The complete guide to eat and buy chocolate in Brussels, Belgium
Brussels, the heart of Belgium, is a paradise for chocolate lovers from everywhere in the world.
In this guide, we take you on a journey through the best chocolate shops in Brussels, from historic chocolatiers like Pierre Marcolini and Jean Neuhaus to hidden artisan gems tucked away on Rue au Beurre, Rue des Minimes, and the elegant Galeries Royales Saint‑Hubert.
Whether you’re craving delicate milk chocolate, rich dark chocolate, or playful chocolate‑filled delights, you’ll find it here, and we’ll show you how to make the most of your chocolate tour and get more value back with a VAT refund via Zapptax.
Ready to indulge in Brussels’ best chocolate? Let’s get started.
Also, check out our guide to shopping malls in Brussels and the best places for tax-free shopping.
Key takeaways
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Brussels truly is the chocolate capital of the world, with an incredible concentration of chocolate shops in Brussels Belgium, workshops and even a chocolate museum all within walking distance.
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Our top 12 list takes you from luxury houses like Pierre Marcolini and Neuhaus to artisan gems such as Laurent Gerbaud and Jérôme Grimonpon, plus family-friendly spots like Planète Chocolat and Choco-Story.
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Milk, dark or white chocolate, you can taste it all : pralines, bars, truffles, chocolate-filled bites and hands-on workshops where you create your own chocolates.
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As a non-EU visitor, you can save money on your chocolate shopping by reclaiming VAT with Zapptax.
Top 12 best chocolate shops in Brussels, Belgium
Here is a curated list of our 12 best shops to satisfy your chocolate cravings, for a chocolate tasting adventure in the city.
1. Pierre Marcolini
Pierre Marcolini is synonymous with high‑end Belgian chocolate. Known for sourcing his own cocoa beans and inventing unique flavor profiles, Marcolini’s chocolates are as artistic as they are delicious.
What to try :
- Single‑origin dark chocolate
- Pralines with surprising fillings
- Seasonal collections
Perfect for chocolate lovers who want a premium tasting experience.
📍39 Place du Grand Sablon 39, 1000 Brussels
2. Neuhaus
Neuhaus is one of the big names in chocolate shops in Brussels, and for good reason : the brand is credited with inventing the filled chocolate praline in 1912.
Walking into the Neuhaus store inside Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, you’re greeted by rows of perfectly aligned pralines, truffles and chocolate bars, from classic hazelnut and almond fillings to more modern, gastronomic creations.
This is where you taste the “original” praline experience, in a setting that feels both historic and very polished.
📍Galerie de la Reine 25–27, 1000 Brussels
3. Mary Chocolatier
Mary has been charming Brussels since 1919 with its ultra-feminine boxes, pastel branding and silky smooth pralines.
The boutique in Galerie de la Reine feels like stepping into an old-world boudoir: mirrors, ribbons, and carefully stacked boxes of chocolates.
Here, you’ll find refined milk chocolate pralines, soft ganaches and beautifully decorated chocolate-filled treats that make perfect gifts. It is an ideal stop if you’re after something chic and delicate to bring home.
📍Galerie de la Reine 36, 1000 Brussels
4. Wittamer
Overlooking the picturesque Place du Grand Sablon, Wittamer is both a bakery and chocolatier with more than a century of history.
Inside, the counters overflow with glossy cakes, delicate pastries and refined Belgian chocolate creations. The chocolates are rich, traditional and indulgent, with a strong focus on pralines and ganaches.
Many visitors grab a chocolate assortment, then enjoy it on the square with a coffee while soaking up the Sablon atmosphere.
📍Place du Grand Sablon 12, 1000 Brussels
5. Laurent Gerbaud
If you like your artisan chocolate with a twist, Laurent Gerbaud should be high on your list. Named Brussels’ “Chocolatier of the Year” by Gault&Millau, he is known for pairing chocolate with fruits, spices and unexpected ingredients like candied ginger, figs or exotic citrus.
The shop near Bozar and Brussels Central Station has a relaxed, modern feel, with a small café corner where you can sit down for hot chocolate or a tasting board. It’s a great place to discover how high-quality chocolate and carefully chosen ingredients can completely transform a simple square of chocolate.
📍Rue Ravenstein 2D, 1000 Brussels
6. Planète Chocolat
Just a few steps from the Grand Place, Planète Chocolat combines a chocolate shop, mini chocolate museum and live demonstrations.
They regularly host chocolate workshops, where you can learn how pralines are made and create your own chocolates to take home.
It is particularly fun for families or groups of friends who want more than just buying chocolate.
📍Rue du Lombard 24, 1000 Brussels
7. The Belgian Chocolate Makers
The Belgian Chocolate Makers focus on giving visitors a hands-on encounter with chocolate. Their workshop space near Mont des Arts is designed for small groups, where you can temper chocolate, fill moulds and understand how cocoa beans are transformed into glossy, crunchy pralines.
The shop also sells their own creations, with a wide range of dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate bars, plus boxes that are perfect to carry back in your suitcase.
📍Rue Lebeau 11, 1000 Brussels
8. Leonidas
Leonidas is the friendly, approachable face of Belgian chocolate.
The branch on Rue au Beurre, just behind the Grand Place, is a classic stop for tourists wanting good chocolate at very reasonable prices. Inside, you can fill a box with your own mix : pralines, truffles, orangettes, marzipan and more.
It is particularly convenient if you’re buying chocolate for friends or family back home. You still get that unmistakable Belgian praline taste, without the luxury-brand price tag
📍Rue Lebeau 11, 1000 Brussels
9. Corné Port‑Royal
Corné Port-Royal is one of the most atmospheric chocolate shops in Brussels Belgium, set right in the heart of the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert.
