Guide to Brussels

Those with an appetite for old-world elegance will fall hard for the Metropole, pictured (Place de Brouckere 31, 217 2300, metropolehotel.com). Service is professional and reserved; however, the French architecture in the lobby is breathtaking and rooms have a free minibar (from €245 for a junior king suite). Set in a 19th-century terrace, the recently renovated Stanhope Hotel (Rue du Commerce 9, 205 1508, brusselshotelstanhope.com) is a more personable option, with free Wi-Fi and interior garden. Doubles from €160. For convenient luxury, the Le Meridien (Carrefour de l'Europe 3, 548 4211, starwoodhotels.com) is across from the train station (rooms from €159).

Lash out

For a modern design hotel experience, try the sleek Prestige suite with separate living area, all mod cons, full bath and free Wi-Fi at the Sofitel Brussels Europe (Place Jourdan 1, 235 5100, sofitel.com, from €456). Consistently rated as one of Brussels' best hotels, the beds are phenomenally comfortable. The Hotel Amigo (Rue de l'Amigo 1-3, 547 4747, hotelamigo.com) is high-end with a sense of humour. Small Herge-style figurines of Tintin and Snowy can be found in the hotel's main suites. Suites start from €1299.

SHOP + PLAY

To market

Bring wide eyes and a fat wallet when browsing the art, books and jewellery at the Sablon antiques market (Place du Grand Sablon, 9am-6pm Saturdays, 9am-2pm Sundays). Each day, the Grand Place is filled with a handful of art and flower stalls and it plays host to a Christmas market in December. A daily flea market is held in the working-class Marolles district at Place du Jeu de Balle (from 7am-2pm), which featured in Tintin's adventure The Secret of the Unicorn. In July, a Tintin-themed market celebrates its inclusion. It is now held near the new Musee Herge in Louvain-la-Neuve (on the Saturday closest to July 21).

Go shop

Using vintage fabrics and bold cuts, Peau d'Ane Creations (Rue des Eperonniers 37, 513 8437) has an eclectic mix of clothing for men and women. Set in the Galerie de la Reine, Ganterie Italienne (Galerie de la Reine 3, 512 7538) has handmade leather gloves packed among layers of tissue paper in high-stacked shelves. Brussels is well known for its cut-price antiques — the most expensive stores cluster on the Sablon but the best is the colourful Stef Antiques (Blaesstraat 63, 540 8142, stefantiek.com) a few blocks away, which also has a full-size vintage carousel, old cars and bric-a-brac inside a centrally located store.

Live music

Madame Moustache et son Freakshow highlights the diversity of the Brussels music scene, with DJs, cabaret and live music in a quirky space filled with themed rooms (Quai au Bois a Bruler 5-7, 553 4494). Sounds Jazz Club (Rue de la Tulipe 28, 512 9250, soundsjazzclub.be) is a little out of town in Ixelles but offers a good taste of the local modern jazz scene. Bozar, the Centre for the Fine Arts (Rue Ravensteinstraat 23, 507 8200, www.bozar.be), has regular concerts in mixed media each week and is flanked by art galleries. In late June, Brussels hosts one of Europe's biggest world music festivals, Couleur Cafe (www.couleurcafe.be), featuring artists such as Wyclef Jean.

Nightclubs

Although not really a party town, Brussels does have a few solid nightlife venues, including Fuse (208 Rue Blaes, 511 9789, fuse.be). Brussels' trendiest club attracts big-name international DJs and special events during summer months (from 11pm each Saturday). Havana caters to the Latin crowd with live music, DJs and dancing, including salsa lessons, in its two-storey club (Rue de l'Epee 4, 502 1224, havana-brussels.com). It mainly gets going Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays. Recyclart (Rue des Ursulines 25, 502 5734, recyclart.be), a non-profit urban project underneath an abandoned railway station, has regular dance parties with DJs.

EAT+DRINK

Snack attack

Brussels is known for its super-size cones of frites served with lashings of mayonnaise. Avoid the poor-quality offerings sold around the Grand Place and trek through the EU district to Maison Antoine, a small hut in Place Jourdan, for the best stuff. Stores that sell waffles, pictured below, of varying quality ripple by the dozen around the Grand Place; expect to pay extra for toppings. Of course, those after a healthier snack should go for a paper cone of hand-dipped chocolate strawberries at Godiva in the Grand Place (Grand Place 21-22, 511 2537). The best chocolate shops can be found on the Sablon, including Neuhaus (Rue Lebeau 79, 502 3813, neuhaus.be), where praline was invented.

