where, who and whats hot

OFF IN

BRUSSELS

The political and business hub

for 500m Europeans, creative,
cosmopolitan Brussels draws in
visitors, migrants, politicians and
entrepreneurs from across Europe
and beyond. As a new set of
European parliamentarians starts
settling in, Emma Beddington
shares tips on how to make the
best of a work trip or weekend
getaway in the Belgian capital.
Photography Dominique Libert
Fly Ryanair to brussels (charleroi and zaventem)

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The Fashion
Designer
Nathalie
Bouhana
Age: 46
Home: Brussels
20 years in the
business
Anything is possible in Brussels! The
city is a dynamic creative hub. For
business travellers, cool co-working
space Factory Forty (40 Rue des Anciens
Etangs) is a godsend, with vintage
furniture, beautiful gardens and a great
atmosphere. Whether its for a quick
lunch or the full gastronomic experience,
Michelin-starred Japanese Kamo (550
Chausse de Waterloo) is my favourite
place to take visitors: the interplay of
textures and flavours is astonishing
and each plate is a work of art.
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sleep

The Hotel
38 Boulevard de Waterloo,
+32 (0)2 504 1111,
thehotel-brussels.be
Formerly an unlovely 1960s
Hilton, a stylish refurb in 2013
has turned this into a luxury
destination worthy of President
Obama, no less (his entourage
took up residence twice this
year). Rooms have plenty of
high-tech bells and whistles,
while the Deluxe category
gives access to the fabulous
24th floor Panorama Lounge,
complimentary refreshments
and speedy priority check-in.

Zoom Hotel
59 Rue de la Concorde,
+32 (0)2 515 0060,
zoomhotel.be
The theme for this newly
opened four-star near uptown
Avenue Louise is photography.
Each of the 37 rooms which
have a luxe-industrial feel has
been decorated with a unique
image of Brussels. The lobby
hosts temporary exhibitions
and an interactive screen
displays photos by local artists
and guests. The BeerHouse
bar is the place to try an
amazing variety of local ales.

Hotel des Galeries

38 Rue des Bouchers,
+32 (0)2 213 7470,
hoteldesgaleries.be
In Galeries St Hubert, the
elegant 19th-century covered
arcade behind the Grand-Place,
this boutique newcomer was
created from a ramshackle
collection of historic buildings.
The result is 23 quirky and
cleverly designed rooms. Some
are in the eaves, with original
beams, some overlook the
galleries, some boast rooftop
views of the city, but all are
peaceful and beautifully
furnished with a mix of modern
design and vintage treasures.
The ground-floor restaurant
and bar, masterminded by
chef Julien Burlat, formerly of
Michelin-starred LAmbroisie
de Bernard Pacaud, serves
refined comfort-food classics
using top-quality produce.

Hotel Amigo
13 Rue de lAmigo,
Tel. +32 (0)2 547 4747,
roccofortehotels.com
This former 16th-century
prison turned five-star hotel
blends history (the flagstones
in the lobby date from 620)
with a distinctly Brussels
flavour. There are discreet
nods to Magritte and Herg in
the cossetting, Olga Polizzidesigned rooms, and the
elegant, well-equipped meeting
rooms the Amigo is one
of the citys favourite spots
for events are decorated
with Flemish tapestries. The
excellent bar is becoming a real
destination for cocktails, thanks
to expert mixologist Davide
Trupia, whose tasting flight of
reinterpreted spiced gin and
tonics is a real discovery.

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The Design Guru

Michel
Penneman
Age: 50
Home: Brussels
20 years in
the business

78

Brussels is buzzing at the moment with a wave of new openings, from cool
restaurants to hotels and boutiques. Its a great time to be here. I love the Dansaert
fashion quarter, but visitors should also check out chic Place Georges Brugmanns
vintage shops and bars. For an early-evening drink, The Winery (18 Place Georges
Brugmann) has a great range of well-priced wines by the glass and delicious
charcuterie plates. Im a regular at stylish Italian canteen La Gazzetta (12 Rue de la
Longue Haie) both for the simple, beautiful-quality produce and the great atmosphere.

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eat &
drink
La Paix
49 Rue Ropsy-Chaudron,
+32 (0)2 523 0958,
lapaix1892.com
Brussels is blessed with a
profusion of good brasseries,
but David Martins La Paix is
a cut above. The bustling open
kitchen is crowned by a vintage
waffle iron and the chatter of
Eurocrats young and old, who
pack the classically set tables
for lunches of hearty Wallonian
stews and political gossip. They
come back for the sublime
meats, home-grown vegetables
and discreet, old-school service.

