An unfiltered have a look at Belgium’s colonial historical past + specialty-coffee tradition within the nation’s capital.
BY ISABELLE MANI
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
Pictures by Isabelle Mani except in any other case famous
What to know:
- Espresso first arrived in Brussels at first of the 18th century by way of commerce, and the town’s café tradition has advanced from historic coffeehouses right into a thriving specialty-coffee scene; nevertheless, its espresso trade can’t be separated from the nation’s colonial previous
- At the moment, Brussels is residence to a powerful assortment of roasters and cafés, with a rising repute as certainly one of Europe’s prime locations for high-quality espresso and revolutionary brewing
- Espresso retailers like MOK, Berns Espresso, and Bouche Namur showcase Brussels’ vibrant espresso tradition
Earlier than espresso turned an espresso served in a Dansaert café or a home made pourover brew ready beside the Brussels canal—or earlier than the town turned the host of World of Espresso Europe 2026, which came about late final month, Belgium had lengthy served as certainly one of espresso’s main gateways into Europe.
The nation’s relationship with espresso is constructed on centuries of port commerce, colonial historical past, and warehousing. Belgium maintains a uniquely logistical profile: 66% of the inexperienced espresso arriving on the Port of Antwerp-Bruges—Europe’s largest by stocking capability—is finally re-exported.
The nation competes straight with Germany for first place in EU inexperienced espresso re-exports and is an epicenter for main world buying and selling homes.
You may learn extra in regards to the present state of the European espresso market in my protection of World of Espresso Europe 2026.
Belgians are espresso drinkers and specialty followers
Belgium sustains a mature, high-consumption home market with a rising group of impartial cafés. In response to a map created by OK Espresso Studio and launched throughout WOC week, Brussels has round 90 places serving specialty espresso, comprising a mixture of top-tier cafes, micro-roasteries, bakeries, and distinctive cultural spots that includes high-quality espresso ideas.
Though consumption volumes are largely regular, Belgians are spending extra on espresso.
This progress in worth is essentially pushed by premiumisation, as shoppers commerce as much as whole-bean espresso, higher brews, and specialty café drinks.
Brussels’ increasing specialty scene displays how choosy Belgians are about espresso high quality: Greater than half say their workplace espresso falls brief—which is an enormous deal in a rustic the place over 80% of espresso is consumed at work.
Espresso and colonial legacy
Espresso started getting into the city client tradition of the territories that now represent Belgium (then a part of the Southern Netherlands), notably at the start of the eighteenth century. However sadly, Belgium’s espresso historical past can’t be separated from its colonial relationship with Central Africa.
In the course of the colonial interval, espresso cultivation was developed and expanded within the Belgian Congo, notably within the jap areas round Lake Kivu, in addition to in Rwanda.
This was a territory first claimed because the private possession of the Belgian monarch Leopold II by way of the so-called “Congo Free State”—a violent colonial regime constructed on compelled labor and extraction that brought about the deaths of an estimated 10 million Congolese individuals.
Belgium formally annexed the territory in 1908, remodeling it into the Belgian Congo.
The Congo Basin and the Lake Kivu area are additionally pointed to by researchers working in genetics and archaeobotany as one of many main cradles of the Coffea genus, notably Coffea canephora, which originated throughout western and central sub-Saharan Africa.
Lengthy earlier than Congolese independence in 1960—and earlier than the wars that will later devastate what’s now the Democratic Republic of the Congo—Belgian colonial establishments had already performed an outsized position in turning Canephora into a world plantation crop by way of extraction slightly than native agronomic reinvestment, at a time when Arabica plantations have been collapsing below espresso leaf rust.
That historical past will not be confined to the previous. In Belgium, it’s already being revisited by way of debates over training, public monuments, restitution, and the obligations of authorities and cultural establishments.
For this text, I spoke with my pal and Brussels espresso skilled Paulien Vandebeek, whose trajectory has developed alongside the town’s quickly increasing specialty scene.
Whereas she acknowledges that many individuals nonetheless navigate the espresso trade by way of totally different balances of revenue and goal—“in several shades of the size,” as she places it—Paulien additionally recognises a generational shift. Individuals are changing into extra essential of Belgium’s historical past, its current, and their very own position inside each.
