• Private Experience
• Carbon Neutral

Get ready for a unique food journey through Brussels with tons of stories! Enjoy a visit to a vibrant local market where you can handpick fresh, seasonal ingredients for a delicious organic & vegan meal! I then welcome you into my home where I'll prepare my favorite 3-course meal just for you!

Destination

Brussels, Belgium

Category

Cooking Classes

Duration

3 hours

Cuisine

Fusion

Available languages

English, Tamil

Included

• Private guide
• Meals
• Equipment

What you can expect

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with Shanthuru.

1. Meeting point

   Meet at approximately Brussels to start your culinary journey.

   View on Maps

2. Example menu

   This is what our dinner could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. First course

   Soup/Salad

4. Second course

   Main Course a local and seasonal meal

5. Third course

   Vegan dessert

6. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the menu? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

I can personalize this tour for you

• Tell me your preferred date and group size
• Tell me your preferences and wishes so I can customize the tour for you
• Wait for my personal offer in your inbox!

Contact me

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Diane🇧🇪 Belgium

26 September 2021

We had an absolutely wonderful time exploring Brussels and cooking tasty food with Shanthuru. We learnt a lot of different ways to prepare and appreciate food. We are incredibly grateful for this, the trip to the organic market and a tour of the local area made for great context, and the explanations were really helpful. We will be sure to practice what we learnt. An inspiring experience

Giulia🇧🇪 Belgium

15 April 2019

We had an amazing time with Shanthuru. It was a different format that what he usually offers, as my friend and I are based in Brussels. We asked him whether he could offer a lunch + yoga session (it was a gift for a friend), instead of the touristic tour - and he happily accepted. We spend some very nice hours, doing yoga, cooking and eating together. Shanthuru is a very good host/guide. I can totally recommend him to everyone who wants to spend some nice time with a knowledgeable host, and eat amazing food!Awesome time!

Nadja🇩🇪 Germany

22 January 2019

Before I get started let me add some context: I'm a 6'4, 250lb African American Vegan. With minimal expectations of finding something that would really relate to me in this city I was punched in the face with a blessing. Something about Shanthuru's withlocals page grabbed me. Shanthuru is a well cultured, well-spoken(in many languages), genius of a young open mind. I can promise you without all of the facts and knowledge (believe me there is a lot) that Shanthuru shared throughout this personalized tour this city would have been good but he made it great! To explore a city with a local who is super educated on the city, the people and politics is unique. I don't get a dime for writing this review so do yourself a favor if you are traveling to this diverse city and look up Shanthuru, I can almost guarantee you will return from your trip and want to do exactly as I'm doing and speak highly of someone who's passion for the city and people is visible on his sleeve pretty much. Thank you for this experience. Jay & Nadja Just wonderful

James

22 January 2019

To add some context I would like to add I’m a 6’4 250lbs African American Vegan. When searching the internet for things to do in Brussels I came across Shanthuru’s page. Weirdly enough, after reading his background I had a gut feeling this would be a hidden gem addition to our tour. As mentioned before I’m 250 pounds so me and my gut have a good relationship. I don’t have time for a lovey dovey rendition on how Shanthuru changed my life but if you are an open minded person who loves a great mind and to be around people who really are good people who care about their city and our world, this is the tour for you. The parallel of Brussels being such a diverse city and the diversity of Shanthuru’s knowledge just fit. Do yourself a favor and try this out, if you are disappointed check the mirror. Brussels.. Have it your way???

Chris🇺🇸 United States

8 October 2018

We really enjoyed our morning with Shanthuru! He took us to a local market to pick out some vegetables for our lunch and then he cooked us a delicious vegan lunch, complete with a tasty dessert! He was so nice, social, and very knowledgeable about the area and vegan cooking! Awesome Experience

Michael

6 October 2018

Very knowledgeable. Does a great job telling about the city and learned about sustainable food sources. I would recommend this tour. Great time.Local Market Visit & Vegan Home Cooking

Laura🇺🇸 United States

7 May 2023

Mariana was a wonderful guide. She was enthusiastic and very friendly. Her knowledge of Brussels was amazing and Mariana was very good at conveying the knowledge to us.

