Boulevard de Waterloo and the Avenue de la Toison d'Or.
Two distinct sides of Brussels are represented on this, the same street. The posh boulevard (on the southern side) has big-ticket boutiques such as Chanel, Gucci, Giorgio Armani, and Ralph Lauren. The funky avenue features a promenade boasting everything from mid- to high-priced boutiques.
Christa Reniers
28 Place du Vieux Marché aux Grains
+32 2-514-0462
Gorgeous and sleek silver jewelry from this designer makes her a hit among the city's fashionable set.
Daily Flea Market
Place Jeu de Balle Square
More bohemian than the Sablon, this market is quite like a scavenger hunt. Prices are low, and patience can be rewarded with authentic art deco pieces, mint condition vinyl records, and other finds.
Dandoy
31 Rue au Beurre
+32 2-511-0326
This confectioner shop has been around longer than the state of Belgium. Selling local specialties such as speculoos, a cinnamon-flavored cookie, this is the place to stock up on all your non-chocolate sweets.
Francis Ferent
500 Avenue de la Toison d'Or
+32 2-512-1760
Donna Karan, Alexander McQueen, Dolce and Gabbana, and Vivienne Westwood are just some of the designer fashions sold here. The menswear store is nearby in the Galerie de la Toison d'Or.
Godiva
22 Grand Place
+32 2-511-2537
With so many chocolate stores throughout town, you can barely walk 200 meters in the city center without hitting some sort of a sweetshop or candy store. Brussels, the chocolate capital of the world, is the native home of the illustrious Godiva Chocolatier.
Ici Paris XL
84 Rue Neuve
+32 2-219-8175
This is but one of the biggest shops of this chain store with numerous locations in Brussels. The store sells a wide range of perfume and beauty products tax-free for non-EU residents, which means a 21 percent price reduction.
Idiz Bogam
76 Rue Antoine Dansaert
+32 2-512-1032
Recycled and mint condition vintage clothing for men and women are the finds at this laid-back store.
Leonidas
34 Rue au Beurre
+32 2-512-8737
Leonidas, another favorite, has the best value for your money: The shop is the least-expensive chocolatier in Belgium, with various confections that often measure up to Godiva quality.
Matonge
An outpost of Belgium's former colony the Congo, this energetic area has shops selling vivid fabric, food, and lively music from Africa that cater to the Congolese living and working in Brussels.
Neuhaus
27 Grand Place
+32 2-514-2850
Since 1857 Neuhaus has been manufacturing some of Belgium's finest chocolate. Neuhaus offers its traditional pralines collection as well as gourmet truffles and other delicacies.
Rue Blaes and Rue Haute
Running from Sablon area to the Porte de Hal
Much more restrained than the Sablon, these parallel streets lead to the daily flea market and are lined with shops filled with both trash and treasure. Best bets are those with art nouveau objets, home furnishings, and African artifacts.
Rue Neuve
This is the main shopping promenade for midprice to bargain-basement clothing in the city center. Esprit, Benetton, and Morgan are represented here, as well the French five-and-dime, Tati, popular Danish clothier H&M, and the Spanish fashion chain, Zara.
Stijl
74 Rue Antoine Dansaert
+32 2-512-0313
Fashion fans of Antwerp's cutting edge designers - such as Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, Raf Simons, and Véronique Branquinho - are
well-served here. Stijl sells both women's and men's clothing.
The Place du Grand Sablon
Antique mavens should head for this square and its surrounding streets, which feature exquisite furniture, glassware, clocks, and other items from art deco, art nouveau, and other eras. A favorite of Brussels' old money, the Sablon also has fancy eateries and high-priced terrace cafés for those who like to preen and be seen. On weekends, the square is turned over to a limited but impressive market for collectors of stamps, coins, art, and other items.
Thierry Struvay
22 Galerie du Roi
+32 2-512-9688
Women's jewelry and vintage and new designer home accessories, such as Murano glass vases and art deco ashtrays, are sold in this tiny boutique. Thierry Struvay is a stone's throw from the Central Station.