Having solely just lately recognised the affect of her personal place, she now needs to make use of it. “I’m going for it and wish to be a voice for our technology,” says Paulien.
In espresso, that historic consciousness shapes how this technology understands the commerce as we speak: the place espresso comes from, how worth circulates, and who advantages.
Studying Brussels with an area
Paulien has labored throughout the Brussels espresso scene for greater than 5 years. After a short interval with a industrial espresso firm, she joined MOK as a full-time barista in 2021. A 12 months and a half later, she turned a roaster, finally taking accountability for purchasing and curating espresso for the corporate.
“Brussels has held very prime quality espresso requirements for the reason that first espresso bars popped up,” she says. “Essentially the most well-known and acclaimed roasteries and bars arrived first and set the tone, so individuals obtained adjusted to this customary and by no means appeared to accept much less afterwards.”
For Paulien, the persevering with arrival of latest cafés has not but produced saturation. As an alternative, she believes it could possibly make specialty espresso much less unique. “Specialty must be on each nook to be inclusive, accessible, and the apparent alternative,” says Paulien.
The trade can also be opening up extra to shoppers, she says, permitting private preferences again into the café slightly than pushing for a single “appropriate solution to drink espresso.”
These are the 4 cafés I like to recommend visiting whereas in Brussels.
Berns Espresso
Sq. Sainctelette 8, Brussels
Berns Espresso doesn’t current itself as an excellent polished specialty-coffee idea—and that’s exactly its most charming trait. Its official profile describes a altering choice of coffees and an area shared with the broader inventive atmosphere of Vitesse Lab since 2023.
“The menu is a private and never a industrial alternative, and the inside and design are alive and a piece in progress. It’s not possible to not depart this place impressed and refreshed,” says Paulien.
I completely agree. Additionally, what nice espresso. I had a good time there, and fortuitously for me, it was tiramisu (domestically made) night time.
MOK Espresso – Dansaert
Antoine Dansaertstraat/Rue Antoine Dansaert 196, Brussels
MOK has been roasting espresso since 2012 and at the moment operates three espresso bars in Belgium: its authentic café in Leuven, MOK Dansaert, and MOK Studio, a listening bar in Brussels. The corporate’s strategy is thru seasonality, traceability, and small-batch roasting.
I actually appreciated the range of its choices, the professionalism and openness of the workers, and the meals choices at its Dansaert retailer (the vegetarian menu is filled with tasty choices).
Jackie
Chaussée de Charleroi 203, Saint-Gilles, Brussels
Opened in 2021, Jackie brings collectively specialty espresso and a welcoming area to learn, supporting impartial journalism and creativity.
Its partitions are filled with impartial magazines masking all the things from politics to biking, whereas the bottom flooring works as a shared espresso salon and the upstairs as a co-working area that additionally hosts occasions.
“Go by bike if you wish to rating some factors with Gilles, the proprietor,” Paulien says.
Bouche Namur
Rue de Namur 4, Brussels
Opened in 2021, Bouche Namur is a must-stop for specialty espresso fans, locals and guests alike. Really helpful to me by a number of pals, it combines exact brewing with a heat, welcoming ambiance—a basic third place the place you’ll be able to chill.
In a rustic the place individuals take nice satisfaction of their pâtisserie, Bouche pairs that custom with rigorously brewed specialty espresso.
Honorable mentions
Broad Awake: A Brussels roaster with three cafés (Saint-Catherine, Flagey, and Dansaert) recognized for its long-term producer relationships and data-driven strategy to roasting.
Fika: A Nordic-inspired neighbourhood café in Ixelles, recognized for its selfmade kanelbullar and quiet again backyard.
Addis Tales: A café devoted totally to seasonal, single-origin Ethiopian coffees roasted by MOK, alongside Ethiopian meals, crafts, and conventional Jebena espresso ceremonies.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Isabelle Mani (she/her) is a author, journalist, and communicator specializing within the worldwide espresso trade. Since 2017, she has centered on writing articles and options for varied worldwide espresso information retailers. Isabelle has traveled to coffee-producing international locations reminiscent of Colombia, Kenya, Rwanda, China, and Brazil to review and analysis espresso. She holds coaching certifications from the Specialty Espresso Affiliation (SCA) and the Espresso High quality Institute (Arabica Q Grading).
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