Raj🇬🇧 United Kingdom

2 April 2023

He managed to start the tour on the ugliest parts of Brussels, no knowledge Beyond a one line explanation Complete waste of time and money we cut shorty the tour by 1.5 hours it was painful.Absolutely the worst tour guide

Mark🇫🇷 France

5 November 2022

This was our first visit to Brussels, and Shanthuru gave us a solid, lively introduction to the city. We greatly appreciated that he evolved our tour in "real time," based on our comments and our questions. His knowledge of the city is deep and wide -- and it's clear he loves Brussels. From the history of the river, the churches and commerce, to modern-day city planning, must-see places and delicious food recommendations , Shanthuru covered it all -- and at just the right pace. Highly recommend his tours! Wow! Beyond our expectations!

Stefan🇧🇪 Belgium

31 October 2022

We booked the "Highlights & Hidden Gems of Brussels" tour. This walking tour far exceeded our expectations thanks to Shanthuru who was OUTSTANDING! His knowledge about Brussels is second to none and was literally enlightening (even for me as a local). Shanthuru is so passionate about the city and went above and beyond to share all his knowledge with us. From the very first to the very last minute he got our attention by telling us stories and little known facts, showing us hidden gems not a lot of tourists will see during their visit and showing us the best places to shop for beer, cookies and chocolates. I wish we had booked Shanthuru for the full 2 days of our stay. Can't recommend him enough. If you're interested in this tour and Shanthuru is available, don't hesitate to book. I'm 200% sure you won't regret! And once you booked let Shanthuru know about any special requests or interests you might have. He will build a personalised tour just for you. No special requests? No problem. Just let you surprise what he has in store for you. Thank YOU again Shanthuru for the incredible experience! You're a TOP gu(y)ide :)The ONLY guide you'll need in Brussels!

Rita🇺🇸 United States

10 August 2022

My sister and I were fortunate to have Shanthuru as our guide for the Hidden Gems of Brussels tour. We were the only two guests and Shanthuru took the time to inquire of us our interests and our occupations so that he could tailor the 3 hour tour so that we got the most out of it. Our tour was great. He was informative, funny and kind. In fact, finding out that we were planning to take a train to Ghent the next day, he made a point of walking us by the Central Train Station, pointing out interesting buildings and providing anecdotes along the way as well, so that he could assist us with purchasing out round-trip tickets and ensure we purchased the discounted weekend tickets. We were very pleased to have his assistance with that!Bespoke Tour

Tanya🇦🇺 Australia

3 June 2022

I had an excursion with Shanthuru in Brussels on the 29 of May. He was a very knowledgeable and friendly person.I had an request to customize our route and he was very welcoming. He showed me all hidden spots of Brussels and answered all my questions.It was a very pleasant 3 hours walk.I highly recommend Shanthuru as a host.Kind Regards, TanyaGreat excursion with Shanthury

Julie🇬🇧 United Kingdom

29 May 2022

We had a very enjoyable and lively tour with Shanthuru, with lots of information, exchange of ideas and answers to our questions. Communication was good and he brought his own lived experience to the party for our benefit. There seemed to be a hiccup in the booking system and updating of guide availability at first, but this was sorted out quite easily and the timing of the tour eventually worked out very well for us.Great Insight into Belgian society

Andrea🇩🇪 Germany

15 November 2021

We had wonderful 3 hours with Shanturu in Brussels. He did a great job, knew answers to all(!!) our questions, understood completely what we wanted to see, was fun to talk to, very polite..... just perfect. Thank you so much for this great tour, we absolutely recommend Shanturu!Great Experience with Shanturu

Elena🇬🇧 United Kingdom

17 October 2021

We loved every moment of our tour! What a great experience, something you will always remember. Can’t recommend better. Thanks so much, dear Shanthuru!

Jeff

15 October 2021

If you are looking to experience Brussels as it was in the past to current day plan a tour with Shanti! Being into architecture, design and history Shanti geared the tour to our preferences. We found he was extremely knowledgeable in so many ares. Not only knowledgeable, he was very personable! The tour was so wonderful the three hours was over before we knew it! We only wished we kept him for the rest of the day. He also recommended some local restaurants which I can say did not disappoint! Shanti comes with our highest recommendation!plan a tour with Shanti!

Arthur

14 October 2021

Shanthuru felt less of a guide and more of a travel companion! If you want a truly personalized and unique walk through the streets of Brussels this is the tour to book. I highly recomment it. The highlight of our trip. Shanthuru can do it all!Shanthuru can do it all!

