Happy New Year, Brussels!
How was your holiday? And are you ready to be back in the office? For the first time in many years, I didn’t go to the office this week. And it was great, but kind of strange at the same time. If you don’t know, I left my job at the end of last year to embark on a new adventure. But I’ll tell you more about that in one of the next issues 😉
In this issue:
💪 10 gyms and studios for your next workout
🍕 12 foodie gems between Parc and Botanique
🗓️ Upcoming events in Brussels (7-20 January)
🎥 Content creator in the spotlight: Minute for Cohesion
10 gyms and studios for your next workout
I see you! I see that your New Year’s resolution is to exercise more in 2026. And I don’t blame you; it is a good goal to have. There’s definitely no shortage of options in Brussels, but if I had to name all the different gyms and studios, it could be a whole separate newsletter.
So I decided to take a different approach and focus only on gyms and/or studios that are personally recommended by me or my friends. Here’s the top 10:
Carlito Sport (Merode) - I love love love this gym! It is not a traditional gym, like Basic Fit, but it offers group training (strength/cardio) and personal training. The groups are small, max. 8 people, and the coaches really pay attention to you carrying out their exercises correctly. Whenever I haven’t been there for a while, they send me a message if I’m OK. 😊 And in summer, they organise outdoor classes in Parc Cinquantenaire.
On the mat (Place Saint-Pierre) - long before I started my reformer pilates and strength training journey, I used to attend mat pilates classes in this lovely, small studio. With groups of max. 8, Orsi, a Hungarian native, leads yoga and pilates sessions where you can count on her thorough explanation and correction.
Yoga Room (multiple locations) - located in Plasky, Defacqz, Fort Jaco, Stockel and Waterloo, this studio is probably no stranger to yoga lovers in Brussels. However, they have also been offering reformer pilates classes for a little over a year (except for the Plasky studio; coming soon). While I wasn’t a fan of the yoga classes, as the groups were way too big for me, the reformer classes are much smaller and the instructors are really great.
Rocycle (Place Fernand Cocq) - the most affordable option on this list, Rocycle offers spinning and reformer classes. I didn’t like the reformer class, but my former colleagues swear by the spinning classes and go religiously. So much so that I sometimes think they formed a little spinning cult. Think SoulCycle, with Barry’s red lights, as seen in American movies.
Little Bali (Gare Etterbeek) - this cute little studio in Ixelles offers small group yoga classes. I’ve only been once, but I really liked the ambiance, and my friend would travel a few times a week to attend her sessions there.
My Fitness Journey Brussels (Parc Cinquantenaire) - my friend participated in their six-week challenge last year and loved it so much that she still continues her exercises there to this day.
World Class Fitness (European Parliament) - one of the few gyms in Brussels that has a swimming pool included in the membership. My former flatmate used to go there, as it was just around the corner from her work at the Parliament.
Animo (multiple locations) - if you live around Flagey, Louise or Brugmann, and are looking for a more bougie, boutique studio experience, then Animo might be the right fit for you. They run signature classes which combine several types of exercise, and some of their locations even have cafés. If you want the most luxurious experience, they also opened the Social Wellness & Performance Club near Parc Cinquantenaire.
Aspria (multiple locations) - found in Arts-Loi, Louise or Woluwe Saint-Lambert, this club also offers a bougie experience, combining group classes, a pool and spa. My friend has their membership as part of her employee benefits package and I heard her say good things about this place.
Mix Brussels (Parc Tenreuken) - and to finish off with something bougie again, Mix Brussels is a place another friend is obsessed with and goes there a lot to make her not-so-cheap membership worth it. Mix offers you a diverse mix of group classes, wellness, and, what’s probably the biggest attraction, their outdoor pool. Yes, you read that right. An outdoor pool in Brussels.
12 foodie gems between Parc and Botanique
One of the best things about having worked in Place du Congrès was definitely the endless number of lunch options in the area. If you work between this square and Madou, or the other way around, between Parc and Botanique, you know it very well. But if you don’t, I think you have very few reasons to visit this neighbourhood.
Which is why I have created a list of the top 14 places between Parc and Botanique; places that I visited frequently over the three years I spent working at CEPS.
Sandwiches: If you know me, you know that I am not the biggest fan of sandwich lunches. But Brussels made me into a regular consumer. Brod was definitely my top sandwich place in this neighbourhood. Their baguettes are massive and very yummy, and they also have a self-service buffet where you pay for the meal’s weight. My go-to order was “Avocat”. Destiny, not to be confused with a strip club, as we always joked with colleagues, is a small, but such a delicious place. The owner is very animated and friendly and you must try their “Best” sandwich. Bel Panino is the cheapest place on this entire list, with sandwiches averaging 5 EUR. Adonys speaks multiple languages and if you’re a regular, he will remember your order.
Asian: Poké GO is a great place where you can assemble your own poke or choose from their menu. It is run by a small family, who are all incredibly hard-working and nice. My go-to order is a “chicken bowl” and to skip lines, you can order via WhatsApp. Parfum d’Asie is completely hidden on Rue Royale if you don’t know that it exists. Another family-run place, with the sweetest mother you will ever meet, serves cheap Asian dishes. The service is quite slow, but definitely worth it. Manola 3 (there are multiple, so go for number 3), serves Thai business lunches at a reasonable price. Always busy, their lunch menu gets you an appetizer and a main dish.
Moroccan: Kind and hospitable people are a pattern for this list, and it’s no different at this little place called Taphyra. If you wait too long, the owner offers you free Moroccan tea, and you may choose from their sandwiches and their buffet (set price, not dependent on weight). My go-to order is “Athena” in Moroccan crepe.
Italian: If you ask Italians in this city about the best pizza, chances are they will name Basils Pizza. Their pizza is absolutely heavenly and you may not even finish the whole thing! If you’re not a fan of pizza (are you even a real person?), just opposite Basils is their other branch called Liberté. Prepare your stomach for delicious pasta and meat dishes. I would strongly recommend a reservation for both places. Fantastico and Al Solito Posto are two restaurants just next to each other. I enjoy both; they are set in a more tavern-like style and are very noisy. And last but certainly not least is Foca Loca, where you can get filled focaccia. And it is so good! While I didn’t come here too often because of the rather higher prices, my go-to order was “Figgy turkey”.
Upcoming events
📅 9-18 January: Brussels Motor Show @Brussels Expo (link)
📅 10 January: British Brunch Party by Rascal @Wolf (link)
📅 13 January: The Sponsorship Edge: Introductory Session @TheNine (link)
📅 13-16 January: 3rd Crunchy Baguette Festival in Brussels @Remember Restaurant (link)
📅 14 January: The Security of Tomorrow Starts with Sustainability Today @TheNine (link)
📅 15-18 January: Beats & Pieces @Bozar (link)
📅 15-24 January: Brussels Jazz Festival 2026 @Flagey (link)
📅 16 January: Soirée Patinoire Ambiance Disco @Poseidon ice rink (link)
📅 19-31 January: Bandit ! Bandiet ! @Les Brigittines (link)
📅 21 January: NURTURE by Idealists Quarterly: Community Event @TheNine (link)
Content creator in the spotlight: Minute for Cohesion
Klaudia Woźniak, aka Minute for Cohesion, is a young Polish content creator living in Brussels. She has taken on the role of following and explaining one of the most important, yet probably the least sexy EU topics - cohesion. She was #9 on the #EUinfluencer 2025 Top 10 influencers on Instagram list. When she is not posting on Instagram, she works as an Information and Communication Officer at the European Data Protection Service.
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