Opposite the Stock Exchange building, is Rue Orts. At n° 3, ideally located to enjoy this lively neighbourhood, is the Hotel Marriott. Next door, Cosmeticary has an exclusive range of cosmetics favoured by international stars. Across the street, take a coffee break at Illy, where you can try the latest varieties from this exquisite coffee merchant. Don’t miss a visit to the superbly renovated Beursschouwburg cultural centre. On the corner, at the Hotel Orts Café, sit at the terrace to watch the neighbourhood fashion victims go by. Above it, the thirteen rooms of the Hotel Orts, decorated in tasteful shades of grey and beige, are full of charm. On the corner of Rue Van Artevelde, in a fifties style building, you will find Chine Collection, the refined collection created by Guillaume Thys. The old central market of Brussels is in the middle of the Place Saint Géry and all around, are a number of very trendy bistros: Mappa Mundo, Le Roi des Belges and Le Zebra… Terrasses where it is heavenly to hang out in summer, till the wee hours of the morning.
On Rue des Chartreux, Am Sweet is an adorable tearoom that offers typical Belgian specialities, as well as chocolates from Laurent Gerbaud. Further on, is the workshop/boutique Shampoo & Conditioner, the dream of two young designers. Opposite, L'Atelier des Chefs, the new generation of cooking school, offers the opportunity to learn tricks from the great cooks, but also to try and test products and kitchen tools before purchasing them. Espace Bizarre is well known for its modern furniture. You’ll also find Ethic Wear, the boutique of the designer Marie Carbanac with her colourful collection of environmentally friendly clothes. Opposite is Toit, "the home of home", where you will find gifts for your favorite home. At the end of the street, on the Place du Jardin aux Fleurs, is In ‘t Spinnekopke, a tavern-restaurant with Belgian specialities in a decor dating from 1762. Opposite you’ll find the new men’s boutique OWN.

On Place du Vieux Marché aux Grains, the design boutique Stilissimo has a beautiful choice of designer accessories and furniture, including the exclusive line of furniture Pastoe.
On the corner of the Rue Dansaert are the spectacular windows of Kartell, the international design temple. Next door, Le Pain Quotidien invites you for a short stop for coffee or brunch; this outlet was the first of a franchising chain of bakeries/tearooms, going from Paris to New York. To start the evening, the Archiduc invites you for jazz and drinks in an Art Deco setting; from time to time, famous jazzmen meet there for a jam session. Dinner can follow in one of several trendy restaurants: the Moroccan restaurant Kasbah or its neighbour Bonsoir Clara. On the same side of the street, Kat en Muis is a paradise for children’s clothes, with a lot of Belgian designs. Further on, you’ll find the Olivier Strelli women’s and men’s boutique. At the end of a corridor, discover the literary world of Passa Porta and its extensive choice of art books. Further on, you’ll find Marianne Timperman’s jewellery collection. At a short distance, the immaculate space of modern jeweller Christa Reniers will charm you. Next door, Rue Blanche displays its entire collection of clothes and accessories. For fans of lingerie, Underwear, with its array of collections, also displays the lingerie line of Brussels designer Carine Gilson. A fully renovated 1900 building houses the new Hotel Cafe Pacific. Each of the 12 rooms has been decorated with beautiful textiles from the fashionable Mia Zia brand. The decor of the Pacific# lounge bar mixes modern and vintage pieces, and is open from dusk till dawn, for breakfast, a quick bite, or just a drink.
On the corner of the Rue Antoine Dansaert is Annemie Verbeke’s flagship store, with its elegant and refined collections. Fans of vintage will be spoilt for choice at Idiz Bogam, a great tip for beautiful clothes. We now arrive at Stijl, the boutique which started the fashion theme of this neighbourhood. Sonja Noël gave a great number of designers their first break. Her shop is the only one in Brussels offering the collections of the famous Antwerp designers Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten, A F Vandevorst, Véronique Branquinho, Kris Van Assche, Raf Simons, Tim Van Steenbergen, Rick Owens... as well as those of the Brussels creators Sofie D’Hoore and the collection of the young and talented stylist Cathy Pill.
Next door is La Cigogne, a lovely little bistro with home-made meals. Try the “Stoemp”, it’s a real treat. When passing by, do pop in to Nicolas Woit, a Vintage freak who creates marvellous “pièces uniques”. Opposite is the boutique Les Précieuses with its exclusive accessories. At Hatshoe, you will find designer shoes. A few steps ahead, don’t miss Hoet optiek, with the surprising Theo glasses collection, created by the Belgian designer Patrick Hoet. Here you will also find the other creations by the Hoet family. On the corner, you’ll find Natan XIII, Thierry Struvay and Edouard Vermeulen’s concept store, offering exclusive designs.
Nouveau Marché aux Grains: in this square you will find the pure and refined look by the designer Johanne Riss. You can even have tea in her Japanese garden. The showroom and workshops of designer Christophe Coppens are set in a gorgeous loft space. On the other side of the square, on the corner of Rue Léon Lepage, his boutique displays collections of accessories for men and women. Towards the canal area, on rue Antoine Dansaert, you’ll find the pilot store of the brand Y-Dress. At the end of the street, discover the latest trendy Mademoiselle Jean boutique, which display the creations of young designers. Wasko is an amazing shop for children, where you can find unusual presents from the ends of the earth, and Le Bonheur, a new audio-visual deli concept. Good news : the Walvis cafe has re-opened : its terrasse is again the hip meeting point for the neighbourhood's artists.

