5 cool shops for unique gifts in Brussels

Here is somewhere for a truly unusual gift. Located at the back of the Musée du Cinquantenaire, the workshop was founded by Léopold II to create  replicas of classical sculptures. It now has row upon row of plaster cast figures, ranging from large statues to tiny cats from Egyptian tombs. Many are on sale in the shop.

This is a friendly little shop with an eclectic range of clothes, accessories and gadgets. It’s the perfect place to hunt for a cool laptop case, a colourful mug, a wallet printed with a map of New York or a quirky salt and pepper set. There is also a Blender01 outlet store at Rue des Chartreux in the Dansaert district and a Blender03 store at Rue Xavier De Bue in Uccle.

This inspiring concept store in the chic Châtelain district stocks an eclectic assortment of fashion, gadgets, games, cookware and house plants. The young owners focus on quality objects made sustainably in Europe.

Nicolas Springael runs a small photography gallery in the Marolles where he sells his own work. He specialises in atmospheric
black-and-white photographs of Brussels landmarks and street scenes. His affordable framed photographs of the city make perfect gifts.

Local creatives Natacha and Arthur run a charming store in the Marolles where they sell quirky Belgian objects along with vintage furniture. You can pick up Brussels beers, odd postcards and clothes for kids. Or even a vintage school map of Belgium to hang on your wall.