For those of you looking for a last-minute “cultural” plan for tomorrow night (Saturday, November 7), here is an idea:

EUR 10 for a concert version of the opera Don Pasquale, conducted by maestro Ricardo Muti.

Might be a bit far of a drive just for a concert if you are in Brussels, but if you are a music enthusiast, it’s a great deal.

Get your tickets and more details through this link.

I’m a bit late with the announcement this year, but the Thursday evening museum openings (a.k.a. Nocturnes) are back.

The ticket price has increased a bit but remains very reasonable at EUR 2.50 (or just one euro if you are under 25).

The list of participating museums has not changed much from previous years and no, the much-awaited Magritte museum is not on the list. (You will see a Rene Magritte museum, but that’s the old one, not the new one on Place Royale…)

Once again, we’ll be changing time to winter time next week, on Sunday, 25 October.

What does it mean? In the morning from Saturday to Sunday night, at 3am you will have to change your clocks and watches back to 2am.

To remember: not all countries end daylight savings time the same weekend, so if you are making international calls or traveling, you might want to keep that in mind…

More info here.

Cosi is one of the 30 restaurants included in the 30% discount booklet Restopass, located in the popular Chatelain neighborhood and thus, subject to a lot of tough competition since the area is full of fairly decent eateries.

The lowdown: Ok meal but not spectacular. You can do better for the same price in Brussels but the service is friendly and it’s fine for a night out with friends.

The restaurant has a casual, relaxed atmosphere and has two rooms, one of which is actually a covered terrace that is quite cozy (but can get a bit chilly at night). As an Italian restaurant in Brussels, its food is ok but does not impress much. Prices range from EUR 10 for a plate of simple pasta to around EUR 25 for some of the meat dishes. Dinner for two with a bottle of wine (and no dessert) will probably set you back EUR 70.

They have a decent escalope milanese and the pasta is ok (but if you’re looking for good pasta you can do much better in the neighborhood (try La Piola on Rue du Page)). The wine selection is a bit disappointing as they only have a limited selection of reds (without providing many details on the menu) and very few whites.

Everyone has heard about Comme Chez Soi with its exorbitant prices, and sometimes not that cozy ambiance…

But not many people know about the Bistrot du Mail, which has one Michelin star less (but still, great credentials – one star is not bad at all…) but offers weekday lunch menus for EUR 25 to EUR 29 for a 2 or 3-course meal. (The prices have gone up in the last few months, probably because the secret is out… so hurry!)

The food is really excellent and you will have trouble finding such a good meal at that price in Brussels. The portions are not huge, but just right if you have the 3-course menu, which will take you about 1.5 to 2 hours to complete, so don’t go to the Bistrot if you are looking for a quick lunch between meetings…

Great deal for a weekday lunch but not so for dinner, which becomes a bit too pricey (not to mention it is much more difficult to get a reservation).

Some pictures to whet your appetite…

Museum Brasserie is one of those much-hyped restaurants that disappoints a bit.

Right on Place Royale, Museum Brasserie is a trendy restaurant frequented by patrons of the arts and Bozar concert-goers, which might account for the somewhat inflated prices.

The food is good (modern Belgian fare) but not worth the prices they charge, and nothing is really so memorable that makes you want to go back. (I cannot remember what I had, but I do remember nothing struck me as great).

Perhaps one of the most interesting things is the decor, which is best described as trendy-semi-minimalist  modern meets classic Belgian setting (with the high ceilings of an old Brussels building which make the restaurant feel quite open and spacious). However, this is something you can find in many other Brussels restaurants as well…

Having said that, it is probably still worth a try if you can get the 30% discount with the Restopass.

Feel like trying some new restaurants at a discounted price?

Restopass is so to speak a coupon booklet that offers a 30% discount off food in 30 popular restaurants in Brussels. There is a wide selection of restaurants with different price ranges.

How it works: First you have to buy the Restopass booklet, which you can do online or at a few spots around Brussels including Waterstone’s, la Fnac or Filigranes (see more locations). The price is EUR 35.

If you type in “Facebook” in the discount box, you will get EUR 5 off the price when you order online (offer only valid until September 20 or so). Another tip: If a friend of yours has a Restopass and gives you his/her serial number, you can also get the same EUR 5 discount (not cumulable with the other one though).

Getting your discount: You go to any of the 30 restaurants (see full list) for lunch or dinner any day of the week, and when you ask for your bill, you give them the Restopass. They will automatically apply the 30% discount on all food items consumed (not on drinks), for a maximum of EUR 50 off for your table.

Any catches? Doesn’t look like it, but here are a few things to note:

• You can only get the discount once per restaurant
• There are some special holidays during which the discount is not valid (Xmas eve, New Year’s eve, Valentine’s Day…)
• The booklet is valid for one year from the date of purchase (I am not sure how they check on that though…)
• You can probably recup your EUR 35 investment with just 2-3 dinners (for two) so it seems like quite a good deal…

Does it really work? I have tried it and so far it seems as simple and straightforward as advertised… I’ll let you know if/when it’s not the case.

I’ll also be writing reviews now and then on the featured restaurants, so stay tuned…

… until further notice

Restaurant Week will run through next week (December 1-7) in all of Belgium, offering 3-course meals in a selection of (over 150) restaurants for €20 for lunch or €25 for dinner. (The only exception: Michelin-starred restaurants, which have a reasonable €10 surcharge).

A 3-course meal (without drinks) would usually cost €45 upwards, so the savings can be quite substantial. For Restaurant Week, chefs prepare a special menu, so don’t expect seeing caviar and oysters as the appetizer…

You can download the complete list of restaurants from the website. There are over 25 restaurants to choose from in Brussels (including classic Quincaillerie, hip Museum Brasserie, or trendy but small-portioned Bloom Hotel) and many more in Antwerp.

Reservations required – book early online!

If there any of them you would recommend, please leave a comment with your suggestions!

Wanna fight the winter blues with some shopping? You’ll have plenty of time this weekend, as shops in Brussels (not all, but many) will be open this Sunday, 9 November.

The usual opening hours for special Sunday openings are 10:00h to 18:00h.

The Woluwe Shopping Center is open, as are other of the larger stores on Rue Neuve (and mall City 2 – not all stores, but many) and other main shopping areas in Brussels.

And of course, if you are willing to put up with a drive, you can always go to the shopping outlet at Maasmechelen, which is open more Sundays than not (check website for detailed schedule and directions).