*Before you start reading this post, please bear in mind it is all about chocolate, chocolate bars, sweets containing chocolate and hot chocolate. Don’t read it if you don’t like chocolate. If you are a chocoholic (like me), you will probably love it! After this post you will surely crave some CHOCOLATE.
Here I am in my paradise. There is chocolate everywhere I look and I am in love with Brussels (I mean I am in love with chocolate). I was even more excited and happy when I was welcomed to every chocolate shop and was given a free chocolate. I was always asked “Would you like to taste our luxurious chocolate, Madam?” (OH YES! PLEASE!)
Brussels is called the “Chocolate city“. Why? Maybe because of THIS
The local chocolate is widely considered as the best in the world (After eating 10 boxes of various chocolate I can confirm it). The most famous are handmade chocolate balls known for their high quality and high PRICES as well. There is also a great variety of chocolate, butter, cream and sugar Belgian truffles.
Did you know that… the average resident of Belgium eats about 8 kg of chocolate per year (note: I eat about 8 kg of chocolate per week) and in the nineteenth century, chocolate was a luxury of the noble attribute?
My chocolate walk around Brussels
I started my chocolate walk at the Porte de Namur metro station. I found many chocolate shops around Chausse d’Ixelles. You can get a 250-gram box of pralines for 3.40 Euro (1 kg – 13,60 Euro) which makes it the cheapest chocolate place in town.
The next place I headed to was the Neuhaus shop with more expensive prices, but also more delicious chocolate. The luxurious 250-gram box of white chocolate costs – 9.19 Euro (1 kg – 36.75 euro). I recommend the white pralines so yummy! Once you eat one, you will not be able to stop!
The place with the most expensive chocolate was the shop nearby the Gothic church of Notre-Dame de Sablon. I had a few chocolate bars there which normally cost 14.40 Euro per 6 chocolate bars. So expensive, but it’s worth it . It was simply a heaven in my mouth! Wittamer, the provider of the royal court, is known for its chocolate sculptures, such as wedding hats or pumpkin for Halloween, of course, to eat.
On the opposite side of the square at No. 39 Pierre Marcolini I spotted some delicious looking chocolate cakes on display with icing on the top, but way too expensive (5 euro per small piece).
Actually there is no need to tell you where you should go. The chocolate bars and shops are everywhere. You should visit some of them, taste some chocolate and decide which one is your favourite!
If you don’t like chocolate, you can always go for some Belgian waffles. Don’t they look delicious?
Locals in Brussels make fun of tourists and foreign travelers diving waffles into 4 categories:
1) Brussels waffles (sugar on the top)
2) Liege waffles (sugar inside)
3) Tourist waffles (extra topping)
4) Extreme tourist waffles (extra topping, nutella chocolate, fruits and whipped cream – just silly)
It really made me laugh. I went for a traditional Brussels waffle with some sugar inside. So yummy!
If Brussels is not enough for your chocolate appetite, you can also head to Bruges – one of the most picturesque towns in Europe where you will be surrounded by ancient castles and traditional Belgian chocolate. I went there for one day with my host and we were warmly welcomed with nice chocolate “kisses”. As you can see in the photo below, I’m over the moon :).
Luckily, one of my hosts in Brussels was also a big fan of sweets so we spent hours and hours exploring the city and tasting some different cakes and sweets from time to time (means every 10 minutes).
46 thoughts on “Chocolate Paradise in Brussels: Where to Go and Where to Eat”
Sigh. It all looks delicious, especially my favorite chocolate strawberries, but if only it were Belgian beer. Love!
Jason, I’m not a heavy drinker. Actually I don’t drink at all so there is no beer unfortunately :( :)
Ah chocolate, the answer to all of life’s problems.
So true, all of them, no exceptions :). That’s why I am such a cheerful person! :)
I have to agree Steve ;) these photos are absolutely mouth watering, looks like you had such a great time in Brussels Agness!!
I wanted them to be mouth watering :):) glad you guys like them. I did have a great time indeed!
AGNESS!! This post is torture :P
I know :D:D. Hurry to the nearest Chinese supermarket and buy some Chinese chocolate then!!
When I saw the post title I just knew it would be written by you Agness :-) Hmm Belgian chocolate, they certainly make some of the best chocolate in the world.
LOL :) You know how much I love to eat, don’t you :)? It’s so true. Belgium has the best chocolate in the world without any doubts!
Hi Agness, Great post and photography, although being a chocoholic I may be a little biased. I hope to make it to Brussels one day soon to do some extensive chocolate research myself!
