# Le Cirio

> An 1886 Belle Époque café beside the old stock exchange, its interior barely touched, home of the half-en-half.

- Canonical URL: https://www.brusselsgrandplace.com/places/cafe/le-cirio
- Category: Café
- Address: Rue de la Bourse 18, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
- Coordinates: 50.848470, 4.348790
- Price range: €€
- Official website: https://lecirio.be/

## Why we recommend it

It is the one place we send guests on their first evening. Nothing has been restyled since 1886, the waiters wear waistcoats without irony, and nobody will hurry you out of your seat.

## About

Le Cirio opened in 1886, taking its name from Francesco Cirio, the Italian
merchant who made his fortune in tinned food, and the room has barely changed
since. Dark panelling, engraved mirrors, brass rails, and a clientele that has
always mixed market traders with pensioners and, more recently, everyone else.

The house drink is the **half-en-half**: half still white wine, half sparkling,
served cold in a small glass. Most people at the surrounding tables will be
drinking one.

Come for the room rather than the kitchen. The croque-monsieur and the shrimp
croquettes are perfectly good, and the point is that you are eating them *here*.

## Distances

Straight-line distances computed from coordinates. Walking times are estimates, not measured routes.

| From | Straight line | On foot |
|---|---|---|
| Grand-Place | 330 m | approx. 6 min |
| Manneken-Pis | 400 m | approx. 8 min |
| Our apartment | 560 m | approx. 11 min |
| Brussels Central | 640 m | approx. 12 min |
| Place du Grand Sablon | 940 m | approx. 17 min |

## Links

- [Le Cirio on visit.brussels](https://visit.brussels/en/place/Le-Cirio)

## Map

- [OpenStreetMap](https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=50.848470&mlon=4.348790#map=18/50.848470/4.348790)
- [Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=50.848470,4.348790)
- [Walking directions from the Grand-Place](https://www.google.com/maps/dir/?api=1&origin=50.846700,4.352500&destination=50.848470,4.348790&travelmode=walking)

## Nearby

- [Estaminet Toone](https://www.brusselsgrandplace.com/places/cafe/toone) — An old estaminet down a covered alley off the Petite rue des Bouchers, under the Toone marionette theatre, with Belgian beers and puppets on every wall.
- [Grand-Place](https://www.brusselsgrandplace.com/places/sightseeing/grand-place) — The UNESCO-listed market square at the centre of Brussels, three minutes on foot from the apartment.
- [Fin de Siècle](https://www.brusselsgrandplace.com/places/restaurant/fin-de-siecle) — A loud Belgian brasserie near Sainte-Catherine serving large plates of carbonnade, stoemp and rabbit. No reservations, so timing matters.

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Source: [Le Cirio](https://www.brusselsgrandplace.com/places/cafe/le-cirio) on [Brussels Grand Place](https://www.brusselsgrandplace.com/), the Grand-Place in Brussels building by building, written by people who live 200 m from the square.
Last updated: 2026-08-18.