Sometimes you need to live far away from a place for a very long time to start to appreciate it. Sometimes you need to take a step back, and look at it from another angle to understand what you’ve missed the first time. We’ve both changed in four years, evolved, grown up, welcomed some grey hairs, but I remember now why I’ve always loved you.Brussels, you are full of human warmth. And now, you are also filled with awesome coffee shops pour mon plus grand bonheur d’instagrameuse redoutable.
The “culture” of the coffee house has hit Brussels in its heart, and the city is now home to many cool coffee shops. But why? Why we slowly abandoned the idea of sipping our Lavazza coffee in a non aesthetic cup standing at a bar au profit du coffee art? Gentrification? The desire to become a little Brooklyn? A sudden passion for coffee beans, vegan cakes, and cold brew? I don’t have the answer (but many more theories), I’m just glad that all these coolish spots made Starbucks has been. Who wants to take the picture of a cardboard cup with your misspelled name on it when you can have barista art inside of a ceramic cup?
Non je ne me moque pas, you just need to have a look at my Instagram to understand that I’m dead serious. It took me years to like coffee, to appreciate this little ritual between me and my cuppa. When I could feel awkward being alone in a bar or a restaurant, the coffee shop is a place where I feel good alone. There is a real culture around the coffee house (“I’ll be there for youuuu”), so I wanted to share with you my go to places when I’m in Brussels.
Café Capitale
Without a doubt my favourite coffee shop in Brussels. Not only they are roasting their own beans (which gives it a very rich flavour), but you actually have the feeling that the person making your coffee knows what they are doing. Both of their spots are quiet small, but friendly with cool outdoor space. Definitely a place for the café connoisseurs. Le petit truc en plus? Matcha on the menu.
Hinterland
Conveniently located 5 minutes away from my house, Hinterland aka the ultimate urban refuge became a must in the capital for anyone looking for an eco-friendly spot with healthy (but absolutely not boring) food . More than a pretty place (you could easily feel like you are in a stylish cabin in Sweden), Hinterland is pioneering in many domains : sustainability and turmeric latte (easy to find in London but it is the first time that I spot some in Brussels). Did I mention how cosy is Hinterland, and how tasty is their coffee brewed in house? Le petit truc en plus? Yummy breakfast and homemade cakes.
Le Café du Sablon
When I learned that the team behind le Café du Sablon was the same than Café Capitale I was not surprised. High quality coffee, homemade cakes, professionals baristas, and cool interior design perfectly located between le petit and le grand Sablon. Less intimate than Café Capitale, it’s a perfect spot for larger groups. Le petit truc en plus? They are only few steps away from the coolest art galleries in town.
Café LULU
It was my first trying out Café LULU, and it was almost impossible to not like the concept : A little coffee shop located in a design/furniture store in a massive space in the heart of the Chatelain. Even though the kitchen was closed, we tried out some of their salads, drinks and deserts and everything was fresh and yummy. Their matcha latte was my favourite so far in Brussels, and god knows I have high expectations when it comes to my favourite green powder. Café LULU is a perfectly curated spot, but still feels homy and cosy. Le petit truc en plus? Their inspiring design selection and setting.
As you can imagine I could go on forever, so this post will have a part II featuring other cute coffee shops like My Little Cup or Belga & Co.
And you, where do you get your cuppa in Brussels?
The Bubblist 
My little Cup et Moka coffee (tu connais?). J’aime de plus en plus tes postes LIFESTYLE, continue!
Je connais pas Moka mais je note pour mon prochain séjour. Merci pour ton soutien 😉
Lavazza c’est la vie, toi même tu sais 😉
La base!
First time reading your blog. I moved to Brussels few weeks ago from Berlin and love the city so far. I don’t feel the gentrification but a very similar vibe than in Berlin. I will keep an eye on The Bubblist and try your coffee spots and art suggestions.
PS: beautiful Instagram feed
Thanks Natan. Welcome to Brussels so! I hope my blog will help you to discover some spots. There are a lot of cool local blogs to follow to learn more about the city hidden gems.
Super article plein d’humour (et de vérité). Pour ma part le café de la presse car pas loin de l’unif.
Merci Lisa! Oui un bon classique également qui je le pense fait également partie de la team Café capitale 🙂
Visiting Brussels in February, I will try them all 😉 Looking forward for your Brussels art guide as well.
Coming soon 🙂
OR café- closer to my studio, really sweet people. They do have Matcha, too. Rumor has it they were the local pioneers.
I need to try them out Maria! Since I published the article last night a lot of readers are telling me about it. It’s on my list 😉 Thanks for sharing.
Mmmmmm j’ai envie de tout tester. Je serais à Bruxelles en mars pour un stage de trois mois, parfaite occasion pour découvrir tes adresses café et arty! Bonne journée
Super ca!
Ton article m’a fait sourire, en espérant en voir de plus en plus comme celui-là. Un bon mardi à toi in London.
Merci Sophie 😉
Bonjour, petite question indiscrète: avec quoi prends tu tes photos? Merci d’avance pour ta réponse. J’adore ton blog et ton univers sur Instagram.
Merci Alice, avec mon bon vieux Smartphone (Samsung). Un jour k investirait dans un bon appareil mais j en ressent pas trop le besoin pour le moment. Heureuse que mon univers te plaise, merci pour le soutien.
J’aime j’aime j’aime. Tu devrais plus “nous” écrire en français! Bisous
Oui c’est vrai on me le demande beaucoup. Il faut que j’essaye d’alterner 😉
Le café lavazza haha Eva golri 😉
Eva toujours golri (ou non) 🙂
Je découvre ton blog aujourd’hui, une seule question : comment ne l’ais je pas vu avant ! Bravo.
Bienvenue Julia!! Et merci pour le soutien 😉
Hello Eva. I must say that I saw the Matcha hype as something a bit overrated. But, that was until I tried it myself 🙂 ! Happy to hear that they sell it at le Café du Sablon, only 5 steps away from where I work, yessss. Thanks for the info.
You are very welcome ! Matcha is tasty, and has a lot of virtues (and is a good alternative to coffee as well) but yeah it’s a trend at the moment 😉 Try also the one from café Lulu and Café Capitale (really close from the Sablon too). Ice matcha latte are also so good, I’m making my own every day with Taiki Tea (you can by it online, it’s organic and my favourite at the moment). Looking forward to read your post about London 🙂
Hello 🙂
Nice reviews. Maybe a very personal opinion but I think that Jat also deserves a place on this list 😊
I’ve slready tried all 4 mentioned in this article and they are all awsome.
Ah,almost forgot, Caffe de la Presse aussi
Hi Ruxandra! Jat is definitely a great spot (I love their chai latte ans their bagels), will probably be on the part 2 🙂 Café de la Presse is also a good one, I’m less in this area so don’t go to often but when I was a student I used to love to stop there. Thanks for sharing your favourite spots with us 🙂
Belles tes photos! Fait nous plus d’articles lifestyle, on aime!
Merci beaucoup, c’est prévu 😉
These are on my list for when I travel to Brussels!
❤️