Brussels pastry shops

[confiseur]

I have a couple of well earned days off at the end of August.........and will be visiting Brussels.......Can anyone recommend me any pastry shops to visit?. I know of Wittamar and Marcolini on the Place Sablon,but thats all.

Any information gratefully received.

[Wendy DeBord]

I just wanted to bump this thread up and see if anyone can help you.

[confiseur]

Thank you Wendy.........

I know its not an easy ask particularly as most of the forums members are based States-side of the water.

I am familiar with Wittamar and Marcolini who are both excellent but after that I am struggling, however no great problem if nothing turns up-I will eat my way through Brussels excellent chocolate shops instead!

[AlainV]

As you said, "Wittamer", place du Grand Sablon is a must for pastry shop.

But you can also go the the "Grand'Place" where you could buy excellent "pralines" from "Godiva".

If you are a cookie lover, you have to go to "Biscuiterie Dandoy" (http://www.biscuiteriedandoy.be/) located 31 rue au Beurre, near the Grand'Place. Here you will find the best "Speculoos" and "Pain aux amandes" in Brussels.

I hope you will enjoy your visit in Belgium

[confiseur]

Alain.........

Thank you for the information. Much appreciated

[lalala]

There are two Pierre Marcolini's in Brussels. The one at the Conrad (avenue Louise) seems less picked over than the one at place du grand sablon.

One of my favorite restos in Brussels is right next door to the Pierre Marcolini at Grand Sablon -- le vieux mairie. Good food and full of locals.

I'm a big fan of Dandoy too. I like to buy bulk, though they have nice packaging for gifts.

Though its a chain, le pain quotidien has a pretty nice selection of small chocolate tablettes and tasty treats for the train rides to Paris, London and Brugges. There is a caffe tasse store on rue du beurre (I think), which sells pastries and chocolates. They have nice gifts also and a small eating area.

lalala

[TGullet]

Any 2006 updates on this great subject?

[lalala]

Pierre Marcolini on grand sablon has moved to a bigger location down the street and on a cross street. I can't really describe it, but it wasn't where I thought it would be and it confused the heck out of me.

Its really moved into a swanky destination store now. Great looking pastries, a floor of just teas and tablettes, very swish.

Something called pierre's tarts serving savory pastries has moved into the other space, same typeface being used, so its very confusing.

I was in Brussels on Saturday. Nothing really new has opened in the chocolate world. We did Pierre Marcolini and cafe tasse, skipped Galler, Neuhaus and Wittamer and skipped Dandoy as well.

I spent most of Friday running from one chocolate place in paris to another. I am chocolated and macaroned out.

lalala

[schneich]

i recently made a trip to bruxelles to buy some tarte tins impossible to get in germany and to steal an idea or two from the major league guys ;-)

tarterie de pierre with a nice meringue tarte

unbelievable tatin d abricot

tarte au saumon with spinach

pierre marcolini layered desserts

these little thingies (marcolini) really looked as if they were "airbrushed" with chocolate...

flan de naranja at marcolini

thats how they serve a hot chocolate in many cafes (with a tiny little shot of chocolate mousse)

some incredible earl grey sugar cookies at dandoy

also dandoy

brioche, sliced smeared with a butter sugar mixture and baked again... HELL!!!

dandoy mothership

dandoy mothership - pain d epices etc.

dandoy mothership

have fun

t.

Edited March 7, 2006 by schneich (log)

[cocoa-lulu]

Heavens to Betsy, i'm hungry! thanks for the pics.

[ludja]

Beautiful photos, schneich. Thank you very much for sharing them and including the annotation alongside.

Did you happen to taste the Early Grey cookies? They look amazing; I may need to try something like this.

[schneich]

as a matter of fact they ARE incredibly good. i thought that you might end up with a mouthful of tough little tea strings but the tea itself gets crunchy, the earl grey flavor is quite intense.

[Swisskaese]

The Tatin d'Abricot looks amazing!!!! I have got to try and make one of those when apricot season begins.

I wonder where they got the fresh apricots.

[kerriar]

From a long term Brussels resident - on Dandoy´s Earl Grey biscuits, the only thing I can do is to quote James Joyce ´"....yes....".

Admission - I live within walking distance of a Marcolini shop and have worked hard on resisting the layered desserts. Schneich's photo have finally killed months of good intentions.

By the way schneich - where do you go to in Brussels for things like tarte tins? I often go to Germany for serious kitchen gear - destination trips such as e.g. Manufactum in Bonn (also on web at manufactum in german or manufactum in English (but a bit limited)

[schneich]

well i go to this tiny shop at the end of rue de bouchers just after it crosses galerie du roi. else i go to bruyerre in liege or n amur

cheers

t.