5 spots for specialty coffee in the center

It goes without saying at this point that Brussels is a coffee city. There’s always something going on in the world of specialty coffee in Brussels. From cuppings, to parties, to collaborations with local bakeries, you’re certain to find something worthy of drinking. While there’s great specialty coffee shops all over Brussels, today we’re focusing on the center, as we’ve got five stops for specialty coffee… hope you don’t get the jitters!

Walk Details
Distance: 2km
Walking time: 24min

1

Drache Specialty Coffee Bar

Quai au Bois à Brûler 11, 1000 Bruxelles

Located in a convenient starting position, Drache is a relatively new coffee shop located just steps away from the St. Catherine metro stop at Marché aux Poissons. While they offer your standard coffee options, from hand brews and cappuccinos to flat whites, they also have a great selection of house specials including a black sesame latte and white chocolate hojicha.

2

Wide Awake Brew Bar

Rue de Flandre 185, 1000 Bruxelles

Just a short jaunt away in the Danesart neighborhood you’ll find Brussels’s biggest coffee powerhouse—Wide Awake. Despite only beginning five years ago, it’s getting to be difficult to not find Wide Awake in most coffee shops. Providing custom blends for shops all around town, their Brew Bar though is where all the action is. Buy yourself a bag of their beans, roasted here in Brussels, or try one their specially sourced coffees. Personally, I prefer their Juicebox and Wild Card coffee, but they have something for all tastes.

3

Mok Coffee

Rue Antoine Dansaert 196, 1000 Bruxelles

Literally just around the corner, Mok is another of Brussels most well known roasteries. This is their own shop in Brussels and a great place to pick up a bag of their beans. There’s no shortage of specialty coffee to try here, from their Panamanian Geishas to experimental fermentations, Mok is a great place to expand your coffee horizons. Oh, and you can grab something to eat, as they offer a vegetarian kitchen that does breakfast and pastries.

4

Voort X Velvet

Rue Antoine Dansaert 54, 1000 Bruxelles

While you might be a bit confused walking up, don’t be. Voort X Velvet is a combination luxury handbag bag manufacture, but also a coffee shop specializing in Columbian coffees. When their Café Velvet closed down in 2023, the coffee roaster and founder Ilse Geyskens teamed up with her daughter, Voort founder Claire Vandervoort, to open a shop that celebrated both handbags and coffee. Geyskens personally sources all the coffees directly from Columbia, and presents a wide variety of ferments and processes.

5

Café Capitale

Rue du Midi 45, 1000 Bruxelles

Located right in the center of Brussels on Rue du Midi, Café Capitale is always consistent with their quality coffees. Founded by Francois Lafontaine, they also serve coffee from their own in house roaster Black Potion. You can find all sorts of processes and origins on their shelves and on their menu. It’s often quite busy inside and out, which only serves as a testament to their quality.