The boutique keeps its Art-Nouveau charm, with wooden counters and traditional packaging. Here, pralines are elegantly arranged in ballotins, and the staff are happy to guide you through their classics, like buttercream pralines and nut-based fillings. It’s the kind of place where you feel like you’re stepping back in time, with chocolate that tastes just as nostalgic.
📍Galerie de la Reine 5, 1000 Brussels
10. Galler
At Galler, the focus is on playful, colourful chocolate bars and pralines with a modern twist.
The shop is very close to the Grand Place, which makes it easy to compare different chocolate styles in one short walk. Galler’s bars come in a rainbow of wrappers and flavours, from intense dark chocolate to creamy milk and white chocolate with nuts, caramel or fruit.
📍Rue au Beurre 44, 1000 Brussels
11. Choco-Story Brussels
Choco-Story Brussels is the city’s dedicated chocolate museum, located close to the famous Manneken Pis.
Before you dive into more shopping, you can walk through the history of cocoa, from pre-Columbian civilizations to modern Belgian pralines. Exhibits explain how chocolate is made, with live demonstrations and tastings included in the visit. There are also optional workshops where you can decorate and take home your own chocolate bars.
📍Rue de l’Étuve / Stoofstraat 41, 1000 Brussels
12. Jérôme Grimonpon
A bit outside the centre but worth the detour, Jérôme Grimonpon is one of Brussels’ top artisan chocolate makers, awarded Chocolatier of the Year by Gault & Millau and known for his high-end Belgian chocolate.
In his Uccle boutique-workshop, you can watch the team craft pralines by hand and browse low-sugar creations focused on pure flavour : an ever-changing praline of the month, intense dark chocolate tablets, silky spreads and elegant chocolate-filled bites.
It is the ideal address if you want to bring home chocolate bars and boxes that feel truly unique to Brussels.
📍Av. Coghen 2, 1180 Uccle
How to get a VAT refund on your shopping in Belgium ?
Belgian chocolate may be luxurious, but if you live outside the European Union, you don’t have to pay the full price.
As a non-EU resident, you can reclaim the VAT (Value-Added Tax) included in what you spend in Belgium – including your chocolate shopping.
In Belgium, most goods are taxed at 21% VAT, while many food products, including chocolate, are taxed at a reduced rate of 6%.
VAT is already included in the shelf price you see in the shop. You never get the full VAT rate back on the final price, but with Zapptax, you can recover a larger share of that tax than with traditional tax-free providers (up to around 90% of the VAT instead of about 70%).
Who can get a VAT refund in Belgium ?
You are generally eligible for a VAT refund if :
- You live outside the EU (tourist, expatriate, etc.).
- Your stay in Belgium is less than 6 months (183 days).
- You spend at least €125.01 (VAT incl.) in total in Belgium.
- You take the goods home with you in your personal luggage within three months after the month of purchase.
Artisanal goods like Belgian chocolate, sweets and souvenirs are explicitly listed as eligible goods, as long as they’re new and for personal use.
How it works ?
Here’s a simple guide to claim your VAT back :
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Enjoy your shopping in Belgium
In each shop, ask for a VAT invoice made out to Zapptax (details in the app). -
Upload your invoices to the Zapptax app
Take a photo or scan each invoice and upload it in the app. Zapptax centralises them and prepares a digital tax-free form for your whole trip in Belgium. -
Validate your tax-free form when leaving the EU
At the airport, train station or border where you exit the EU :
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If you leave from Belgium, you usually don’t need to print anything. Go to Customs before check-in, mention that your forms are electronic and show your passport and goods if requested.
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If you leave from another EU country (for example France or Germany), print your Zapptax form and have it physically stamped by Customs.
Validation is essential : without it, there is no refund.
- Receive your VAT refund
Once your tax-free form is validated, Zapptax handles the rest and sends your VAT refund via your chosen method : credit card, bank transfer, PayPal, etc.
Discover exactly how to claim your VAT back step by step in our dedicated guide : VAT refund in Belgium.
Final Bite
Brussels is a dream destination for chocolate lovers from around the world. From historic houses to artisan chocolate workshops, every corner of the city offers a delicious discovery.
And if you’re a non‑EU tourist, don’t forget : Zapptax helps you save on every chocolate purchase with a fast and easy VAT refund.
FAQ
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What is the most famous chocolate in Belgium?
Belgium is famous above all for its pralines (chocolate-filled bonbons) and truffles. Rather than a single “most famous chocolate”, the country is known for its big historic maisons like Neuhaus, Godiva and Leonidas. As a visitor in Brussels, tasting classic Belgian pralines from several different brands is the best way to understand what makes Belgian chocolate so iconic.
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Is Brussels known for their chocolate ?
Yes, absolutely. Brussels is one of the world capitals of chocolate, with an unusually high number of chocolatiers per square kilometre. Around the Grand Place, Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, Sablon and streets like Rue au Beurre, you’ll find both historic chocolate houses and modern artisan makers, often within a few minutes’ walk of each other.
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Where is the best place to visit in Belgium for chocolate ?
If you only have time for one city, Brussels is the best place to visit in Belgium for chocolate. You can explore dozens of chocolate shops in Brussels Belgium in just one afternoon, do tastings, workshops and even visit a chocolate museum.
That said, cities like Bruges, Antwerp and Ghent also have excellent chocolatiers. Many travellers start with Brussels for the variety and convenience, then add a day trip to another Belgian city if they have more time.
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What chocolate brand is made in Belgium?
Many famous chocolate brands are made in Belgium, including Neuhaus, Leonidas, Galler, Côte d’Or, Godiva (founded in Brussels), Mary, Wittamer, Corné Port-Royal, and artisan names like Pierre Marcolini or Jérôme Grimonpon.