Henri & Agnes

48 Rue Vronse,
+32 (0)4 7122 2802,
henrietagnes.com
Henri & Agnes is the perfect
lunch spot for the institutions
and businesses of the European
Quarter, with long refectory
tables for working lunches
and cosy, quiet corners for
more privacy. Vegetables are
at the heart of young chef
Christelle Fosseprezs kitchen,
put to use in colourful, cleverly
seasoned salads and subtly
spiced meat and fish dishes.

Pei & Mei

15 Rue de Rollebeek,
+32 (0)2 880 5339,
peietmei.be
Theres a real buzz around
Gauthier de Baeres Sablon
newcomer, and for good
reason: this young chef is
currently producing some
of the most appealing food
in the city. The deco is
Scando-inspired bleached
woods, bare bricks while
the food is pure homegrown
(think entrecte, navarin of
lamb with garden herbs, and
stewed pigeon with peas).
Hortense
7 Rue des Sablons,
+32 (0)2 514 4347,
h-hortense.be
In the vaulted cellar of the
former Vatican embassy,
rare-spirit enthusiast
Matthieu Chaumont has
brought the effortless cool
of a New York speakeasy
to Brussels and the citys
young business community
has followed enthusiastically,
adopting it as a favourite
after-dinner haunt. They come
for the exceptional spirits, from
Japanese whiskies to caskaged tequilas, as well as the
creative, subtle cocktails served
in covetable vintage glasses.
Lighting is dim, but service
is almost telepathically good,
so no desperate waving
through the gloom is required.

Va Doux Vent
93 Rue des Carmlites Uccle,
+32 (0)2 346 6505,
vadouxvent.be
The startlingly young team here
was hand-picked to take over
this intimate site by former
tenant Christophe Hardiquest
of two-Michelin-starred
Bon-Bon. In the kitchen Stefan
and Romain deliver exciting
food showcasing their love
of spice (they grind and
blend their own mixes), while
sommelier Gontran ensures the
wine-matched menus are never
anything less than a treat.
BOOK NOW! GO TO ryanair.com

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The Art
Entrepreneur
Stephanie
Manasseh
Age: 39
Home: Brussels
Eight years in the
business

One of Brussels greatest assets is how international it is and, culturally, theres

so much going on now. I recommend Bozar (23 Rue Ravenstein), which puts on
great, unexpected shows. Im a fan of the fresh, locally sourced food with a special
twist at Rouge Tomate (190 Avenue Louise): its a good space for intimate meetings
with a nice wine list. For drinks or dinner, Chez Odette (25 Rue du Chtelain) has
a cosy, sexy bar space with an open fire in the winter months.

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visit

The Fin de Sicle Museum

3 Rue de la Rgence,
+32 (0)2 508 3211,
fin-de-siecle-museum.be
Its proximity to the European
Quarter makes the displays
at the new Fin de Sicle
Museum an easy cultural
fix for businessmen passing
through with a few hours to kill
between meetings. Occupying
four floors, the aim was to
create a multi-disciplinary
collection reflecting Brussels
role as a melting pot for fin-desicle artistic movements, from
painting and photography to
interior design and architecture.
Its hugely successful, with
3D models of important Art
Nouveau buildings elbow to
elbow with furniture, sculpture
and important works by Van
Gogh, Bonnard and Seurat.

The Power of Objects

Design Bestsellers
Mont des Arts, 6 Place Royale,
+32 (0)2 547 2292,
ing.be/art
Until 11 January 2015
This fascinating exhibition
from the dynamic MAD
Brussels fashion and design
collective explores whether,
and how, iconic design
translates into commercial
success. The participating
25 renowned contemporary
Belgian designers including
Sylvain Willenz, Michael
Young and Xavier Lust
have each submitted three
pieces: their most famous,
their best selling and, finally,
their most profitable creations..

Business Plus
Take advantage of Ryanairs new Business Plus offering flexible tickets,
a free 20kg checked bag, and priority boarding. Visit ryanair.com for more info.

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Museum of Musical
Instruments: Sax200
2 Montagne de la Cour,
+32 (0)2 545 0130,
mim.be
In the beautiful Art Nouveau
former Old England
department-store building, the
Museum of Musical Instruments
has an exceptional collection
spanning over 400 hundred
years of musical history and
five continents. An audio guide
allows you to listen to pieces
from the collection being
played as you walk through
the galleries and this year a
major exhibition celebrates the
200th anniversary of the birth
of Adolphe Sax, the Belgian
inventor of the saxophone.