The City of Brussels is the largest municipality and historical center of the Brussels-Capital Region, as well as the capital of the Flemish Region and Belgium. It is also the administrative home of the European Union, as it hosts a number of principal EU institutions in its European Quarter.

STAY

HOTEL AMIGO | A ROCCO FORTE HOTEL Housed in a former prison next to Grand Place square, this elegant redbrick hotel is a 2-minute walk from the iconic Manneken Pis statue and 5 minutes stroll from Brussels Central Station. Rue de l'Amigo 1; roccofortehotels.com

STEINBERGER WILTCHER’S Set among the upscale shops of Avenue Louise, this regal, high-end hotel is 1 km from the Royal Museums of Fine Arts. It's also 2 km from the Royal Palace of Brussels. Av. Louise 71; hrewards.com/de/steigenberger-icon-wiltchers-bruessel

THE DOMINICAN Brussels’ former 17th-century Dominican abbey exudes a feeling of dramatic intimacy with soaring ceilings, luxurious textiles, and original stone flooring. The interiors were designed by the renowned Dutch design team FG Stijl, which won the prestigious Prix-Villegiature Paris for Best Interior Design in 2005. Rue Léopold 9; thedominican.be

DRINK | DINE

COOK & BOOK Bibliophiles can have their cake and eat it, too. The expansive bookstore doubles as a set of restaurants, sectioned off into nine thoughtfully curated rooms. cookandbook.com

LE MESS Set inside a former prison and what was once a historic military base for more than a century, Le Mess is now a restaurant crafting recipes solely from locally sourced ingredients like trout from the Belgian fishing port of Vielsalm. One of the dining areas, dubbed “the glass room” serves as the restaurant’s very own greenhouse, entirely encompassed by floor-to-ceiling windows. Bd Louis Schmidt 1, lemess.be

OSTERIA ROMANA  At this restaurant, indulge in as much carbonara as you’d like — you can order the toothsome strands by the gram. It also serves other Roman specialties, like the spicy pasta amatriciana and cheesy cacio e pepe. Av. Legrand 11; osteriaromana.be

BARGE At this relaxed gourmet restaurant, chef Grégoire Gillard and sommelier Barbara Hoornaert pay homage to local produce, building new menus daily around the latest haul of seasonal vegetables from small farms. Bd d'Ypres 33; bargerestaurant.be

LA VILLA LORRAINE An institution since 1953, the fine-dining restaurant is helmed by chef Yves Mattagne. To match the modern cuisine, it unveiled a new look in 2021 with pink velvet seating, bright paintings from Belgian Stefan de Jaeger and bold marigold frescoes from Brussels street artist Parole. Av. du Vivier d'Oie 75; lavillalorraine.be

LA VILLA IN THE SKY Sitting nearly 400 feet in the air, La Villa affords breathtaking views from the floor-to-ceiling windows that wrap around the fine-dining restaurant. Chef Alexandre Dionision offers creative plates as stunning as the view. IT Tower, Louizalaan 480/25th floor; lavillainthesky.be

NEUHAUS CHOCOLATES In a country known for its chocolates, Neuhaus is a decadent treat. The family-owned company has been in operation since 1857, and it invented the Belgian praline and the ballotin, a refined box to store the Belgium-made chocolates. neuhauschocolates.com

BOZAR Within the Art Deco interior, Michelin-star chef Karen Torosyan creates ever-changing multicourse menus of seasonal neo-Belgian dishes. The bread-crusted pâtés might include a collage of duck, goose and black pig, accompanied by a spiral of colorful vegetables like carrots and beets, while traditional rabbit stew becomes slow-cooked, involtini-like meat rolls with a citric sauce made from Kriek cherry beer. Rue Baron Horta 3; bozarrestaurant.be

LA PHARMACIE ANGLAISE  (The English Pharmacy) prescribes boozy remedies in an environment suggesting the 19th-century salon of a debauched British lord. Paneled with wood, the cocktail bar is decorated with Oriental rugs, armchairs, antiquated lab equipment and — most notably — bones, jaws and jars of preserved rodents, reptiles and other creatures. Tastier science occurs behind the bar, where bartenders concoct house cocktails like Sunny G&T (Hendrick’s gin, hibiscus-cucumber cordial, tonic; 14 euros) and Honeymoon (whiskey, pear-honey cordial, Amaro Montenegro and black walnut bitters; 14 euros). Coudenberg 66; lapharmacieanglaise.com

