Hasselt, Belgium

Kadettenplein - Beautiful park in the middle of Hasselt.

Getting outside of Brussels center is sometimes necessary and my curiosity to explore other parts of Belgium often gets the best of me.

I’d never been to Hasselt and now that I have a few friends living there, I kept hearing how great it is. So we made our way over for one night as a quick city trip in our own country.

Hasselt is a gorgeous city and is spoiled for choice with all their restaurants, bars, wine bars, night clubs and sunny terraces. It has a perfect mixture of modern and old city charm. The history of Hasselt dates back to the 7th century and has so much to offer on a cultural level. They have the largest Japanese gardens in Europe and the St-Quentin Cathedral, who’s tower was constructed in 1725.

It’s a great place to discover, wander around the winding streets and enjoy this slower city pace.

Van Groenten

Open from Wednesday to Saturday
from 12h00 to 14h00 and 17h00 to 22h00


Van Groenten says it all. This vegetarian restaurant, with vegan options on almost every dish, serves local vegetables and products, all prepared with love. Their menu changes with the seasons and their natural wines are delicious.

Situated just outside Hasselt center, in a quiet residential area. Don’t miss it, this is a restaurant everyone can enjoy!

De Groene Hendrickx

Open everyday, non-stop between lunch and dinner


On a search for a quiet terrace, we fell upon this little gem at De Groene Hendrickx. This hotel garden had everything we were looking for. Some green, comfortable chairs and a quiet place to relax.

The advantage of it being part of a hotel, is that the kitchen is open all day and you can have everything from a small snack to a full meal.
We opted for refreshments, but I was tempted by their Holstein ribeye by Dierendonck and the mussels. We had a few portions of tapas sized items that were very satisfying.