"Great Bagels in a Retro-Chic Brussels Cafe With its retro-chic interior and free Wi-Fi, Cafe de la Press is a favourite with the hipster crowd in Brussels . You’ll find an equal mix of lunching expats, location independent travellers, trendy young Belgians and a whole lot of iMacs. On a sunny weekend, the sidewalk terrace is heaving, and on a chilly winter Sunday, you may have to fight for a table. It’s worth braving the crowd for the bagel sandwiches, a rare treat in Brussels. You’ll find them topped with traditional brunch favourites like bacon and eggs, or you can opt for something a bit different, like my chicken and avocado concoction. It was fabulous. It wouldn’t be a proper Belgian cafe if they couldn’t get the coffee right – and they do. Whether you prefer the perfect, tiny, rich espresso, or a dessert-in-a-glass caramel macchiato, you can find it here."
This spacious cafe is good to catch up with people, to work or to go on a coffee date.
This place has several places to sit, inside and outside. It is a bit loud though since there are always quite a lot of people inside so keep that in mind prior to going here but it’s still okay noise wise to have a conversation.
The food is good and you have several options. I ordered their pancakes with fruits and this is one of the only places that is generous with the fruit quantity because most places only add a ridiculously small amount of overpriced fruits, but not here so that’s awesome. I tried two of their fruit smoothies, the ‘Sunny’ and ‘Pura Vida’. Both were really good and tasted fresh.
The service was not impressive and slightly average. Specifically at the till. The person was cold and unpleasant to order so they should work on that.
Bugsy
Google
Absolutely loved the cookies and hot chocolate both were fantastic! Rich, comforting, and full of flavor. A perfect little treat that made my day.
Airport HKG
Google
Nice coffee shop close to Bois de la Cambre. International, startup, youngster atmosphere…
ice coffee was not the best I drink, sadly
Jessica Gonzalez Puerta
Google
It’s one of my favorite spots in Brussels—great staff, great food. The music used to be at the perfect volume, creating a relaxed atmosphere where people could talk comfortably. Unfortunately, it’s much louder now, and you almost have to shout to have a conversation. I even heard others at nearby tables mentioning the same issue. I really hope they can adjust this, as everything else is excellent.
Letizia Cabanas
Google
This is my go-to coffee place in Brussels, I really enjoy to go there always, I like the food is very tasty, they have many healthy choices, everything is always fresh & the list of smoothies they have is great, my favorite is the Purple Haze, I like the atmosphere is easy going but buzzing at the same time i love that combination, love the decoration and the people working are all friendly and welcoming.
Roberta Bat
Google
I come there often because it is simply on my way. Are there better places for coffee in Brussels - certainly. But this one remains a classic coffee place if you around Bois de la Cambre. They have quite big choice of desserts and all what you need for breakfast or lunch.
Alicia Martinez
Google
Disappointing experience – not worth the wait.
We arrived at 13:55 and I ordered a salmon bagel, expecting a reasonable wait. My friends received their food and drinks gradually, but my bagel never arrived. At 14:30, I asked the staff if there was an issue, but they assured me the food was coming.
By 15:00, I had to follow up again, and only then did they acknowledge something was wrong. My bagel finally arrived at 15:15, long after my friends had finished eating. I ended up paying €12.50 for a bagel I could’ve made at home, in a noisy, uncomfortable setting.
Needless to say, I won’t be returning.
Ophélie VDD
Google
i regularly go to Café de la Press for a late lunch between classes and i really like the place to grab a simple but tasty bite and a nice drink. the staff is always friendly and smiley and of great advice on the menu.
the place is great for a quick study sesh while eating but careful that computers are understandably not allowed during rush hour.
to me Café de la Presse is not the place to go for a lounging experience with friends as the place get get pretty cramped and loud but the vibe is good regardless.
i haven't tasted the whole menu but if like me you enjoy a good old avocado toast i recommend (as one of the waitresses recommended me first) ordering the salmon toast with avocado as an extra. it comes with a nice bed of cream cheese and freshly sliced avocado and a lemon wedge for a nice kick.
i also really enjoy their iced matcha which i find doesn't have the unpleasant type of bitterness the one from starbucks has for example.
however i was left disappointed by their desserts especially the lemon meringue pie. the crust was not crumbly, the bottom was soggy and the meringue had a weird consistency and elastic "crust".
tldr: overall i do enjoy going there for lunch while studying but it is not imho the place to lounge with friends. it can get loud and cramped in there. the staff is great and the food is nice but not mind-blowing. for those who like it, their matcha is nice.
