While Brussels is not necessarily known for its shopping, unlike the neighboring cities of of Ghent and Antwerp, there are definitely some nice areas to explore home goods, boutiques, and markets (not to mention chocolate)! This is a guide about some of the best shopping streets in Brussels, outside of the big chains.
Rue Haute & Rue Blaes
These two parallel streets in the Marolles are excellent for vintage shops and unique items in Brussels. Both streets are lined with kilo stores, funky home goods and galleries and some awesome antique stores. Whenever I have a spare weekend morning, it is my favorite place for a stroll. While the stores are awesome, arguably the best part about this shopping area, is that most shops are open on Sundays!
Start: Église Notre-Dame de la Chapelle and zig-zag between the two streets all the way to the market at Place du Jeu de Balle (another excellent shopping destination – note: the market runs daily from 6 am to 2 pm). End: Place du Jeu de Balle Market
Key spots along the way:
- Shop: Passage 125 Blaes, Urban Therapy Marolles, Fripkot
- Eat: L’Aubette, Lucifer Lives
Rue Antoine Dansaert/Rue de Flandre
Rue Antoine Dansaert and the nearby Rue de Flandre is in the western part of the city, known as the “Flemish” part of town (as the name would suggest). Here there are a ton of designer boutiques and homeware shops to explore. You are likely to hear more Flemish and English than you will French, almost giving you the feel you are in a totally different city.
Start and end: Do a loop starting and ending at Church of Saint Catherine
Key spots along the way:
- Shop: CPHagen, Saint-Martin Bookshop, Urban Therapy, Docks Caviar, Blender 01, Aoi concept store × Kyoto selection, Passa Porta
- Eat/Drink: Chez Lutgarde, Wide Awake Specialty Coffee, Chicago, Brasserie Surrealiste
Rue du Page
Rue du Page is full of home goods stores, boutiques, and restaurants. Unlike Rue Haute, here the home good stores are quite modern and funky. Dotted in between are trendy restaurants for any budget and cuisine.
Start: Place du Chatelain and head southwest. End: Chausee de Waterloo
Key spots along the way:
- Shop: Les Petits Riens – Magasin central, Pollen Atelier, VA Jewellery, Le typographe, Lulu Home Interior
- Eat/drink: Lilicup Ixelles, Voisin, La Luck, Tarzan and Jane
Rue du Bailli
Sandwiched in between the trendy areas of Saint-Gilles and Ixelles, Rue Bailli is a street of great boutiques and cafes. The Rue Bailli has a great combination of cafes, bars, clothing shops, and food stores.
Start: The cross section of Rue du Bailli and Avenue Louise. End: Place du Chatelain
Key spots along the way:
- Shop: Blender 02, Mook’s, Rose gift shop, YCCA, Hopono
- Eat/drink: Belga coffee, Cup 28 (great brunch), Marcella pizza, Grizzly, OENOTK (wine)
Rue de Namur and Sablon
On the higher end of Brussels shopping is Rue de Namur. This more classic part of Brussels has a bit of a Parisian air to it with French shops like Bensimon and Sezane. It is not necessarily a shopping destination, but if you are looking for a stroll around Sablon and a nice coffee, its a street worth checking out.
However, the pedestrian street Rue de Rollebeek in the center of Sablon is a great shopping destination. It’s a picturesque cobblestone street perfect for getting Brussels gifts and checking out boutiques.
Start: Porte de Namur and head to Place Royale Place du Grand Sablon
Key spots along the way:
- Shop: Sezane, Bensimon, Check out, the Marie’s Corner Project Store, Maison Dandoy, Pierre Marcolini, Cave 1929, La Chapelière, Univers du Thé
- Eat: Bouche, Tich, JeanBon, Wallen, La pizza e bella
[…] you’re looking for more gift ideas and want to explore, visit our blog post highlighting the best shopping streets in Brussels. Discover unique finds and diverse shopping experiences that will help you source the perfect […]
[…] is where Brussels’ fashionable set congregates. Place du Chatelain is between some of Brussels best shopping streets. Wednesdays are particularly lively when the after-work crowd flocks to the market to unwind. […]