Waffles, beer, frites and chocolate was basically the itinerary (: we started with waffles on our…read morefirst morning in Brussels and I can't think of a better place to begin than at Maison Dandoy. The ambience of this location really makes it special. I was really looking for a Hallmark movie themed experience and starting here was perfect. My waffle was scrumptious and a great start to the day. Highly recommend.

The reviews of Maison Dandoy are mixed and while I wanted to like it, I thought it was just okay…read more I enjoyed their front room the most where they sold cookies, crackers, chocolate, totes, and gifts. There's an option to pick a box or tin and fill it the cookies of your choice. The waffles themselves are something I can make at home and save the €15. I ordered the basic powdered sugar waffle, liege style. My husband ordered the Belgian style waffle which was topped with macerated strawberries and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Again, the waffle and strawberries weren't warm so it was like eating a dry stale cold waffle with cold strawberries and a scoop of ice cream. Disappointing to say the least. I'd pass on this place and stick with the street vendors where you can watch them make it in front of your eyes and served warm.

Being a chocolate connoisseur with an affinity for odd and unique flavors, I surprisingly did not…read morelike the basil- or thyme-flavored chocolates here. Both tasted medicinal (2 stars off). The other flavors were as you would expect. Why not even lower stars? Well, they were still chocolates...

Super great place to get chocolates here! The service is wonderful and they let me try samples of…read morethe flavors I wanted to try. I got a bag of a make your own chocolates and it was around 11 euros. Not bad price for delicious chocolates. They have several locations around Belgium. I went to the one near the Grand Palace in Brussels. Highly recommend for some yummy Belgium chocolates.

While on a walking tour of Bruges,our guide suggested we try Leonidas for their Belgian Chocolate…read more They only use 100pct pure cocoa butter and have been in business since 1913. Known for their Master Chocolatiers,they have over 1200 stores in 40 countries. The staff was super friendly and even offered us a few samples including GF chocolates. Definitely stop in the next time you see a Leonidas Chocolate Shoppe.

The service at this chocolatier near the Grand Palace was outstanding. They took time with each…read morecustomer and were helpful with making suggestions. I was able to select a custom box of only gluten free, only dark chocolates and in many flavors. The quality of the artisanal products is amazing and they have been producing them for over 110 years. The shop is well lit and the displays elegantly feature the chocolates. They have shops in many locations in Belgium but also here at home in Northbrook, Illinois.

After the chocolates I brought back from my earlier Brussels trip was so well received, I made sure…read moreto introduce Neuhaus to my SO during our June trip. This store was one of the smaller ones we visited but its proximity to the Grand Place made it the obvious choice to duck into and escape the heatwave and indulge. I liked this store in particular since the staff were always warm and outgoing. They also were very generous in the sampling ;) Our newest favorite flavor was the calamansi Sensation. It was dark chocolate wrapped around dark chocolate ganache but with a very distinctive calamansi citrus flavor. We love calamansi and never imagined tasting it as part of a praline. If you really want to try it then go now since it will only be available during the summer! Lastly as part of their frequent buyer program, the store includes free samples to go. Staff just need to scan your Neuhaus Insider QR code and that's it. SO's taste buds agreed Neuhaus was the Belgian chocolatier on this trip and we'll be back.

Their triangle shaped chocolate makes them stand apart from other shops. The salted caramel was my…read morefavorite.

There are plenty of chocolate shops throughout Brussels, although this shop was ultra classy…read moreresembling a Louis Vuitton of chocolates. The inside was elegant and had giant chocolate eggs randomly on display. It did not have the original Brussels chocolate vibe, but there were a decent selection of chocolates and the multi flavored macarons looked amazing. The pistachio centered chocolates were my favorite. Directly in front of the shop was a push cart with a woman selling freshly churned ice cream for 6.50€. Type of place to purchase a beautiful gift box of chocolates but still many other places nearby with a warmer ambiance, although not sure if better chocolates.

The best chocolate maker of Belgium! If you can't wait to taste his chocolates after buying them in…read moreone of his flagship stores, just go to his tasting room on "Place du Sablon" and try his hot chocolate. Belgium at its best!

Part of Rudolf Braun, this delectable Manneken Pis themed chocolate shop is located across from the…read morefamous statue. Manneken Pis is a famous sculpture of a boy peeing into a fountain. The idea is meant to showcase the humor of Brussels. The fountain sculpture was created in 1619 by Jerome Duquesnoy and it still stands today. The shop carries a variety of peeing boy chocolates as well as other fine candies. They've got truffles, bon-bons and more. We bought quite a few Manneken Pis chocolates to take home to friends and family. They were all well received not just because of the fun but because of the fine Belgian chocolate used to make the creations.

