Arcadi sits at Rue d'Arenberg 1B, at the entrance to the Galerie du Roi in the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, a covered arcade in the heart of central Brussels. It is a small all day cafe and brasserie that has held its corner for more than three decades, and its walls are papered with old postcards and banknotes that give the room its character.
Who would love it: a traveller who wants an unhurried Belgian beer or a glass of wine with a slice of tart in a room that feels lived in rather than designed. Who would not: anyone after a late cocktail program or a loud night out, since Arcadi closes in the evening and trades on quiet charm rather than a long spirits list.
The room is narrow and warm, with a few tables spilling onto the arcade. The decor that Visit Brussels singles out, the postcards and banknotes layered across the walls, is the reason the cafe reads as a keepsake of old Brussels rather than a polished brasserie. Ask for a table near the window onto the gallery for the best seat in the house.
The pull here is the food and the easy drinking that goes with it. Arcadi is best known for its tarts and quiches, and reviewers on Tripadvisor return to the smoked salmon and broccoli tart and the mushroom, olive and sun dried tomato version. The drinks are simple and Belgian: a short list of local beers and a serviceable wine selection meant to sit alongside a slice rather than to headline the visit.
Marcus Webb's read for the discerning drinker: come for an afternoon glass rather than an evening session. A Belgian blonde or a glass of dry white with a savory tart is the order that reads the cafe honestly, since this is a wine and beer room, not a back bar for brown spirits. Take it slowly, in the quiet between the lunch and dinner rushes, and the place rewards you.
The crowd is a central Brussels mix of gallery wanderers, regulars and shoppers stepping out of the arcade, and it stays calm through most of the day. It fills around lunch and again in the early evening before the kitchen winds down, and the terrace seats onto the gallery go first when the weather holds. The cafe is closed on Mondays, so plan around it.
What guests flag, across Tripadvisor and Yelp, lines up well. The tarts, the warm welcome and the location at the mouth of the galleries earn the praise, while the only real cautions are the tight space and the early closing, so arrive with time rather than late at night. The room is the draw as much as the plate.
Best time to go: a mid afternoon stop between sightseeing, Tuesday to Sunday, when the cafe is quiet and the tarts are still on the board. The savory menu turns over with the kitchen, so ask what is fresh rather than expecting a fixed list. Arcadi earns its place on character and consistency, not on novelty.
It is a keeper of old Brussels rather than a destination cocktail room. See where it sits among the hidden gem bars in Brussels and the city's classic Brussels wine bars, and read our wider guide to the best bars in Brussels for the full picture.
Pair this bar with
For a belle epoque cafe a short walk away, compare Le Cirio Brussels. For a quiet chess and conversation cafe, try Café Greenwich Brussels. And for a lambic institution with a similar old world feel, À la Mort Subite Brussels makes the natural next stop.
Sources
Arcadi official site · Visit Brussels: Arcadi Café · Tripadvisor: Arcadi Café · Google Maps reviews (2026)
Reviewed by Marcus Webb, barsforKings. Published Jan 30, 2026 · Last reviewed Mar 17, 2026.
