All activities / Culinary / Cooking / Brussels
Culinary / Cooking in Brussels
The capital of Belgium and the seat of the European Union, a bilingual city known for its Grand-Place, art nouveau architecture, comic-strip heritage and a food culture built on chocolate, waffles, moules-frites and one of the world's deepest beer traditions.
Why here
Brussels is the capital of Belgian chocolate, and the best way to get past the shop windows is to make it yourself. The city has one of the highest concentrations of chocolatiers anywhere, and two of them run proper hands-on workshops rather than demonstrations. Laurent Gerbaud, named the city's chocolatier of the year in 2021, teaches small groups to taste cocoa from different origins and then shape their own chocolates and fruit-studded mendiants, in a style built on candied fruit and spice rather than added sugar. Near the Sablon, The Belgian Chocolate Makers, formerly Zaabar, goes further back down the chain, grinding chocolate from the raw bean on site and letting you roast, grind and temper cacao into your own spiced bars. Between the two you learn where real Belgian chocolate sits between craft and industry, how couverture is tempered, and why origin and roast change the taste, knowledge that outlasts any box of pralines.
Best months
Both workshops run indoors year-round, so this is a reliable option in any weather and a good rainy-day activity in Brussels. Laurent Gerbaud holds his beginner workshops on Saturdays by reservation; The Belgian Chocolate Makers runs public sessions on several days each week. Classes are small, last one to two hours, and are taught in English among other languages. Book ahead, as places are limited and fill in high season and around the winter holidays. You take home everything you make.
Getting there & around
Both workshops are in the centre, a short walk from Brussels Central station. Laurent Gerbaud sits on the Rue Ravenstein beside the Bozar arts centre, and The Belgian Chocolate Makers is near the Sablon on the Rue Lebeau, an easy walk apart. Reserve a place online in advance and choose a session time that suits, then leave room in the day to eat what you make. No car is needed anywhere in central Brussels.
Skill levels: beginner, intermediate
Schools & guides (2)
Laurent Gerbaud
SchoolLaurent Gerbaud is a Brussels chocolatier whose workshop and tearoom sit on the Rue Ravenstein beside the Bozar arts centre, with a second counter near the Grand-Place. Named Brussels chocolatier of the year by Gault&Millau in 2021, he works without added sugar, pairing dark couverture with candied Mediterranean and Asian fruits, spices and nuts. His Saturday workshops walk small groups through tasting different cocoa origins and then hand-shaping their own chocolates and mendiants to take home.
The Belgian Chocolate Makers
SchoolThe Belgian Chocolate Makers, the workshop formerly trading as Zaabar, runs bean-to-bar chocolate classes in central Brussels near the Sablon. Founded in 2007 by a maker inspired by the spice stalls of Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, it grinds its own chocolate from the bean on the premises rather than melting bought couverture. Its public workshops, held on several days a week, let participants roast, grind and temper cacao and cast their own spiced bars and truffles to take home.