This chocolaterier shop is right next to the famous peeing boy statue, Manneken Pis. So of course,…read moreit only made sense that they would name their chocolate shop after him and have chocolate molds of him as well. Their chocolate are just out of this world! I love Belgian chocolate and after eating chocolates here, I may never feel the same about chocolates in America. We loved the first box of chocolates so much, we had to go back and buy 7 more to give to friends and family, of course, only 4 made it to friends and family, we ate most of it on the plane and on our way home. It was so hard to resist! The employees here speak english and they give you great deals on buying bulk. Also, free samples!

Out of all the chocolatiers in Belgium, this has to be one of my favorites. Galler stands out…read morebecause not only is the quality top notch, but also intentionally affordable. Though Galler remains modest, whether it's in their cost, branding or initiatives, they should not be overlooked as they are indeed one of the suppliers to the Court of Belgium (see crest inside store). The chocolate here is delicate and smooth, light, and delicately sweet. I've ordered a variety-- 19 to be exact, and can already promise you, each one will be savored accordingly. SERVICE: A monsieur helped me with my order, and was incredibly patient, astute, and knowledgable. He overheard me telling someone my partner was lactose intolerant and took that into account when I was interested in purchasing some chocolates. Even when I asked which chocolates would be more cost efficient (ie: pre-packaged bars, etc), he didn't try to upsell.

Galler was our favorite chocolate shop that we visited while in Belgium. We initially stopped in to…read moresample a few truffles while on a food tour and went back afterwards because we learned that this is one of the few chocolate shops that is owned by a legitimate chocolatier according to our guide. We purchased truffles, chocolate bars and advent calendars to bring back for gifts.

We visited this chocolate shop just down the street from another store…read more We found a lower cost of chocolate but we learned that that's because they use more sugar in their chocolate than some of the higher end chocolate houses. Don't get me wrong it's good chocolate but not a rich and has less cocoa in it. For gift giving get this chocolate and save the higher end for yourself but it's still Belgian chocolate and can't go wrong with that.

I visited La Belgique Gourmande on a Wednesday early evening & there weren't too many people in the…read morestore. The interior was beautifully decorated. The store has a self-serve structure where everything is priced by the pound. The workers were very friendly--one even greeted me with a free sample & we had a lovely conversation about traveling. The rumors are true: Belgian chocolates are absolutely delicious. I enjoyed the treats so much that I even made a second trip to bring one of my friends back to try some for themselves. I would definitely visit again the next time I'm in Brussels!

I mean the history is cool, the chocolate is fancy and definitely bougie. I spent 4€ on two pieces…read moreof chocolate, maybe I should have spent 5 minutes eating one piece to make it worth it. The chocolate itself isn't bad, I think I just have specific preferences and top tier $$$ isn't it- (I preferred the chocolate praline I had at choco story). I got two pieces here- the Mary and the Elizabeth, of the two, I preferred the Elizabeth because of the touch of raspberry, it really brightened it up while the Mary was a little on the more bitter side. Interior is fancy, service is fine.

The best artisan chocolates that we had in Brussels after trying out several places in the Grand…read morePlace area.

Visiting Catherine's was a bucket list experience that I'm glad I was able to do. The best part was…read moreCatherine herself making our sandwiches! We were able to make selections from over 100 different cheeses as well as a variety of cured meats. The sandwich rivals my other fave from Alain Alain in Paris. It's a small but charming and quintessential Belgian shop. Traditional in every sense of the word. Simply put, it's a cheese lover's paradise. Catherine is extremely kind and patient as are her employees. They offer the ability to taste samples before making decisions. They're very helpful with making said decisions as well. A haven for like minded cheesemongers means the line can sometimes go out the door, especially at lunchtime. It is well worth the wait because so much love and care goes into every transaction with every customer. A most divine experience indeed.

What's not to love about Catherine...the cheese, the meat, the bread, the made to order $5 Eur…read moresandwiches and especially the owner - Catherine. Was so looking forward to our return trip to Brussels and visiting Catherine's. Over our week long stay we managed 3 visits to pick up cheese, freshly sliced deli meat, bead and made to order sandwiches. The cheeses that we selected were so very fresh and the selection to choose from was amazing. Of course my favorite was the truffle. We picked up sandwiches on two occasions and they were basically the same. The second one Catherine added a new little taste with the addition of three small roasted peppers. We had forgotten to ask for arugula and Catherine asked if we wanted it on this one...what a memory. Catherine's is a small place and always very busy. Quality shines throughout. The customers are almost all locals...another great sign. We noticed that when there were about three people inside that the patrons formed a line out of the door. Think out of respect for Catherine. Wish we had had a quality shop like Catherine's in metro Atlanta. We would drive to experience this and here in the hustle and bustle of Brussels there is a gem. Highly recommend. Prices are extremely reasonable. Can't wait to return...sooner than later. Thanks Catherine.