In celebration of its 20th anniversary, Google Maps has released the top-rated hotspots in several countries, based on user reviews and their average rating.
With more than two billion users, Google Maps has become an indispensable tool, not just for navigation purposes but also for discovering new points of interest. Users play a big role by adding businesses, writing reviews and sharing photos.
Since its launch, users have left thousands of reviews of their favourite places around the world. Here are the top-rated places in Belgium.
Best cafés, bars and attractions
Belgium's best-rated café can be found in Brussels. After success in Lyon and Paris, 'Encré. Café' also won fans in the Belgian capital.
The café is actually a clothing label that collaborates with artists and tattoo artists: no classic latte macchiatos but instead colourful, drinkable works of art. The boutique's coffee bar is reminiscent of a hidden speakeasy.
Those who prefer something other than coffee should go to number two on the list: 'Bar à l'aise' in Ghent serves fresh beers, fruity wines, homemade fruit juices and non-alcoholic cocktails. For third place, users need to head back to Brussels where they can combine an after-work drink with a ceramics workshop at Café Modelé.
Credit: Bonimenteurs - Cocktails Bar/Café Modelé/Belg Bier Tour
For cocktails, Google Maps users recommend 'Bonimenteurs - Cocktails Bar' in Namur, which they say offers the best artisanal cocktails in the country. In second place is Cocktail D&N in Liège, followed by Poké Island in Antwerp at number three.
To discover Belgium's beer culture, you should look at the best-rated visitor attractions where the nation's liquid gold takes the top spot: the Belg Bier Toer in Turnhout is the highest-rated visitor activity in the country.
Top-rated vs most-rated
Meanwhile, the most-reviewed bars and restaurants (which have the most reviews and a score of 4.0 or higher on Google Maps) in Belgium can all be found in Brussels.
Delirium Café (which is very popular with tourists for its more than 2,000 types of beer, brewery memorabilia and live music) in the middle of the city centre takes the crown. For those who prefer regional cuisine in an old-school family-owned restaurant, restaurant Chez Léon – ranked second – is the place to be.
Third place goes to the old-fashioned restaurant serving traditional seafood in the city centre's The Lobster House, followed by the restaurant at the top of the iconic Atomium. The fifth spot goes to the Hard Rock Café, just off the Grand Place.
Credit: Delirium/Café Leopold Presse/Chez Léon
For cafés, the list has slightly more geographical variation. While the most-rated café in Belgium is Café Belga on Place Flagey in Brussels, the second place is reserved for Cappuccino on the Belgian coast in Ostend.
The third most-rated café takes Google Maps users back to Brussels for Café Capitale in the middle of the city centre, before making their way to 't Brugs Beertje in Bruges. The fifth spot can be found in Brussels again, with Leopold Café Presse in the European Quarter.