L’ÉPICERIE Tucked away on trendy Rue du Page, L’épicerie, feels more like a home, thanks to its plank floor, farmhouse tables and simple Old World kitchen. Regulars stop in to enjoy the friendly vibe and healthy daily special — there is just one, and no menu — which might be pork in miso sauce with shiso leaves or rice, honey- and tamari-glazed cod with crunchy vegetables. Rue du Page 66

SAN A cozy spot opened by the Belgian-Korean chef Sang-Hoon Degeimbre. He also operates San Sablon. Each of the five nightly courses is named after and inspired by some spot on Earth. A recent itinerary started in Murringen, Belgium (velvety beef tartare mixed with savory razor clams in a floral Bergamot broth), moved to Deshaies, in Guadaloupe (beignets filled with cod in a spicy red pepper pesto), returned to Liernu, Belgium (seasonal vegetables in a sweet onion broth), before heading off to the South Korean island of Jeju (succulent pork cubes with toasted buckwheat and cabbage) and Dublin (whiskey-infused panna cotta with chocolate sorbet and burned chips of Gruyère cheese). sanrestaurant.be

BRUSSELS BEER PROJECT A microbrewery angling to bring Belgium’s storied brewing tradition into the 21st century. Relax on a grain sack and order from an ever-changing roster that might include Delta IPA. Rue Antoine Dansaert 188; beerproject.be

LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL Cactuses hang from the ceiling and potted plants dot the candlelit room at this flora-filled cocktail bar that transports you to Mexico. Order the Brussels-Oaxaca (mezcal, rum, St.-Germain, Fernet-Branca, walnut bitters). Rue Antoine Dansaert 161; Libcocktailbar.com

ART | CULTURE | ACTIVITIES

SPAZIO NOBILE GALLERY Founded by art historians Lise Coirier and Gian Giuseppe Simeone in the lively and cosmopolitan neighborhood of Place Brugmann, showcasing design and the applied arts as well as photography. Rue Franz Merjay 142; spazionobile.com

ATELIER JESPERS Design enthusiasts encounter shows by a rotating roster of thought-provoking and craft-minded talents from Brussels and the surrounding region, including Destroyers/Builders, Conrad Willems, and others. Av. du Prince Héritier 149; atelierjespers.com

LA BOCCA DELLA VERITÀ La Bocca della Verità supports young voices in the field of design by offering them the opportunity of presenting their work for the first time to the public. Boulevard Clovis 85 Clovislaan; laboccadellaverita.gallery

OLD MASTERS MUSEUM When it comes to art, this is Magritte’s town. Two museums are devoted entirely to the master of the strange, and images of his man in the bowler hat fill the city. But Pieter Bruegel the Elder was also a Brussels resident, and the Renaissance painter’s stock is rising these days thanks to a new cinematic room and numerous new interactive tutorials devoted to his masterpieces. Those include “The Fall of the Rebel Angels,” an apocalyptic fever dream with archangel Michael fighting a seven-headed dragon. Rubens, Rembrandt and Bosch are among the collection’s other heavy hitters. Rue de la Régence 3; fine-arts-museum.be

MILLENIUM ICONOCLAST MUSEUM (MIMA) A former beer factory whose renovated industrial expanses now bubble with contemporary art. The museum’s permanent collection leans toward street art, graffiti, graphic design and pop works full of color, irreverence and mischief. Just witness the Dutch artist Parra’s large sculptural red tomato with legs, which lies helplessly on the floor. Multiple temporary exhibitions also fill the agenda. Quai du Hainaut 41; mimamuseum.eu

HORTA MUSEUM Victor Horta and his contemporaries pioneered Art Nouveau — which infused colors and forms from nature into furniture, art and architecture — and their work is visible on townhouse facades around the neighboring St.-Gilles and Châtelain neighborhoods. Admire Horta’s own vine-and-tendril decorations at 25, rue Américaine (which houses the Horta Museum) before heading to 92, rue Africaine, notable for its big circular window. The building at 13, rue de Florence is a sober, stony specimen, while 83, rue Faider sports a wondrous top-floor mural of women in a sea of flowers and stars. Two edifices beckon from Rue Defacqz. Number 48 is adorned with gold-tinged mythological images, while number 72 incorporates green plantlike ironwork. Rue Américaine 27; hortamuseum.be

ROYAL GREENHOUSES OF LAEKEN A series of beautiful greenhouses with glass cupolas designed in 1873 for King Leopold II at his castle. Some plants remain from the king’s original collections. Every spring, the greenhouses open to the public for three weeks. Av. du Parc Royal 61; monarchie.be/fr/patrimoine/serres-royales-de-laeken

