Bonjour! or Hallo!
Un café, s'il vous plaît
uhn ka-FAY, seel voo PLAY
A coffee, please (French)
Een koffie, alstublieft
ayn KOF-fee, ALS-too-bleeft
A coffee, please (Dutch)
L'addition / De rekening
lad-ee-see-OHN / deh REH-ken-ing
The bill, please
Standard espresso or filter coffee — depends on the establishment.
Coffee with hot milk. The Belgian standard comfort coffee.
Standard cappuccino, widely available.
Liège-style coffee: espresso or coffee served with a Liège waffle or speculoos cookie. The pairing is the point.
Belgium's specialty scene is growing, particularly in Brussels and Antwerp.
Belgium is bilingual — Brussels is officially French/Dutch. Most people speak both plus English.
Coffee is almost always paired with something sweet — a waffle, speculoos, or praline. The pairing tradition is strong.
Belgian chocolate and coffee are natural partners. Many cafes serve mocha-style drinks using real Belgian chocolate.
Cafe culture in Brussels is heavily influenced by both French and Dutch traditions.
The specialty scene is centred in Brussels (Dansaert, Saint-Gilles) and Antwerp.
Service included. Rounding up by €1-2 is a nice gesture.
€2.50-4.00 for standard coffee, €4.00-5.50 at specialty cafes
Did you know? Belgium's coffee consumption per capita is among the highest in Europe, driven partly by the national habit of pairing every cup with chocolate pralines or speculoos cookies.