Alexa T.
Yelp
Atmosphere is nice and the servers are friendly. It's a cozy place that would be nice to meet friends. However, the coffee is not that good. We ordered both an iced latte and a café latte and both were quite watery and left a lot to be desired. If you're just looking for a nice place to meet, this would be fine, but go elsewhere if you're looking for a good cup of coffee
Ryan L.
Yelp
Really great food big seating area. Really nice selections of food. I enjoyed how quick my food came and it tasted so fresh! Definitely a place I would go to again while traveling.
Lauren B.
Yelp
It's a good place to work or have meetings but damned if the prices don't suck. 3.60 for "handcrafted" iced tea that comes from a pitcher. I'll pay that much for a fresh iced tea but not some day-old stuff. I like the quiche and the iced coffee (which doesn't need the standard added sugar), and there is almost always a seat available.
Laura G.
Yelp
After 2 years working nearby, it is time to give Le Café de la Presse a review.
This place offers quite a large selection of lunch options (salads, quiches, sandwiches) and some attractive looking deserts (cookies, cakes, cheesecakes, etc).
Food is decent, even they have been serving exactly the same things for the last 2 years, with no improvement. Menu didn't change according to seasons. No hot choice except for the quiches (which are in fact quite cold).
Very slow service, expensive for what you get and if I had really one turndown it would be that pastries are not always fresh from the day !!!
If you can avoid it, do it.
Lexi H.
Yelp
This cafe is my fav. The food is so good- I had the pasta salad once. And if was the best pasta salad I've never had. The coffee is amazing I don't know why but it is. There is usually a line because it is in a convenient location. Outdoor seating is nice- lots of seats inside too.
Anand R.
Yelp
Cafe is next right to my apartment, very convenient and well located. Most I like about this place is the Ambience and Expresso it serves.
Great conversation starters and great place to hang out with friends and colleagues.
Antonella T.
Yelp
There was a bit of queue, but the Sunday brunch was great. Our fault was to book late (Sunday morning) so when we arrived one of four menu options was already sold out. Sunday brunch costs 16€. The atmosphere is nice, even through a bit noisy. We didn't try any cakes, but they looked pretty good.
D. B.
Yelp
Possibly one of the coolest place for brunch on a Sunday.
Great juices, coffee and option for buffet brunch (more lunch style than breakfast). Always packed, it's tough to get a seat. Same for the buffet - unless you time it well you may wait some time to get to the top of the line for the quirky chef to guide you through the options of hot plates. The buffet itself is a bit overpriced but the convenient (read: lazy) option - its worth mixing it up a bit and ordering from the menu also.
Staff are a bit over stressed and its definitely a place people go to be seen with their macs. They just need more space and some more tables outside!
Sophie P.
Yelp
A bit fancy but delicious but quite not-so-cheap food... Good service, good range of choice; Good place for bagels, brunch and fancy coffees.
Jelena S.
Yelp
Just saw one of the baristas finishing her toilet business and walking off to serve people food and drinks WITHOUT WASHING HER HANDS!!!
Paulina P.
Yelp
Love this place! The coffee is great (freshly ground expressos), the drink selection is wonderful, and they even do frozen drinks and smoothies. Plus, there is a nice selection of pre-made sandwiches and snacks. WiFi is free, although a bit slow, and the ambiance is wonderful. Highly recommend
Felicia B.
Yelp
What can be better than a hot cup of coffee on an icy cold day? That was what we were hoping to get when we came in the café, but got none of it. Instead, we were "blessed" with the what can be called as the biggest no-no in a coffee shop: lukewarm coffee in a very cold and drafty space.
Not to mention the lack of organisation on the part of the staff, who was running around behind the counter like a pack of headless chicken, noticing us and taking the orders only when the queue had gone to the door.
It's such a pity for a place that looks that cozy and with such promising menu, like the cappuccino I ordered, pimped up with pieces of nougat. If I were to get it warm, the nougat would melt away and I'd have a party in my cup. Instead, I had a bunch of teeth shattering cubes floating in the saddest combination of hulala whipped cream, room temperature milk and symbolically present coffee.
Oh, and we also had cheese cake. You know how sometimes unwrapped dairy tends to suck all the smells and aromas from everything else in the fridge? That's what we had in one slice of very dry and greasy cream cheese.
Peter J.
Yelp
This is a very cosy spot, BUT I have never experienced such bad organisation of staff. The wait is always long even when the cafe is empty.
