Beer in Brussels

Don't forget Les Brigitinnes in BXL

 

What's the best way to get from Brussels Midi to Hotel a la Grand Cloche? Taxi? Train? And should I be buying tickets in advance?

 

Is there a rank at the station or did you have to call for it?

 

If I'm not mistaken it's only a 15 min walk from Midi to La Grand Cloche. So €16 for a cab seems expensive. And Rogier is on the other side of the city, near Brussel-Noord so would be very strange to take a cab there first.
Think you have the wrong station or hotel in mind.

 

We walked but I know you'll have a young child with you so that may be more cumbersome. It's a 15 minute walk at a pretty leisurely pace (1.1 km, 2/3 of a mile) and not a whole lot of traffic to deal with either.

 

Indeed, good sir, I got it mixed up. Sorry about that.
Still wouldn't take a cab for that short distance to La Grand Cloche though.

 

Yeah, think we've decided to walk it. Might be good to stretch our legs!

 

Can anyone recommend the best places in town for:
Cheese:
Chocolate:
Waffles:
Frites:

You can tell where my interests lie! Hope this isn't too off-topic...

 

Frédéric Blondeel is excellent for chocolate, tea, and/or ice cream. I still salivate over their chocolate dipped waffle cone. You have plenty of other options though; even the cheaper bars available at the grocery store are a good value (Cote d'Or, Guylian, Galler, etc).

 

My wife loves the waffles Maison Dandoy Tea-Room on Rue Charles Buls 14. We would get a Leige Waffle every morning on our way to the train station. Resist the urge to get the waffle smothered in chocolate, fruit, ice cream, etc.. The Leige Waffle with a little powdered sugar and warm milk is perfect as is.

 

There's an entire square full of chocolate shops somewhere in the southwest part of the city center...

 

I believe you stated earlier that you might make it to Antwerp, if so try Van Hecke Waffle Haus, Nationalestraat 88. By far, the best waffles I had in Belgium. Cheers

 

Thanks for the help guys, the main thing i'm looking for is the cheese, i'm a bit of a cheesaholic!

 

I found a great little cheese and bread shop while walking around near Place Sainte Catherine. I don't remember the name but it was on Rue Du Vieux Marche aux Grains. It's right near Noordzee La Mer du Nord, one of my favorite places in Brussels! It is our first stop when we arrive and our last meal when we leave.

 

This image, posted on Delerium's Facebook, has put me off going there even more!

 

It's worth a stop if you're in the area when they open. It will look more like the top picture. It's awesome when it's empty and the college kids and people who don't know shit about beer have not yet arrived. Go before 3pm and you'll have free reign of the place and their huge beer menu in the basement. The main floor usually has interesting taps. I'm a germaphobe, but on my first visit the bathroom was so clean that I actually sat on the toilet and dropped a deuce. Go after 3pm and the bathrooms and overall vibe of the place will be nasty.