Le renard noir

The black fox.

I recognised here many of the faces from Recyclart. Piercings, tattoos, bohemians with velvet coats. And made a new acquaintance: Vlad, the Ukrainian bartender/ owner with a heavy, yet charming accent.

Classical Belgian décor, lots of wood and mirrors. Not to mention the cosy terrace. The menu features some rare beers, such as Le fruit défendu, and some yummy snacks.

The perfect place to quench your thirst after the animated flee market at Jeu de Balle or a tour of the art galleries in the Sablon.  

Venue: 233 rue Haute, 1000 Brussels

art & marges

A small, lesser-known museum in the Marolles.

For over 25 years, it has been defending the artists outside the classical cultural circuit, the outsiders, the self-taught or psychologically fragile. 

The entrance costs only 4 euros. I heartily recommend their last expo, "Il était une fois l'art brut" ("Once upon a time, there was art brut"). The raw or outsider art is usually associated with the possible origins of art: the childhood, the primitive, the savage, the confinement.

Jean Dubuffet is considered the father of art brut. The nicest thing about this expo is the classification by colours, easy to grasp even by a child. So don't hesitate to spend an hour with your family in this charming museum...

Address: 312-314 rue Haute, 1000 Brussels

K.LOAN

Not an ordinary furniture store.

For some reason, I don't like impeccable design furniture, but the one bearing the signs of the inexorable passage of time, a stain of rust here and there. This does not only apply to furniture, also to architecture, books etc.

More than that, K.Loan has an atmosphere. You can feel the hand and the soul that combined the objects, transcending their condition, telling a story.

I dare say: K.LOAN is a labyrinth of delicacy and force.

 P.S. This is not an ad.

2 venues in Brussels: 101 Rue Blaes and 537 Chaussée de Boondael 

La verrière Hermès

Recipe for a perfect evening: take a writer, an art critic and a psychoanalyst.

Go to the Hermes shop on avenue Louise. Cross the shop. Go to the back. Mingle with the pique-assiettes (spongers, trenchermen). Sip from a glass of champagne. Make conversation about contemporary art. Look at the sky through the glass roof.

Day-dream. Smile as much as you can. Don't think about yesterday or tomorrow. Relax...

Venue: 50 boulevard de Waterloo, 1000 Brussels

Résidence Palace

Another breathtaking example of Art Deco in Brussels, hidden jewel within the European quarter. Built after the plans of Swiss architect Michel Polak, it opened its doors in 1927. 

Résidence Palace is a complex of buildings situated between rue de la Loi and Chaussée d'Etterbeek. The oldest building consists of 180 luxury apartments of 3 to 20 rooms each. Apart from that, the complex hosts conference rooms, a press centre, a pool, Turkish baths and a theatre. 

My personal favourite is the restaurant on the ground floor. The cherry on the cake is the ceramic fountain in the patio, of Andalusian inspiration. A perfect venue if you want to impress your date...

Address: rue de la Loi 155, 1040 Brussels

Arne Quinze

Arne Quinze is a contemporary Belgian sculptor. Initially a graffiti artist in the eighties, he is now famous for several urban interventions.

In Brussels, you can admire two of his masterpieces. One in the fancy Kwint restaurant and one nearby the Flemish parliament, in the tranquil Louvain street.

Quinze employs materials which are rarely used together: iron and wood. Most of his sculptures feature a red-orange colour. A feast for the eyes...

Check out Arne Quinze's official website for more info. 

Cinéma Styx

According to Greek mythology, Styx was the river which separated the world of the living from the underworld.

Cinéma Styx is situated close to Place Fernand Coq in Ixelles. It consists of two small rooms. The best thing about it is that there are no commercials before the movies.

The choice of movies is tasteful. Tickets cost only 5€. They are not always the newest movies, but if you missed one in the big cinemas, you are very likely to still find it in the Styx.

The latest movie I saw there was a documentary, Searching for Sugar Man. I warmly recommend it to all romantics and dreamers. Here is the complete soundtrack, enjoy!

P.S. The address is written on the pink ticket;-)