City 2 Rue Neuve. (Métro: Place Rogier.) A huge temple to shopping with an abundance of boutiques, restaurants and cinemas, as well as a department store and the massive Fnac store.
Galerie Agora Off rue des Éperonniers. (Métro: Centrale.) Although near the grandeur of the Grand-Place, this galerie is an exotic bazaar of ethnic clothes, incense, tattooists, piercers and all the tacky accoutrements that make shopping a rush.
Galerie Louise and Galerie de la Toison d'Or (Métro: Porte de Namur or Louise.) Galleries situated at either end of the ave du Toison d'Or housing a series of boutiques selling top-of-the-range designer clothing - Armani, Gautier, Helmut Lang - at heart-attack prices: take a peek at the clothes in Ottimo (Mon-Sat 10am-6.30pm). A variety of shoe shops along the same expensive lines, such as Nouchka, are open Monday-Saturday 10.30am-6.30pm. Despite the pretence, the whole sprawl is quite tacky, with red carpet and a glorious golden mock fountain in the centre.
Galeries St Hubert (Métro: de Brouckère.) Just off rue de l'Ecuyer, this impressive 1846 glass-roofed gallery is divided up into the Galerie de la Reine and the Galerie du Roi, and contains a selection of well-established conservative shops. Those worth looking out for are Longchamps, Galerie du Roi 21, for quality women's accessories; Van Schelle at Galerie du Roi 36; and Nicholson at Galerie de la Reine 36 - all sell the leading brands in fashion. Neuhaus has one of their poshest shops here and there are various art and philosophy bookshops dotted along the galleries to browse in. For a more highbrow interlude during your shopping day, the excellent art house Arenberg cinema in the Galerie de la Reine has an eclectic film programme, or you could simply relax in one of the cafés.
Inno Rue Neuve 111. (MO de Brouckère or Métro: Louise.) Brussels' largest department store has four floors peddling goods ranging from perfume and lingerie to home furnishings, clothing and shoes. Prices vary from the high-rise to the bargain basement.
from $95.38 USD