CURRENT POPULATION: 1,018,000
% POP GROWTH: 0.12 %
CITY AREA: 161.4 KM2

CITY DENSITY: 6,307 INH/KM2
GDP PER CAPITA: €24,800
DIALLING CODE: +32

WITH FRIENDS
AMADEO
26-28 RUE SAINTE-CATHERINE/SINT-KATELIJNESTRAAT
TEL. 02 502 51 37
Located in the centre of Brussels between the Bourse/Beurs and the Marché aux Poissons/ Vismarkt, Amadeo’s speciality is spare ribs served with a side salad and a jacket potato with herb butter. And with the ribs coming à volonté – all you can eat – you’ll need to work up an appetite.

ENTERTAINING A CLIENT
YAMAYU SANTATSU
141 CHAUSSEE D’IXELLES/ELSENSE STEENWEG
TEL. 02 513 53 12
If you want an authentic taste of Japan without having to take a long-haul flight, you can’t do better than the smart Yamayu Santatsu for quality sushi and sashimi and other tasty Japanese fare. It gets busy so it’s worth booking a table in advance.

CLOSING THE DEAL
SEA GRILL
47 RUE DU FOSSE AUX LOUPS/WOLVENGRACHT
TEL. 02 217 92 25
Reputed for its excellent seafood, this Michelin-starred restaurant is located in the five-star Radisson SAS Royal Hotel in downtown Brussels. A wine cellar, walk-in humidor and aperitif/ digestif lounge add to its cachet, and long sleeves are a must.

STYLE
DE ULTIEME HALLUCINATIE
316 RUE ROYALE/KONINGSSTRAAT
TEL. 02 217 06 14
Art Nouveau through and through and meaning the ultimate hallucination, you may think you are dreaming as you marvel at the amazing decor of this old family mansion-turned-bar/brasserie. It’s also a good spot for a drink or a bite if you plan to head to Sazz’nJazz (see Music).

RELAX
LE ROY D’ESPAGNE
1 GRAND’PLACE/GROTE MARKT
TEL. 02 513 08 07
Named after King Charles II of Spain, who also ruled over the Southern Netherlands, this traditional Belgian cafe/brasserie is well placed on the Grand’Place/Grote Markt. The building dates back to the 17th century and was originally the bakers’ guild house. With its wooden tables and roaring fireplace, it is a popular winter tavern.

MUSIC
SAZZ’NJAZZ
241 RUE ROYALE/KONINGSSTRAAT
TEL. 0475 78 23 78
A welcome addition to the Brussels music scene, this intimate venue usually has live performances from Wednesday until Saturday starting at 9.30pm with doors opening beforehand for eats and drinks. There’s the regular ‘SM’s Steady Wednesdays’ slot with Stephane Mercier on sax.

VALUE
HOTEL NOVOTEL BRUSSELS AIRPORT
25 RUE DA VINCI/DA VINCILAAN
TEL. 02 725 30 50
This three-star hotel with 24-hour shuttle bus service to and from Brussels airport offers the standard amenities, along with a fitness centre, steam room and, for warmer times of the year, an unheated outdoor swimming pool. Online rates start at €100 (approx. £81).

BUSINESS
HOLIDAY INN BRUSSELS CITY CENTRE
38 CHAUSSEE DE CHARLEROI/CHARLEROISE STEENWEG
TEL. 02 533 66 66
Just a stone’s throw from the fashionable Avenue Louise/Louizalaan shops and the trendy Place du Châtelain/Kasteleinsplein neighbourhood, the Holiday Inn offers services ranging from gym and dry cleaning to Wi-Fi. Online rates start at €140 (approx. £113).

BESPOKE
LE MERIDIEN BRUSSELS
3 CARREFOUR DE L’EUROPE/EUROPAKRUISPUNT
TEL. 02 548 42 11
Its central location opposite Brussels Central Station (20 minutes by train from the airport) is one advantage, but this quality establishment with its grand lobby offers much more. The 224 rooms have a desk with PC connectivity, high-speed internet access, three phones, fax machine, multi-lingual TV and much more.

From the end of November Brussels will be in festive mode, with plenty of opportunities for shopping and a glass of mulled wine. Head downtown for the Christmas market, icerink, big wheel and more (www.plaisirsdhiver.be). The areas around the Grand’Place/Grote Markt and the Place Sainte-Catherine/Sint-Katelijneplein tend to be where most of the action is.

Bande dessinée – or BD – is big in Belgium. See exhibits on one of the country’s favourite sons, Tintin, and other comic strip characters such as the Smurfs at the Belgian Comic Strip Center (www.stripmuseum.be), housed in an Art Nouveau building. The Center brings together more than 60 years of comic strip creations and is home to a research centre with about 40,000 titles.

Until 18 December the Nocturnes des Musées/ Nocturnes van de Musea programme means there will be a range of special Thursday evening events taking place at various Brussels museums (www.brusselsmuseums.be).

If you’re thinking about giving festive presents when visiting Belgium in December, remember that the feast day of St Nicholas is on 6 December. This is the traditional time for giving Christmas gifts to children, rather than on 25 December. However, Christmas has been getting bigger and many children now receive gifts on both days!