Cafe de la Presse has anchored the quiet end of Avenue Louise since 2011, an industrial-styled cafe-bar where the day runs on coffee and the long communal table, and the evenings ease into a glass of wine.
The address at Avenue Louise 493 sits in Ixelles, near the Bois de la Cambre and the Legrand tram stop, away from the avenue's luxury-shopping crush. Visit Brussels lists it among the area's reliable meeting spots, and the decor explains the pull: bare brick, mismatched vintage armchairs, a rack of international press, and free wifi. It reads more design studio than nightlife room, which is the appeal for the writers and freelancers who claim the tables by mid-morning.
This is a daytime venue first. The menu covers soups, quiches, salads, and bagels alongside pastries, strong coffee, and a short list of wines and Belgian beers for the after-work hour. Brunch is the headline, and weekends are when the room is fullest. Treat it as the calm bookend to a Louise day rather than a late-night stop.
Cafe de la Presse works for a long laptop morning, an unhurried brunch, or a quiet glass before dinner. Anyone after cocktails or a buzzing bar should head down toward the centre. Pair it with our Ixelles bar guide or browse the city's Brussels wine bars.
What to order
- 01
Flat White
The coffee program is the reason regulars return. Order it with a pastry and claim a seat at the communal table.
€4 - 02
Weekend Brunch
The headline plate and the busiest service. Eggs, bagels, and fresh juice draw a multi-generational crowd from late morning.
€18 - 03
Quiche and Salad
The midday default. Homemade, light, and built for a working lunch that won't rush you off the table.
€14 - 04
Glass of Wine
The short list comes alive after work. A solid pour to mark the shift from laptops to early evening.
€7 - 05
Belgian Beer
The fridge keeps a handful of local bottles. The move when the afternoon stretches past coffee.
€5
The crowd and the timing
Cafe de la Presse leans to mornings and afternoons, opening early for coffee and filling through brunch. The communal table draws freelancers and students on weekdays, while weekends bring families and slow brunch tables. Evenings are calmer, better suited to a wine than a session.
Ratings split sharply by platform, which is the honest read on the place. Restaurant Guru logs a high average across more than 3,500 reviews, while Tripadvisor sits far lower across a smaller sample. The pattern points to a cafe that rewards the regular brunch crowd more than the one-off tourist expecting full table service.
The recurring praise is the room itself, the decor and the international-press rack that make it an easy place to linger. The recurring caution is service pace, which slows when the brunch rush lands. Go early on a weekend, or mid-afternoon on a weekday, and the wait disappears. The other consistent note is value, since prices sit on the higher side for an everyday cafe, a Louise premium the regulars accept for the room and the location.
Who it's for
- A long laptop morning with strong coffee and free wifi
- An unhurried weekend brunch off the Louise shopping crush
- A quiet glass of wine before dinner in Ixelles
Pair this bar with
Stay in the neighbourhood at the Flagey corner room Cafe Belga in Brussels, the morning-to-night Bar du Matin in Brussels, or the classic brasserie Le Belgica in Brussels.