Belga & Co. — Restaurant in Ixelles - Elsene

Cute outpost of this Brussels classic! Belga was on several lists of recommended coffee shops for Brussels, so I knew I had to pop by when I was in the area. The cafe is quite cute, with plentiful indoor and outdoor seating, and cozy wooden decor / furniture. The baristas are all quite friendly and the coffee is solid, although a smidge acidic for my taste. I got a cappuccino with one of their alternative milks (I, admittedly, forget which one), and it had a great ratio of foam, milk, and espresso. The espresso was quite bright and fruity, which isn’t my usual preferred flavor profile for an espresso and milk-based drink, but I think it’d be tasty alone or in an americano. They also had a ton of gorgeous pastries that we were too full to indulge in, but we’ll be sure...

It's a place I have liked very much over the years. Lately, however (I'm sorry to say this because I know that food and beverage industry is an hectic one), mistakes from employees have become numerous and recurring. Long waiting times, long lines, distracted employees, mistakes in the preparation of products, poor organization. When mistakes like these happen (it is normal of course to make mistakes from time to time) employees should (in my opinion) apologize and not be careless. We should not forget that with allergic people this kind of mistakes can be dangerous. It is surely possible to improve but only with a more customer-oriented approach and showing some kind of goodwill and interest/care...

This place was FANTASTIC.

We went for an iced oat milk latte and an iced matcha oat latte every morning, and they were both delicious and consistent every time. The staff was super friendly (even through my awful French- luckily for me, they were very kind enough to know English), and the banana bread was absolutely addicting.

If you’re staying in the area, and especially if you’re craving a more American-style iced coffee (that doesn’t taste like whatever garbage espresso starb*cks serves), please do check this place out!

Our only regret was that we didn’t have time to sit outside at one of their tables to enjoy the...