My favourite chocolate experience to date was a dark chocolate gelato in Bologna.
Nice Kate. Never been to Bologna, but I guess it was a great experience. I don’t really like dark chocolate though. Thanks for sharing!
Wow! There is definitely chocolate for everybody’s taste in Brussels and captured in these pictures too, awesome!
You were right when you said that after reading the post I’d be craving for chocolate, I would love some high quality one though, not simply a bar from the local shop.
You guys must make it to Brussels one day. Once you try chocolate there, you will never want to try poor quality chocolate from the local shop! :)
Great post Agness! 8kgs a week, you’re mad :) Can’t wait to go back to Europe!
I’m a nuts, heard it many times :)
Wonderful pictures and story Agness. You should link a tweeter link to these amazing stories so I can RT them. Take care.
Hey Debbie. I tweet them all every day :-) and thank you for kind words.
Loved this! Also, I’m definitely a tourist then because I had my waffle avec chantilly. No Nutella or fruit though!
Haha, good to know Ashley :)
Oh my good God I just want to lick my computer screen haha You would have to roll me back on to the plane after visiting :D
LOL Toni. Next time I will take you with me :)
Great post, love the photos but yes this is kind of torture, I absolutely love chocolate :-)
I know. Every time I read it I’m like “GIVE ME SOME CHOCOLATE” and I miss Brussels a lot.
SUPER post! You’ve redeemed yourself from the last one about Brussels, where there wasn’t a mention of chocolate. Now I can see you were saving the best for last!
Yes, belgian chocolate is $$. But definitely worth it. And all great chocolate of the world is $$. Just ask me! I’ve been travelling the world for the past 3+ years in search of the best chocolate of the world as research for my upcoming book, “Chocolatour: A Quest for the World’s Best Chocolate.”
So who has the best chocolate? I’m not a big fan of milk chocolate, so most Belgian chocolate is too sweet for me, although there are a few excellent chocolatiers who are doing wonderful things with dark chocolate. This link will take you to a few posts that profile 3 of my fav Belgian chocolatiers: .
Wow, awesome info Doreen. The prices of Belgian chocolate are high, but I agree it’s worth it. I’ve read your post your cacao cuisine experience and it’s great! You look and sound like a professional chocolate taster. Unlike you, I love sweet milky chocolate. Thanks for sharing. The website is so useful!
can not believe how many sweets there are in this post!!! I really envy you this time; the only reason being that in Africa they have so so few sweets! :(
I’m so sorry for Africa not having that much chocolate and sweets. Recently, I stopped eating as my mood was constantly up and down and I easily got depressed and sad, but I miss chocolate a lot. Can’t wait to go to Africa though! Thanks for sharing! x
Ha ha you’re really making me hungry! Great post with great photos.
Cheers Becky! :) I was starving as well when writing it ;))))
I knew this post would make me deeply jealous, but I read it anyway! All I have access to right now is SE Asian chocolate, which satisfies when you’re desperate, but it’s no where near as creamy and rich as the chocolate you can find in Europe. We happened to visit Ostuni, Italy during their annual chocolate festival – I think that was definitely some of the best chocolate I’ve ever eaten!
I know the feeling. I’m back in China right now and chocolate has no taste. The only once decent chocolate I can get is a snickers bar, which also tastes different than the one in Europe. Been to Italy and know how good the chocolate is there :)
I love chocolate! I even tried to go to the chocolate museum while I was in Brussels but I couldn’t find it!!
Unfortunately, I have not visited any chocolate museums in Brussels. I am not absolutely sure, but I think there is no chocolate museum there, but you need to check it out properly.
I’m going to be in Brussels in April, and I’m willing to bet a million dollars some chocolate is consumed while I am there :-) (Some beer, too!)
Nice bet! but be careful with the chocolate Erik, once you taste a piece of traditional Belgian chocolate, you won’t stop eating it and craving it all the time!! ;-)
I love Belgian chocolate and waffles, your photos are so tempting. I went for a chocolate tasting at Laurent Gerbaud in Brussels, it was fantastic and I highly reommend it!
Thanks Sofia for the info. I am back in Brussels in August so will take my friend there :)
Wow and delicious! Loved this post! What was your favorite?
Any chocolate is my favorite one, but really enjoyed the hot drinking chocolate followed by fruits & nuts chocolate! Yummy!
As a non-drinking chocoholic, I think Brussels would be my equivalent of the pub crawl from ‘The Hangover’.
LOL, definitely.