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Brussels, 11 November brings about the latest of capitalist and commercial holidays - Singles Day.

Being currently single myself, I can tell you one thing - it’s rough out there 😅 And I just honestly can’t bring myself to use the apps. But there are a lot of different ways how to find love in this city, some tested by my friends, and you know I’m including them in this issue! But on top of that, I also know how hard it is to even make friends as an adult. If you moved here without any prior connections, kudos to you. I admire you! But if you’re still finding your way and wondering where you could meet like-minded people, I got you as well 😉.

Today’s partner is Masters in Marketing. I have never had a formal education nor a course on marketing. Pretty much everything I know about it now, and mind you, I’m still barely scratching the surface, is by reading newsletters, articles and books, observing different campaigns, checking Instagram or watching YouTube videos. When I saw an option to include this particular ad in my newsletter, I actually subscribed myself as I’m always fascinated by what sorts of campaigns work and which don’t. A click on their ad doesn’t cost you anything, but it directly supports this newsletter. Thank you so much in advance ❀.

In this issue, we’re going to look at:

  • 🀗 5 ways to make friends in Brussels

  • ❀ 3 tips to find love in Brussels

  • 🍞 15 bars for a friendly catch-up or a date

  • 🗓 Upcoming events in Brussels (6-18 November)

  • 🎥 Content creator in the spotlight: Petra Petan

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5 ways to make friends in Brussels

It is not a weakness to admit that it’s hard to make friends as an adult! I was lucky enough that I moved to Brussels with a pre-existing network and I am naturally a very sociable person.

But if you are not like me, and want to expand your bubble beyond your work circle, keep on reading.

  • Expats in Brussels Facebook group - This Facebook group currently has over 56,000 members. It’s actually a great resource for all things Brussels - feedback on a neighbourhood you’re considering moving to, a recommendation for a doctor, or general questions about living in this city. And very often, people look for someone to join them for actvities.

  • MeetUp - Meetup is a global website that allows you to search for all kinds of activities in a selected city. Many activities are free; for some, you will have to pay.

  • Timeleft app - This app is currently available in 60 countries and 300 cities worldwide. Based on your personality test, the app will match you with five strangers for dinner on Wednesday. Before meeting, you will only know general details about them, and the app has partner venues for your meal. After the dinner, there’s an after party for all the groups meeting that night. You either choose to pay a one-time fee for the dinner + dinner or have a monthly subscription. I tried this once last year and it was quite fun!

  • The First round - a Brussels version of the Timeleft app, based on the description, but the meet ups take place on a different day. Looking at the website now, it looks like new dates have not been uploaded yet, but I think that will change quite soon.

  • Clubs and communities - While Brussels still has a lot of catching up to do with more organised and structured communities, it’s definitely getting better. If you’re a woman, you can join The Nine, Belgium’s first female-focused private members’ club; Women in Public Affairs Brussels or WIIS - Women in International Security. For communications enthusiasts, it is the POP Collective or Social Capital, and for freelancers, follow Freelancers in Belgium.

3 tips to find love in Brussels

Whether you have been single for a while or are fresh out of a long-term relationship, I see you. The older we get, the more difficult it seems to find the right person. But I’m a strong believer that there is at least one person for each of us, and we just have to be patient to meet them. We are all good enough and worthy of love, please remember that ❀.

Below, you can find three ways of dating in Brussels that you may not have heard of yet, and one obvious one:

  • Breeze - OK, I’ll include ONE dating app here, for two reasons. One, I think this one’s still not that well-known, and two, it takes away the part that a lot of us dread the most - endless chatting. With Breeze, you match and go have dinner at one of the app’s partner restaurants. No possibility to chat with the person beforehand (which has its prons and cons, I’ll admit). But my friend in the Netherlands has found her boyfriend that way, so I guess it works?

  • Dare to Date - If you have ever watched any American comedy about dating, chance is that you have witnessed a scene where the main character sits at a table in a bar, frequented by several people of the opposite sex. The character usually faces situations that are hilarious to the audience, but not to them. However, I know from several people here that they tried speed dating in real life and actually quite enjoyed it!

  • Match-making - This is also not a matter only for movies, but a growing business in Brussels as well. I have found this out thanks to watching the latest episode of the Middle Ground, where Marjorie Libourel, founder of ML Introductions, talks about the dating scene in Brussels and how her services help people form relationships in this ever-busy city.

  • Friends - I must say that most people in couples I know were formed organically. They used to work together, volunteer together, or met at a common friend’s party. I even heard of people who organise gatherings and tell each of their friends to bring one singleton!

15 bars for a friendly catch-up or a date

The weather is just horrendous lately! I completely understand if what you want to do after work is just go back home and relax. But looking at the calendar, we only have a few weeks left before the Christmas break and so many of us going back to our countries to visit their loved ones. We might then want to catch up with our friends before we don’t see them for several weeks again.

I’m personally not a big drinker, and I don’t go to bars as much as I used to, but there’s just something about their atmosphere that cafés can’t give you. So whether you want to take your new friend for some drinks or have a fun date with your newly found connection, I have prepared a list of 15 places all over Brussels that you can try out.

Recommended and vetted by me:

  • La Machine (city centre) - I love their cyberpunk style, cocktails are really yummy and the music is great.

  • Caberdouche (Madou) - if you work around Place de la Liberté, there’s very little chance you haven’t been to this place. When the weather is great, the vibes of the outside terrace are immaculate.

  • 36 Baronomie (Montgomery, Woluwe-Saint-Lambert) - I was here a really long time ago, and it’s quite tiny, but I remember enjoying it a lot.

  • Chez Felix (Plasky, Schaerbeek) - a cute little wine place situated on a street with the most beautiful cherry blossom trees.

Have been on my list for a while:

Upcoming events

  • 📅 7-8 November: Too Traumatic Comedy with Teddy Hall @La Plume Persée (link)

  • 📅 7-9 November: Brussels Coffee Show @Gare Maritime (link)

  • 📅 7-11 November: Festival Export/Import @BRONKS & La Montagne Magique (link)

  • 📅 9 November: Harry Potter quiz @Wolf (link)

  • 📅 11 November: Brussels Makers Market @Gare Maritime (link)

  • 📅 12-14 November: Fifty Lab Festival @Ancienne Belgique (link)

  • 📅 12-16 November: Brussels Arts Film Festival - BAFF @various locations (link)

  • 📅 14 November: Baileys Happy Hour @The Nine (link)

  • 📅 15-16 November: Vintage Market @Wolf (link)

  • 📅 15-16 November: Grrrabuge 2025 - Natural wine festival @LaValee (link)

  • 📅 15-16 November: Wonderfood Adventure by Delhaize @Brussels Expo (link)

  • 📅 15 November-10 December: Next Opera Days: Animal (Ars Musica Festival) @various locations (link)

  • 📅 18 November: English stand-up @Kings Comedy Club (link)

Content creator in the spotlight: Petra Petan

Petra Petan went viral on LinkedIn at the beginning of this year when she made a post about choosing motherhood over a top-level career at the European Commission. Ever since then, she’s been gracing our LinkedIn feeds with stories about having worked at this institution, being a mother, her writing journey and her love for Brussels. Petra’s perspective has been shared in renowned Belgian outlets such as POLITICO and Brussels Times. Until her first book comes out next year, you can also follow along Petra’s journey on her Substack.

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