As some of you locals may have realised, Brussels is not exactly the most vegan friendly place on earth. Having been vegetarian for 3 years and vegan for almost 2 years now, I have to say I've struggled when it comes to finding food when I'm out. But things are really improving. Here are some places you might want to look out for during your stay in Brussels.
Say you are coming to Brussels from the Gare du Midi and are feeling a bit peckish. Then luckily for you, won't have to search for long as the first Greenway in Brussels has recently opened there. It is a chain of vegetarian fast food style restaurants. Although It is vegetarian the vegan choice is more than reasonable. They do breakfasts, burgers, salads and wraps. I strongly suggest trying out their vegan kebab wrap as it quenches your cravings for something fatty while being the healthier option and not hard on the stomach (I mean who could say no to veganaise!).
Right in the centre is Moonfood. It is
100% vegan, raw and gluten free. Its spacious and hip decoration is really welcoming. You walk into a room with a buffet full of mouth watering, healthy, delicious looking food and pay by weight. It's really easy and really fast meaning you can spend as little or as much time as you want there. Go in during your lunch break, or sit in with a book for a while. Their concept is unique here in Brussels. They are another place where you won't feel bloated after eating though you might not want to go for the biggest portion as their food is designed to be filling so that you can enjoy a smaller portion of something healthier all while being able to enjoy a nice drink and desert. Now you might want to make sure you know when you're going in because it closes quite early in the evening and make sure to check out their facebook page too see what kind of food they do considering the buffet changes.
You might be looking for something more simple and in that case I suggest Den Teepot. Den Teepot is also a chain, but of bio shops this time (which are in fact not vegetarianan) but their Brussels shop which is found in the Sainte Catherine area does have a cafe joined to it. If you can't find the place look out for the yellow house ! You walk up above the shop as though you are going into someone's house to find yourself in a charismatic little vegan cafe. It serves soups and also does an amazing platter full of all sorts of veggie goodness. Again, you'll be eating healthy, so no point in depriving yourself from a good meal, you might aswell treat yourself !
Flagey is also a great area for veggie food. I recommend Ami, which is not all vegan but has some option. It mainly serves burgers and sandwiches but also has a variety of salads and soups. I personally feel that the portions are slightly small but delicious all the same! Though if you want something more hearty then you might want to go a few streets away to Dolma. This place also has it's own shop and a buffet. You have the choice or certain menus or the buffet. Though it isn't all vegan either, other than the deserts you usually won't have a problem. Just note, the price varies depending on what time of day you're there.
Now you obviously don't have to eat in a vegan place to find vegan food but I feel it's much easier when you know where you're going. Just a few years back when I would walk into a place and ask if they had veggie or vegan options I'd often get a funny look. It might be complicated to find something off the bat but there are some chains you'll know there'll be an option such as Exki, Foodmaker, Pulp, and Maki Su. Other than this also depends on what kind of cuisine you're looking for. Wherever you go they'll always be falafel or pitta. But if you're really stuck there is a vegan shop vegasme where you can find everything (they also do some food on certain days). And if you're REALLY stuck just go for the usual source: happycow.net!