Tessa D.
Yelp
When I studied in Brussels, I would come here a lot write my papers throughout the semester. The coffee there was pretty good and always had a good selection with a decent price, especially for a student, so it was nice to have a good cup of coffee to help write my papers on a Saturday morning. However it was always very busy and hard to find a place to sit regardless of the time you went there, and the wifi always took forever to connect to or you would get kicked off the wifi after a while and would have to reconnect. The staff as well was very nice and spoke both French and English. It's a nice place for a cup of coffee, but not so much for studying.
Charlotte D.
Yelp
Their Mokaccino is close to perfect, and their cupcakes are really good (try the carrot cupcake!), I definitely recommend this spot for a nice and cosy goûter :)
Mona L.
Yelp
That's just terrible.
We had issues with them in the past (the take away service : you pay for stuff that don't end up in your bag.) but today it was the worst meal so far.
My mum, my boyfriend and I went for lunch. First, very few choices in front of us. Fridges were empty. At midday.
We are vegetarian and there was nothing left except a quarter of a ciabatta for 4€ or some pasta. I was hungry so I went for the pasta. Not tasty, dry, no veggies, just three pieces of tasteless mozzarella. Oh so boring.
My BF and my mum asked for the bagels. The only veggie option left was cream cheese. "Why not ?". You expect some salad, some vegetables with it, or some guacamole. The bagels arrived 10 min later. Couldn't be more literal. It was. Just. Cream cheese. Toasted bread and cream cheese. For 5€. I wonder if you get a full chicken when you take the chicken bagel or if your salmon is still flapping on the plate.
This is just a huge expensive joke.
Yeah, the desserts are OK, but it's not worth it.
Marco R.
Yelp
Love this place. Great for Saturday and Sunday brunch. Food is always fresh and delicious. Slighlty more expensive than other brunch-oriented places but the quality of their food makes it totally worth it.
Laurent D.
Yelp
I have been a long term fan for many years, but the place does not have what made it so popular when it kicked off: limited meal options, slow service, steep prices, cramped.
Emily W.
Yelp
Good coffee for a decent price with an amazing atmosphere. There's almost always a full house, and it's interesting to hear a mix of the languages. The staff are incredibly nice and speak both French and English. A great place for friends, family, and the like. There's also free wifi so that's a huge plus.
Carlos Z.
Yelp
Rotten fruits, orange juice that taste like made many days before, awful, dirty tables also.
Jean D.
Yelp
Used to go there quite a lot to work while I was in school. Very nice atmosphere with good coffee (always hard to find in Brussels), good pastries and a trendy bunch of customers. Also, a lot of light thanks to the very large and omnipresent windows.
That being said, the place is very often crowded and hence noisy. The food for lunch is ok bot not more (ie on par with Exki with same quality/quantity trade-off).
Outdoor seating is just a row of seats on the sidewalk (ie not suitable for real work).
Ernst B.
Yelp
I felt the staff ignored the customers. Ok, so just this one brunette woman. She was really snobbish and ignored us waiting in line to laugh with a coworker. When she turned to us, her smile fell and she was amazingly rude. She obviously hates her job. It's a shame because the food was alright and the decor was really nice. I love the changing artwork and retro seating, but that attitude is inexcusable.
Miriamsita C.
Yelp
Good tasty food but badly organized only one person for the buffet and a bit expensive
Jen U.
Yelp
Not a very big space, so it can get crowded at times. The furniture is old and pretty dirty. WiFi does not work very well, so this is not a place to go to work. A good place to visit with friends, but expect a long line and cramped quarters.
Laura L.
Yelp
Poor and sometimes sarcastic service, awful and overpriced food and unhygienic (waitress handling my toasted sandwich with her fingers).
Mike I.
Yelp
Unfriendly staff. And the coffee.... Omg.... Disgusting. I complained about their coffee, returned it back to the bar and asked for some tea instead(safe choice). Apparently its not in their rules to accept returns ( really????????? ). The staff was looking at me like if I had three heads and 5 arms. After a while they accepted to replace my coffee with a tea. Even though the same price, i had to pay 30cents more. I then asked to see the manager. One of the staff replied sarcastically in french (i am giving a trandlation): " no need for you to see manager. Are u gonna pay or not????" At that point I said to myself to just let go... I gave them the 30 cents took the tea and left. They have a very nice environment and nice people hanging around. But it is really overpriced they have absolutely no management to manage this group of students who call themself "staff". Staff rating 0/10 and coffee quality 0/10.