*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).