Cafe culture

With great Belgian beer shop, comes a great need for kebab. Just back from the Grand Place is Rue du Marche aux Fromages, better known as the "Rue des Pittas", where a dozen Greek cafes serve yiros, pitta and kebab. The best, Thessalonique (Rue du Marche aux Fromages 28, 513 6343), serves a fabulous pitta that will help you last another three or four rounds. The crowded terrace of Wittamer Cafe (Place du Grand Sablon 6, 2512 3742) could be easily overlooked were it not for the delicious (if a little pricey) pastries, sandwiches and hot chocolate. More low-key, Arcadi Cafe (Rue d'Arenberg 22, 511 3343) has a good selection of tasty sandwiches and quiches at affordable prices.

Top of the town

Considered the best restaurant in Brussels, Comme Chez Soi (Place Rouppe 23, 512 2921, www.commechezsoi.be) focuses on a seasonal French menu with dishes such as Aubrac beef with sweetbreads and mashed green peas with wasabi. For Brussels' signature mussels, head to Aux Armes de Bruxelles (Rue des Bouchers 13, 511 5550, www.auxarmesde bruxelles.be); just don't be distracted by the gauntlet of spruikers who will try to seat you elsewhere. A stalwart of the traditional fine-dining scene, Villa Lorraine (Avenue du Vivier d'Oie 75, 374 3163, www.villalorraine.be) features a classical menu.

By the glass

Prepare thy liver for the pink elephants at Delirium Cafe, a pub that in 2004 set the Guinness world record for serving more beers than any other bar in the world (Impasse de la Fidelite Carmes 4A, 514 4434, deliriumcafe.be). Toone (Petite rue des Bouchers 21, 513 5486, www.toone.be) is well known as a 200-year-old puppet theatre with performances every weekend; however, few know it doubles as a fantastic pub outside of performance hours. Head there after 10pm to really soak up the atmosphere sans tourist crush.

SEE + DO

Icons

The Grand Place is the heart of Brussels and is rimmed with magnificent gold-gilded buildings. In August, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed square hosts its annual Tapis Des Fleurs flower carpet. Nearby is the Manneken Pis (Rue de l'Etuve), a tiny statue of a gleeful boy peeing. There are many myths surrounding his origin but equal opportunists will want to search for his sister statue, the Jeanneke Pis, hidden in nearby streets. Fun for the kids, the Atomium (Boulevard du Centenarire, 475 4775, www.atomium.be) was designed for the 1958 World's Fair and restored in 2005. Right next door is Mini-Europe (Bruparck, 474 1313, minieurope.eu) with 350 miniatures of iconic European landmarks at one-25th of their scale.

Culture

Brussels has a wealth of fine-art galleries, including the Musees Royaux des Beaux-Arts in the Upper Town (Rue de la Regence 3, 508 3211 fine-arts-museum.be) featuring six centuries of Flemish masters. For a more modern art experience, the Musee Herge (Louvaim-la-Neuve, 626 2421, www.museeherge.com) is a tribute to the cartoonist Herge and his iconic creation, Tintin. Set in a leafy park, it's a little way out of town by train but worth the trip (closed Mondays, €9.50). Belgium's beer is widely regarded as some of the world's best; find out why at the Musee des Brasseurs Belges (Grand Place 10, 511 4987, www.beerparadise.be), an interactive beer museum with free tastings (daily 10am-5pm, €6).

On foot

Start in the Grand Place heading down Stoofstraat, towards the Manneken Pis. Turn left at Rue de Chene and head up the hill, keeping an eye out for one of the murals along Brussels' famed comic-book trail (you can download a free map of the trail from visitbrussels.be). Continue north towards the Sablon, browsing the weekend antiques market or sampling chocolates from some of the best specialty shops in Brussels. Head right along the Hoogstraat, browsing the antiques stores in the Moralles before catching a glass lift from Place Breugel up to the imposing Palais de Justice for a breathtaking view.

Follow the leader

Brussels Bike Tours (4 8489 8936*, brusselsbiketours.com, €25, 3½ hours) offers bike tours of 14 sites around the city, including the Royal Palace and parks, capped at 12 participants. Cantillon Brewery (Rue Gheude 56, 521 4928, cantillon.be) brews traditional lambic beer and is home to the Brussels museum of the Gueuze (€6). Guided tours are arranged on request, although there are also public brewing sessions every few months. See the website for details. Chocoholics can indulge in a four-hour chocolate tour of the best chocolatiers, including a 45-minute class in praline making (Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, €70, globalenterprises.be).

Hot tip

The Brussels Card includes entry to more than 30 museums, public transport and city-wide discounts. The card costs from €24 for 24 hours, €34 for 48 hours and €40 for 72 hours. brusselscard.be.

Getting there

Qantas flies daily from Sydney to Brussels via London Heathrow, from $1971. 13 13 13, qantas.com.

Visa and currency

The currency is the euro (€1=$1.33). A 90-day visa is available on arrival.

Calling Belgium

The Belgium country code is +32 and +2 for Brussels. To call Brussels from abroad, add +322 to the numbers. Numbers with an asterisk need only the country code.

More information

visitbrussels.be,

www.visitbelgium.com.