The weekend is coming. You feel like doing something special and yet relaxing. You need refreshment. A new discovery without the effort which might precede it. You like style combined with simplicity. You are fond of concepts especially when well implemented.

By now, being a follower of my private brussels, you should know that the place to be in daytime over the weekend is les Marolles.

And here you are. In the beginning of Rue Haute. You start walking in direction to the lift and Place du Jeu de Balle. You see big glass windows on your left side. You read the label l’Atelier en ville. C’est quoi ça? Is it a shop for furniture with all these tables, chairs and sofas exposed? But then there are people having breakfast…or maybe lunch. You feel puzzled. It is exciting. In the next few minutes you might make your new discovery to add to your collection of cool places in Brussels.

You enter. Your eyes grasp the wide area (later you will read in their FB page that it covers 1200 m2) and stop at the bar on the left side. This looks…delicious. You are even more puzzled now. Should it be a strawberry cheesecake? A cheesecake spéculoos? A cappuccino one? A tart? A vanilla cake? A browny? You read the “home made” label with rising hunger. Luckily you don’t know yet that the offer is different every day. This would have made your choice even more difficult. Those bagels look very tempting too. You see they serve them with chips in little cups. Should it be breakfast? Or brunch? You look at your watch. It’s 11 am. It could easily be brunch.

It’s your turn. You are still slightly hesitating but make your choice. The guy kindly asks you to take a sit. You look around for a free spot. You walk a bit further. And then…you notice a door in the other end. There is light coming from it. For a moment you forget about the cakes and your “breakfast or brunch” dilemma and move in its direction. You are even more curious now.

You are at the door. You cannot quite believe it. It leads to a garden! A secret garden in the centre of Brussels! You go out. You are amazed. The walls are also vertical gardens. There are still some free tables. You take one of them. You feel so lucky.

Your look moves towards those girls who take pictures of themselves and their breakfast (or brunch?). Normally you find such behaviour cheesy. But here and now you feel very generous in your perceptions.

Next thing, you see the guy coming with a little tray. And you don’t notice your surroundings anymore. You are all absorbed by the experience of taking the first bite and slowly swallowing it. Mmmmmmm! This is…truly…it. You feel blessed.

Your treat is over now. You are content. Your day feels complete even though it has just been set off.

You start feeling like a character in Italo Calvino’s novel (because suddenly you realise that I am actually talking to you). “This blogger”, you think, “she must have read recently If on a winter’s night a traveler and is now testing those literary tricks on me”. You are right.

*L’Atelier en ville is in Rue Haute 64. Open Wed-Sun 10:00 – 18:00. They have not ordered this article. But they are fully responsible for inspiring it.