Brussels
About this Place
Brussels is the capital of Belgium and the heart of the Brussels-Capital Region, which comprises nineteen communes. French and Dutch are its two official languages, but the city is strikingly multilingual in everyday life. English is spoken very widely, making Brussels particularly accessible to international visitors.
The city’s beer culture combines deep roots with an energetic modern revival. Lambic and gueuze form an essential part of its heritage: Cantillon has brewed in Anderlecht since 1900, while Belle-Vue grew from a Brussels lambic-blending business into one of the country’s best-known fruit-beer names. Alongside these historic connections, a new generation of breweries, taprooms and specialist cafés has spread across the capital. Belgian Beer World, housed in the restored Bourse, places that culture prominently in the city centre.
Brussels through its communes and neighbourhoods
The centre, Dansaert and the Marolles
The historic centre contains some of Brussels’ most celebrated beer cafés, together with Belgian Beer World and contemporary brewing projects around Dansaert. Immediately to the south, the Marolles is known for its flea market, popular traditions and distinctive local identity. It also appears in the Museum through a festival glass collected during the 2026 Belgian National Day celebrations.
Anderlecht, Molenbeek and the canal
Anderlecht is central to the story of Brussels lambic through Cantillon and is now also home to several modern breweries. Across the wider canal district, former industrial buildings have provided space for a new generation of brewers. Molenbeek has its own historic connection through Belle-Vue, whose original brewery operated there before production moved outside Brussels.
Saint-Gilles and Ixelles
These adjoining communes have played an important part in the city’s contemporary beer culture. Saint-Gilles is home to the original Moeder Lambic, one of Brussels’ most influential specialist beer cafés, while the founders of several newer brewing projects began experimenting in and around Ixelles.
Schaerbeek and Forest
Schaerbeek has both a brewing museum and a revived local brewery, while Forest is home to Brasserie Illegaal. Together they illustrate how Brussels beer culture extends well beyond the historic centre.
Visitor notes
Brussels is best explored as a collection of adjoining centres rather than as a single compact historic district. The central area is easily covered on foot, while the metro, trams and buses make it straightforward to reach breweries, cafés and museums in the surrounding communes. Visitors interested in Belgian beer should consider Belgian Beer World, Cantillon, the Schaerbeek Beer Museum and the city’s many brewery taprooms and specialist cafés.