BRUSSELS used to suffer from an inferiority complex. It boasted neither the romantic grandeur of Paris nor the edgy buzz of Amsterdam. When I worked there in the early 1990s, its French/Dutch cultural mix – actually rather fascinating – was viewed as a tiresome legacy of history.
It was hard to argue against the perceived wisdom that the Belgian capital was a dull city that had grown rich and stodgy on the EU gravy train. It certainly wasn't fashionable.
Revisiting Brussels for the opening of the Magritte Museum, which hou
ses more than 200 works by the celebrated surrealist, I was struck by how much had changed – and all for the better.
I've always thought of Brussels as a tedious mess of unloved, grimy old buildings interspersed with the odd post-war functional monstrosity – usually a stained concrete lump in which faceless Eurocrats were supposedly plotting to straighten bananas or make fishermen wear hairnets.
Now, visitors stepping off Eurostar at the (still unlovely) Gare du Midi will quickly find a collection of elegant squares, vogueish shops, bars and restaurants combined with cutting-edge design studios and galleries.
Even the Berlaymont, the four-armed EU nerve centre and once one of the biggest construction eyesores on the planet, has been redressed in shiny new steel and glass clothes. Who knows what they are planning inside now? More design makeovers, perhaps?
But perhaps the chief change is one of attitude. Brussels is casting off its role as Eurocrat-central to become, to my astonishment, a leading contender for a weekend city destination.
Billions have been spent on a revamp – cleaning, upgrading, investing in some pretty snazzy design – combined with a resurgence of civic pride and energy. Some of the old, grotesquely uncharming hotels may still cling on but Brussels now offers one of my favourite boutique hotels anywhere – and at a very reasonable price.
Sixteen years ago, I would never have believed the Dominican could exist in Brussels. Its soaring vaulted ceilings, glamorous bar, stylish lounge with crushed velvet sofas and elegant and calming courtyard encircling a 300-year-old fig tree are spot-on for a weekend break.
Chatting over cocktails were a crowd of mostly young, and definitely well-heeled, stylish people who looked as if they were having fun. All around there were dashes of original "bruxellois" design flair that made this a cut above the average boutique hotel. And all for about £120 a night for two including a very good breakfast. Try finding such a place in Paris for that money.
Finally Brussels has tapped the raw energy of both its constituent tribes, the cutting-edge visuals of the Dutch-speaking Flemish as well as the culinary genius of the Francophone Walloons. And finally, it is a city that is becoming more than the sum of these two parts, a place with an attitude all of its own.
The Flemish influence is loud and clear in the boutiques and bars to the west of the Bourse, just five minutes' walk from Grand Place, a tourist honeypot, maybe, but still undeniably dazzling. The one-off boutiques selling clothes and furniture are inspiring and fun, and when shopping palls there is a meticulously preserved Art Nouveau bar in Rue des Chartreux called Le Greenwich, where Magritte is said to have hung out.
A combination of old marble and nicely beaten-up leather banquettes, the Greenwich probably hasn't been touched for 50 years – the fabulous downstairs loos are museum pieces – and it is a clear beneficiary of such benign neglect.
Party-lovers can find an array of other, noisier bars in this maze of streets to serve every taste in music and drink. Many swear by the Archiduc, an Art Deco palace, in Rue Antoine Dansaert, to get you in the mood.
But no-one should come to Brussels without eating – lots. Here, too, it scores over Paris, in that it is still possible to dine magnificently for a reasonable price, even in a touristy area.
Away from Grand Place, in the Galeries Royales St-Hubert, is L'Ogenblik, an unpretentious culinary haven when I lived in Brussels and unchanged after 30 years in business. Even its simple marble-topped tables with cheerful canisters of salt live on, as does the quality of its no-nonsense but tasty food I struggled to find last time in Paris. I never knew before my first meal at L'Ogenblik how tasty a salad can be, or how tender a sirloin. This will not be a meal to rush.
Faster fare can be found in the buzzy Art Nouveau surroundings of Le Perroquet, just off the elegant square of the Place du Grand Sablon market, renowned for its antiques and objets d'art. Le Perroquet – always packed, so you may have to wait for a table – specialises in glamorous young waitresses serving delicious salads and pizzas at breakneck speed.
When I lived opposite, it was so cheap and so good that I soon forgot about cooking for myself.
Now prices have gone up some (although it's still only about a fiver for a huge salad) but it's still worth a visit for the experience. Not least because to reach it you will have to walk past L'Epicerie on Rue Ernest Allard, a tiny jewel of a grocer's selling home-made tarts and pies and a seductive array of goodies from 25-year-old vintage balsamic to the runniest of cheeses.
Some can't wait to get home to eat their bounty so L'Epicerie, although just a shop, has helpfully placed a couple of chairs and tables outside for the gastronomically impatient.
Back on the Sablon itself (also home to Flamant, one of the most seductive interiors shops in Europe), no visit to Brussels is complete without paying homage to Wittamer, temple of Belgian chocolate. No wonder they are chocolatiers to the Belgian royal family, who live just around the corner. Treat yourself and you'll see why the king is such a fan.
Actually, talking of fans, I realise I have truly changed my mind about Brussels. OK, it will never be Paris or Amsterdam. It is just a little bit too comfortably bourgeois, even now, but it draws on some of the best of both to become something uniquely of its own. I don't intend to wait another 16 years before I go again. sm
Factfile BrusselsHow to get there n Flights from Edinburgh to Brussels start from £183 with BMI Baby (0905 828 2828,
www.bmibaby.co.uk).
Where to stayn The Dominican, Rue Leopold 9, Brussels (0032 2203 0808:
www.thedominican.be). Deluxe rooms start from ¤140 (£120) per night.
And there's moren Le Greenwich, 7 Rue des Chartreux, Brussels (0032 2511 4167).
n Le Perroquet, 31 Rue Watteau, Brussels (0032 2512 9922)
n Magritte Museum, Koningsplein 1 Place Royale, Brussels (0032 3508 3211,
www.musee-magritte-museum.be). 10am-5pm daily (closed Mon), entry ¤8 (£6.90).
n Scotsman Reader Holidays offer various trips to Europe. Visit
www.holidays.scotsman.com for more information.
