The Best Concept Stores In Brussels

This florist and healthy tearoom must be one of the most organically flowing concept stores in all of Brussels. Eating your delicious vegetarian dish amid plants and flowers that have been beautifully arranged by business owners Sarah and Nicolas feels just right. After brunch, try one of their specialty teas while lounging on their patterned sofas and pondering on which of the oddly shaped cacti to take home.

Boys will be boys but most importantly, will feel like men at the old school barbershop that recently opened its doors in the Sablon neighborhood in the central part of town. Bayer and Bayer – its name referencing entrepreneurs Nicolas and his sister-in-law Olympia – is sure to become a long awaited second home for the bearded and mustachioed hipsters of Brussels. Have a whiskey or bourbon from the built-in bar and relax in the British gentlemanly atmosphere as you wait to be expertly shaven.

A book emporium worthy of a mention in every ‘world’s most beautiful bookshop’ list, Cook & Book is one to get lost in for hours on end. Thankfully, the massive store has come up with a built-in solution for growling tummies; give the book lovers terrific vegetarian and Italian restaurants to eat at. Now nothing is standing in your way of exploring every corner of the themed rooms where vintage Fiats, caravans and book-covered ceilings await. Don’t forget to look in on their entire wing dedicated to English language literature with a charming tea salon that serves scones to boot. Honestly, there really isn’t any reason to leave this place before nightfall – hence the long opening hours.

One of the more ‘out there’ venues on this list, PAUZzzz will gladly press the snooze button for you if want to catch a little daytime shut-eye. The city’s first siesta bar combines all kinds of technology to create your very own stress free corner, whether it’s dolphin sounds, the scent of lavender or light therapy that does the trick. Either that or start the day off fresh with a session at the brand-new Wake Up Bar that will leave your body ready for battle.

At Living Room, you can take home the comfortable chair you’re sitting in or the snazzy lamps lighting your lunch. With his design shop doubling as an food joint, owner Maxime has created a space that embodies the best of the concept store, by combining two elements that go so well together we are left wondering how we ever went without. A decor of Scandinavian simplicity and different foodie specials every day make this the ideal space to have lunch while improving your home at the same time.

It’s a world of possibilities at YawnSpace. Driving force Eugène Staal began by turning a 19th century Brussels townhouse into nine furnished rooms, each bursting with personality and its own individual feel. So it was that YawnSleep came to inspire YawnSpace, as the reception area soon grew into a boutique matching Eugène’s Post-Soviet’s sensibility. No actual yawning going on at this exciting space reserved for the emerging voices of Russian and Ukranian designers of jewelry, clothing and lifestyle items.

Founders Aude and Niels hunt the world over for the most unique and sophisticated items (fashion and otherwise) to collect in their store. The roomy, two-level space awash in white is meant to be a canvas for ideas and artistic expression – which is why this venue radically changes up its whole layout every six months. As a new theme gets chosen, the work of designers and artists rotates to match the universe on display. The gallery downstairs frequently hosts DJ sets and other events.

Another unique spot in the city is Hyperion Esport Bar, the best – and admittedly only – place to go for a late night gaming session with some cocktails on the side. The founders – three students at the time – organize all sorts of activities that range from cosplay and board game nights to an evening reserved specially for Speed Geek Dating.