2012 roundup: The Bulletin's top 5 shops

Over the past year, Brussels has lost a couple of great shops. Milliner Christophe Coppens closed his business, and so did Luc Duchêne, Olivier Strelli and many others. Luckily a handful of fine new shops opened as well. Here’s our pick.

Marc by Marc Jacobs

After more than a year of waiting for the official opening, fans of Marc by Marc Jacobs can now buy the entire collection in the store on Rue Dansaert. Before October, the popular diffusion line by the American designer was only available at some multibrand boutiques. In the city centre, you’ll find the women’s and men’s collections, shoes, kids’ collection Little Marc, accessories, bags and fragrances. The top floor also stocks a selected range of books by BookMarc and will have a small bar in the near future. And not unimportantly, the shop is open on Sundays, too, just like in New York.

90 Rue Dansaert, 1000 Brussels, www.marcjacobs.com, 02.511.05.82, open daily, 12.00-20.00

And he’s not the only international designer to have opened a new shop in our capital. Both Hugo Boss and Giorgio Armani chose Boulevard de Waterloo for their new stores. You can find the former at number 26, the latter at number 47.

Malting Pot

We love our beer in Belgium. And even though most supermarkets and even night shops stock a large choice, sometimes you’re just after something different. A visit to Malting Pot near Place Flagey in Ixelles will sort you out. The shop isn’t big, but it does have an impressive selection of Belgian artisanal beers, and a small but great range of brews from the UK (Thornbridge, Brew Dog, Harviestoun, Durham and more), France, Germany (smoked beer, among others), Denmark, New Zealand and Austria. Malting Pot has been open for a couple of months but remains a bit of a hidden gem, down Rue Scarron. Have a look at the website for the complete list of available brews as well as the latest info on new arrivals.

50 Rue Scarron, 1050 Brussels, www.maltingpot.be, 02.646.79.66, open Tuesday to Saturday, 12.00-19.00

Eurekakids

December is a lucrative month for children, with Saint Nicholas bringing new toys on December 6, followed by Santa Claus less than three weeks later. For parents who still don’t know where to shop this year, there’s a new toy shop on Avenue Louise (near the crossroads with Rue du Bailli). Eurekakids sells educational toys for children up to the age of 12. Jigsaws, creative kits (make your own soap, etc), fancy dress, board games, books, dolls and a lot more. It’s is an international chain store. They have shops in Liège, Namur, Ninove and now Brussels too.

199A Avenue Louise, 1050 Brussels, www.eurekakids.com, open Tuesday to Saturday, 10.30-18.30

Just Campagne

Hand bag shopping on Avenue Louise or Boulevard de Waterloo is a pricy affair. Think Delvaux, Longchamp, Chanel and other designer leather goodies. There’s good news, though, as the more affordable French label Just Campagne has settled down in the area as well. The brand is popular for its timeless creations that last a lifetime. The man behind Just Campagne is Azzedine Berkouk, who’s been working with leather for more than 30 years. Check the range of belts, wallets and pouches as well: definitely Christmas wish-list items.

30 Chaussée de Charleroi, 1060 Brussels, www.justcampagne.com, 02.534.84.93, closed on Sundays

Brocéliande Bis

Vintage and second-hand furniture hunters all know their way to Rue des Chartreux and its many little shops. One of them is Brocéliande, a tiny shop with a great assortment of old furniture, 60s lamps, retro cast-iron cooking pots and pans by Le Creuset, and more. As the shop was becoming too small to stock everything, they decided to open a second, bigger one. You’ll find it on the other side of the city centre, down Rue de Laeken. Brocéliande Bis mainly sells bigger items, such as tables and chairs, buffets, wardrobes and cabinets. The shop has very limited opening hours, but just know that, whenever the shop isn’t open, the owners are browsing everywhere to find the best vintage furniture and decorative objects.

90 Rue de Laeken, 1000 Brussels, www.fhbroceliande.be, 0477.35.36.07, open Friday, 13.00-18.30 and Saturday, 11.00-18.30