On the left, at Canal 20, on Boulevard Barthélémy, don’t miss the white boutique and gallery of fashion designer JeanPaulKnott, one of the great names in Belgian fashion, who will introduce you to his artist friends.
On Rue d’Alost is the Dansaert Centre which has been superbly renovated by the city of Brussels and enables craftsmen have their workshops in the centre of town. Visit the workshops of the chocolate maker Laurent Gerbaud.
On Rue Notre Dame du Sommeil, you will find La Manufacture, a charming restaurant set in the former workshop of the leather goods manufacturer Delvaux. Go back to the Marché aux Grains, Rue Léon Lepage, where the boutique Ten displays its entire collection for children. A little further along, Mieke Cosyn presents her dresses for a dream wedding. Next door, the gallery Dam Spazio has accessories by Belgian and international designers on offer. Opposite you’ll find the collection of Aznif Afsar, well-known for her rigourous and perfect cuts.
A little further on, on the corner, are the offices of Modo Bruxellae, a non-profit entity that organizes the “Parcours des Stylistes”. At No 40, Sonja Noel invites you to discover the entirely white world of secretive Belgian designer Martin Margiela.
Rue du Rempart des Moines, admire the exclusive pieces of jewellery designed by Laurent Fontainas.
On Rue de Flandre, don't miss the Maison de La Bellone? In front, stop at an old house that has just been transformed into an adorable tearoom: Thé Toi et Mange offers you a selection of delicacies. For dinner, try Viva m’Boma, the only trendy restaurant to offer genuine traditional Brussels cuisine. Across the street, treat yourself to gourmet cuisine at Switch, where seasonal products compose mouth-watering menus. Around the corner, the flemish cultural center De Markten offers a large choice of activities and exhibitions, and its cafeteria has a pleasant terrasse in the summer.

Here are several tips for a great meal on Place Sainte Catherine: Le Jaloa, a well-known gastronomic delight, has recently opened its second branch, Le Fourneau, Evan's latest creation, a restaurant with an original concept, inspired by the table of Joël Rebuchon : several gourmet dishes that you can sample in various sizes while sitting around a large bar counter. Le Vismet, and its traditional cuisine, and a classic for the Belgian gourmet, La Belle Maraîchère. For the amateur of fresh fish, Noord Zee is the perfect restaurant. For those of you who love unusual flavours, take the time to visit the spice shop Desmecht, with its extensive range of spices from the four corners of the globe.

Continue your walk to the Marché aux Poissons neighbourhood, with its typical restaurants and bistros. François, the temple of lobster since 1922, Jacques , for its "anguilles au vert", a typical Belgian dish, and its bistro atmosphere, and, opposite, the Marie Joseph, its state-of-the-art "croquettes aux crevettes", impeccable service and decor of contemporary art : they are really worth the detour!

Visit the old Béguinage neighbourhood and wander through the streets of the Brussels of yesteryear.