Brussels, how many summer receptions have you been to yet?
I have some news - you can now find me on Instagram! I’ve loved this platform for a long time and finally decided to take the plunge and set up a public profile myself. I’ll take you behind the scenes of building a business in Brussels, what my weeks look like, tips and frameworks, and my real-time restaurant and café recommendations. But don’t worry; when it comes to Brussels tips and tricks, I’m saving the best parts for this newsletter only 😉.
In the last edition, you voted for the best pizza in town. La Piola landed in 1st place, followed by Na’Pizza in 2nd, Basils in 3rd, Nona in 4th, and Al Bacino and Educazione Napolitana in 5th. No votes for La Bottega della Pizza! Following the issue, my subscriber Leonardo also recommended Fumée in Evere for pizza, and Antas (Place Jourdan) and Dolce Amaro (Châtelain) for Italian dishes.
And last but not least, there are two new openings in Brussels you should know about: LOZEN, a women-only gym, opened its doors last week near Place Jourdan. Expect a mix of a general gym, group classes, workshops and coffees. Halles St-Géry, a location that has hosted a bar, many events, and also my very first date in Brussels, is transforming into Marché St. Géry, a food hall and market, starting from 16 June. It seems that food halls are finally popping up more in this city, and I’m all here for it.
In this issue:
🍦 7 ice cream parlours in Brussels
☀️ 5 more summer activities in Brussels
🗓️ Upcoming events in Brussels (11-24 June)
7 ice cream parlours in Brussels
I have to admit something to you all. I am not a big ice cream person 🙈. A fact that has resulted in many shocked faces. What kind of person doesn’t like ice cream, right?! I do get it, but very sporadically. But since we’re entering a prime ice cream season, I thought that it’s only right to cover this topic.
Glacier Bargello (Congrès) - this parlour is close to my former workplace and would always see flocks of workers during a lunch break. I’ve gone a few times, and I must say that their pistachio sorbet was just amazing.
Bouboule (Merode) - another place that I have personally vetted, although cannot remember what flavour I got; was it salted caramel or coffee? It’s also approved by my mom, and you can take it to the next-door café, Tulipe, for some drinks and snacks.
Gaston (Sainte-Catherine) - my mom, a big ice cream fan (she even eats it in winter), really liked this one, too. And if you have visitors coming to Brussels, Gaston also serves very decent waffles.
And according to this article by We Love Brussels, you should also stop by these parlours:
Is your favourite ice cream parlour missing from this list? Drop me an email!
5 more summer activities in Brussels
You lot really loved the list of summer activities in the last issue! I was nicely surprised by that, but it also showed me that you’re coming to this newsletter for a very specific curation you can’t always find somewhere else. So, I decided to add five more activities you can try out in the upcoming weeks.
Royal Palace of Brussels: After a two-year break, the Royal Palace in the city centre is opening its doors to visitors from 3 July to 16 August. Unlike the palace in Laeken, this one serves as the King’s administrative residence and main workplace. If you’re lucky, you may even spot him arriving there on Rue Royale in a car with the number plate “1”. Go grab your tickets before they sell out.
World Cup on the big screen: While this year’s football championship is definitely not short of controversy, it will probably still attract a lot of viewers. And Brussels gives you an opportunity to watch the matches on a big screen between 11 June and 19 July. Check out Wolf, Ratz, Place Noord or the many Irish pubs in the EU quarter.
Vaux Hall Summer: The Brussels Park, aka the Royal Park, is throwing its annual summer event from 17 June to 19 July. You can look forward to concerts, cinema, dance, games, circus, workshops and more.
Friday Lates at Villa Empain: The iconic historic house, which is now home to a cultural centre and exhibition space, is hosting a late-night Friday opening on the last Friday of every month until 25 September. Apart from an electronic or jazz set, an apéro and an exhibition, this villa also has a pool.
Party boats on the Brussels Canal: The canal area of Brussels will come alive from 2 to 19 July for cruise parties, featuring well-known Brussels operators, such as Chez Ginette, 21 AM, C12 or Play Label. This experience is available every day and lasts for 2.5 hours.
Upcoming events
🤝 = networking/meeting new people; 🎨 = crafts and workshops; 👚 = fashion; 🎸= music; 🎉 = parties and festivals; 🎭 = theatre, musicals and performing arts; 🚶 = walking and hiking; 🏀 = sport; 🎥 = film festivals and screenings; 🏋️ = fitness; 🎤 = talks; 🍔 = food; 🖼️ = exhibitions; 😂 = comedy; 🛒 = shopping and markets; 🎮 = games and quizzes
🎤 11 June: Crafting Opportunity - Digital Skills and the Future of European Craft @The Nine (link)
👚 12 June: Summer Closet Sale @Lucifer Lives (link)
🎉 12-13 June: VOLTA Solidarity Festival @VOLTA, Centre for Music (link)
🎉 12-14 June: Viva La Festa Junina! @Cité Modèle (link)
🎉 13 June: Maatwerk Festival @Vilvoorde (link)
🍔 13 June: Master of Peppers - Part II - BxHell Hot Sauce and Pepper Festival @Be-Here (link)
🎉 13 June: La Grande Braderie de Saint-Gilles @Chaussée de Waterloo 30 (link)
🎉 13 June: Play Label Open Air - Congrès @Place du Congrès (link)
👚 13-14 June: Cyclup: second hand & upcycling market @Ratz (link)
🍔 14 June: Banana Grand Opening @Banana Brussels (link)
🏀 14 June: BXL TOUR @Place des Palais (link)
🎭 16-20 June: ATC Studio Nights 2026 @Warehouse Studio Theatre (link)
🎨 17 June: Collage and Crumble @PEOPLE PLANET PLACE (link)
🎉 17 June: Booma Club x Barabar @Barabar (link)
👚 17 June: Fighting Back Big Fashion @MIR Concept Coffee Store (link)
🤝 18 June: Brussels Business Leaders @The Eight Rooftop Cocktail Bar (link)
🎉 18-21 June: Fête de la Musique @various locations (link)
🎸 19-20 June: Tectonics Festival @Flagey (link)
🎉 20 June: Bed By 10 pm: 30+ Daytime Clubbing @Claridge (link)
🎉 20 June-12 July: Les Estivales de Woluwe @Parc de Roodebeek (link)
🎉 20-21 June: Summer Space Festival @Tour & Taxis (link)
👚 21 June: Sip & Swap @Bar L’Impasse (link)
🎤 22 June: Brussels Think Bigger @BeCentral (link)
🎤 23 June: Women Rewriting AI - Impact of AI on Finances @The Nine (link)
🎤 24 June: What’s Behind the News: A podcast launch @Full Circle (link)
Before you go…
What topic do you want to see featured next? Reply to this email.
Move this newsletter to your “main” folder so that you don’t miss the next issue.
Has someone sent you this newsletter? Sign up here.
Want to see what else I’m up to? Follow me on LinkedIn.