ART AND DESIGN ATOMIUM MUSEUM (ADAM) Walk through the entrance — designed by the French architect Jean Nouvel — into the Plasticarium, a sprawling permanent collection of some 2,000 candy-colored plastic furnishings, appliances, interiors and artworks. From bubble chairs to a recreated 1960s discotheque, the works are a fascinating time capsule and design showcase. Trade Mart Brussels, Belgiëplein 1; designmuseum.brussels

BOZAR   The Centre for Fine Arts is a multi-purpose cultural venue in Brussels, Belgium. It is often referred to as BOZAR in French or PSK in Dutch. The building was designed by the architect Victor Horta, and completed in 1929 at the instigation of the banker and patron of the arts Henry Le Bœuf. Best known for international art exhibitions, films and concerts. Rue Ravenstein 23; bozar.be

GALERIE MESTDAGH The husband and wife team Patrick and Ondine run this gallery in Brussels’ Sablon, an area known for its antiques and chocolate. The Mestdaghs are experts in non-European art and ancient culture. Rue des Minimes, 29; galeriemestdagh.com

SHOP

L’ATELIER EN VILLE A vast hangar-like space, is a combination cafe, plant shop and woodworking studio that builds and sells everything from neo-industrial shelving to arty lightboxes. Pl. Stéphanie 6

BELGE UNE FOIS  Clothing, jewelry, art, and more from scores of Belgian designers and brands, including cushions from NoMoreTwist and lamps fashioned from old medium-format cameras by Corthelli. Rue Haute 89; belgeunefois.com

PEINTURE FRAICHE A gallery-like bookstore selling impeccably chosen art, design and architecture tomes, and Le Typographe, a paper-lover’s Eden of handmade notebooks, diaries, stationery and other goods printed on-site. Rue Lesbroussart 9 & 39; peinture-fraiche.be

MAISON DEGAND This elegant boutique caters to dapper gentlemen with a well-curated selection of tailored suits and shirts, leather shoes, knitwear, silk ties and pocket squares. On the Maison’s third floor, a Bayer & Bayer barbershop doles out shaves and haircuts. Av. Louise 415; maisondegand.com

MARCHÉ DES CHEFS The gourmet grocer is a go-to spot for chefs and anyone else with a passion for cooking. Open since 1986, the market prides itself on selling quality goods, including fruit, vegetables, seafood, meat, artisan charcuterie, sweets, cheeses, wine, and caviar. Rue Lens 38; marchedeschefs.be

WOLF Peruse 19 stalls and two bars in the city’s first food hall. The street food offerings include wood-fired Syrian breads (My Tannour); savory Belgian waffles (Gaufres & Waffles); Ethiopian flatbread injera piled with flavorful meat, vegetables, sauces and spices (Toukoul); and more. Rue du Fossé aux Loups 50; wolf.brussels

NATAN Belgian Fashion Designer couture house. He has dressed the royal families of Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Luxembourg. Av. Louise 158; natan.be

TROPISMES LIBRAIRES  Set inside a former jazz club with stucco ceilings, mirrored walls and stately columns, this grand French-language bookstore in Les Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert lines its shelves with literature, tomes on the humanities and fine arts, and children’s books. 11 Galerie des Princes; tropismes.com

THIERRY BOUTEMY Find fanciful florals at this Brussels shop. You might have seen Boutemy’s handiwork — he did the vibrant flower arrangements in Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film Marie Antoinette. Rue Vanderkindere 375; thierryboutemy.com

STIJL An expertly curated mix of veteran and emerging Belgian names. Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, and Veronique Branquinho share space with indie darlings like A.F. Vandevorst, Gioia Seghers, and Sofie D’Hoore. Rue Antoine Dansaert 74; stijl.be

ELS VANSTEELANDT Signature jewelry and objets d’art, a stone’s throw from homegrown hero Maison Martin Margiela’s gorgeous digs (one of the first of his stores to open in Europe). Rue du Rem des Moines 15; elsvansteelandt.be

BELGIAN COMIC STRIP CENTRE The Victor Horta–designed center, set in a stylish Art Nouveau building with a study library that houses the biggest collection of comic book titles in the world, is an afternoon-long adventure. After, stroll around the Comic Strip Route of Brussels’s city center, with more than 50 large-scale murals dotting the sides of buildings and alleyways in an open-air tribute to the city’s love for bandes dessinées.