de Manchester (the workshop is still there today). Noël Blondeel, father of the current owner, bought the company 50 years ago and gave it its current name. Santos specializes in the roasting and sale of coffee, accompanying items (biscuits, sugar...) and professional and domestic machines. Blue Mountain, maragogype or mokka reveal their delicate fragrances in the shop where advice is required.

Driven by the same family passion for genuine Belgian chocolate, Christian, Isabelle and their team have been sharing this love for over 15 years, whether in the form of bars, truffles or pralines. Nougatine, speculoos, dark ganache 75%, hazelnut praline, almonds, tiramisu... A sweetness for your palate. L'Art du Chocolat, chocolate maker in Brussels, next to the Grand Place, offers you these numerous choices to which we will add "hollows" for festive occasions (Easter, Saint-Nicolas...), boxes and a small vegan selection.

On the ground floor of the restaurant Tan, this very healthy and organic shop is well known to lovers of organic food and fair trade products. You have to have tasted the tasty preparations of the restaurant and Paul Grégoire's kitchen to realise the quality and the difference in taste of this type of food. So it's not surprising that the shop, advice and books at Tan magasin are just as popular as the restaurant or the cooking classes that are regularly offered there.

We particularly appreciate the possibility of tasting great chateaux but also the "oenology" evenings during which we take a real pleasure between amateurs. Choice among 1,200 references in wines from all over the world and champagnes (including 600 Bordeaux wines and 150 great Burgundy wines, 180 champagnes). Advice from sommeliers and competitive prices. Wine lovers will enjoy the select environment of Fort Jaco to choose from a plethora of great wines that will please their palate.

Pipaillon "embeds" the best of each season to keep the flavours intact. The concept is 100% Belgian, organic and short circuit, the fruits and vegetables are produced by Belgian producers (and Sicilians for the fruits of the South) handpicked. The partners develop the recipes and ensure the production of jams, tapenades, chutneys, compotes and preserved lemons that are a real hit! A Coffee & Jam bar with a vintage decor, offers breakfasts, sandwiches, sweet and savoury cakes with home-made products. Large terrace on the quay.

The shelves, the light, the filled shelves, the shopping carts, it's almost like a Carrefour Market! The shelves offer a really good range of food products, including cereals and dried vegetables in bulk, and wines. A very good fresh and catering corner supplied every day. Not forgetting cleaning products, vitamins and cosmetics. Upstairs, the restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and is totally independent from the shop run by Perry and Nicolas. Shanti means "peace" in Sanskrit...

The Asian quarter of Brussels, however small, has its own supermarket. This one is impressive in its diversity of products, making it the largest Asian supermarket in the country and the exclusive distributor of Tsingtao beer for the kingdom. Products, staff and customers are all Asian, as are the labels written in Mandarin. Rice, noodles, vegetables, sauces, spirits, spices, teas, frozen foods, Chinese remedies and newspapers - nothing has been left out. Including beautiful Chinese or Japanese dishes and utensils.

A little different from the usual assortment of Belgian chocolatiers, the Planète Chocolat assortment offers many personalized products, traditional in manufacture and unusual in design. For example, there are a multitude of themed boxes suitable for all ages and occasions. Don't miss the guided tours of the workshop organised at the weekend (info on the website). It is also possible to book workshops to become a budding chocolatier (also see website).

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).

Who said veganism wasn't gourmet? At Buddy Buddy's, they make dried fruit treats: peanut butter, hazelnut butter, almond butter, cinnamon butter... everything is roasted and toasted on site, and organic. You can either buy them to enjoy at home, or take the time to sit down and drink an oat milk foam cappuccino with a salty toast or a pastry. The look of the café is surprising: it is as if cut in two by a corner painted hazelnut color and the other, creamy white. Bold, like their nut butters!

A newcomer to the Brussels scene, From is the initiative of two cheese enthusiasts: Étienne Boissy is French, Meilleur Ouvrier de France 2004, and his "compère" Bénédicte Dartois, who made a bold shift from finance to dairy products. Passionate people who select their products according to criteria such as raw milk, farm producers, "coups de coeur"... Raw products made from cow's, goat's and sheep's milk, from all over the EEC, but also with a local base that reminds us of this advert from the 1990s: "Belgian cheese? A bit of everything..."

Aksum roasts its coffee beans by hand, directly and uniquely from Ethiopia. From this great coffee nation comes blends with divine fragrances. You can enjoy them according to the time of day or your mood! We love the colourful decor, we can't take our eyes off the real fresco of Ethiopian paintings on the ceiling. The house, a bit underground on the edges, sells coffee beans, jewelry and Ethiopian objects. Beers too, baobab drinks, herbal teas from Senegal and South African wines!

L'Atelier de Pacitti Al reflects the respect of traditions in a wonderful way. The assortment revolves around 250 flavours, including eighteen ice creams offered daily. The recipes are authentic and artisanal, the products are fresh and creative, and the setting is 100% family friendly! In short, a reference! That of a true craftsman who does not hesitate to offer flavours off the beaten track. Examples, among the craziest: foie gras, olive oil (or argan oil and toasted pine nuts!), balsamic vinegar or wasabi... Yes, yes, this is an ice cream parlour!