Some railway stations in Belgium can be grim spots. You don’t want to spend a lot of time waiting for a train at Groot Bijgaarden station. But I would happily hang around at Mortsel-Oude-God station on the Antwerp to Brussels line. The station café is one of the coolest in the country.
The station lost its ticket office long ago during a purge in 2011. But it was replaced a few years later by a modern café with direct access to the platforms. Now called Brandstof, it’s a bright, friendly place decorated with big windows, colourful furniture and modern art.
The young team serve barista coffee made with beans from roastery RushRush, healthy lunchtime sandwiches and local beers including an IPA from cheeky Brouwerij The Musketeers called Kiss My Neighbour’s Wife. There’s also a small shop where you can pick up a bottle of something on the way home.
Derek Blyth’s hidden secret of the day: Derek Blyth is the author of the bestselling “The 500 Hidden Secrets of Belgium”. He picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets for The Brussels Times every day.