Silvia🇩🇪 Germany

5 October 2021

We have booked a guided 2 hr tour with Shanthuru, to have an introduction into Brussels. The tour was great, Shanthuru is very knowledgable and friendly guide, he has shown us interesting places we would not go to on our own. We will book another tour with Shanthuru next time we are in Brussels.Excellent!

Maria🇬🇷 Greece

5 September 2021

This is a highly recommended tour / guide, such a positive vibe! We went to places we wouldn’t seen ourselves (and I didn’t see in other tours I participated years ago). Polite, pleasant, friendly sharing information, knowledge and recommendations, and he seemed to enjoy it also! Me (the gen-x-er), my son (the zoom-er) and my daughter (zoom-er also, who usually hates guided tours) really enjoyed it. Be well Shanthuru, it was lovely meeting you.Thanks Shanthuru, this was a great tour

Justin🇺🇸 United States

20 October 2020

I booked this experience for my team to have some relaxing time away from work. While I did not attend the session, all of my colleagues who did regarded Shanthuru's knowledge and overall enjoyment of the class. Additionally, Shanthuru was very helpful and communiciative throughout the booking process.Employee bonding

Mrs. Jen🇺🇸 United States

12 May 2020

We were a group of girls who had beginnning yoga skills and wanted to work on our mindfullness and being in the present. Shanthuru was amazing. He taylored the yoga based on our experience and the mindfullness part was incredible. He is so engaging and calm. He was very personable and knowledgable in all areas. We are even rescheduling another class with him to go over what we learned from working with him. DEFINATELY a 5 -Star experience!Shanthuru's Yoga and Meditation Experience is Incredible

Staci

10 May 2020

This was an amazing class and experience. I feel so much better just from one class and learned more on how to truly meditate, thank you!! Staci BYoga & Mindful Conversations

Mis

10 May 2020

Greetings Shanthuru I had the pleasure of being in your virtual yoga and mindfulness class and was so unaware of what to expect. Taking a virtual class you never know what to expect but you were a wonderful teacher and very knowledgeable. I found the class was geared to every participant and was easy to follow. You focused on what I wanted to get out of it and also to the needs of the other participants. You were diversified in your teaching but completely thorough. You addressed our questions and magnificently moved the class throughout the practice from yoga to a meditation with ease. I would highly recommend your class to anyone wanting to take it. Thank you for teaching some of the background of yoga as well. I will be looking for more of your classes in the future and recommending you to my friends. Stay well With my warmest regards, VictoriaOnline Yoga and mindfulness class

Patricia🇺🇸 United States

19 February 2020

I had a fantastic time with my guide, Shanthuru. He was very knowledgeable, took me to hidden gems but most of all was very passionate about Brussels. He will truly make your trip even more memorable especially if you are willing to open up to even more curiosity about the culture and people. A “Diamond in the Rough” guide in Brussels

J

8 November 2019

The knowledge and expertise made for an enjoyable afternoon. Having never done a tour "withlocals," we were pleasantly surprised.Great tour!

Nicola

28 October 2019

Excellent experience thoroughly recommend, everything you want in a Local guide and very likeable person. Great knowledge of Brussels. Tenoutaten

Ruud🇳🇱 Netherlands

28 October 2019

Shanthuru liet onze plekjes zien waar je normaal niet komt. Hij weet veel van (de historie) van de stad. Hoewel hij niet dagelijks Nederlands praat ging dat hartstikke goed.Leuke toer

Mara

15 October 2019

Thank you for being such a good tour guide. It was super last minute and you were able to accommodate us without a promblem. Not only did you show us the beautiful city of Brussels plus it’s history, you also took us to amazing food and beer spots. Also more thanks for having so much patience with us and stopping to take all the pictures I wanted, you’re the best. When we come back to Brussels we will surely look you up.

Riana🇿🇦 South Africa

27 September 2019

We did the 90 minute kick start tour of Brussels wirh Shanthuru, but a personalized version. He was enthusiastic and informative and a great gentleman. He showed us hidden gems of Brussels off the beaten track. I can truly recommend him!Shanthuru is a star tour guide!

Helen🇺🇸 United States

2 September 2019

Shanthuru was so great! He gave us an amazing and informative tour of Brussels! He’s the best tour guide we’ve ever had! I will definitely recommend your company in the future. Thank you so much!Best guide ever!

Debra🇺🇸 United States

31 August 2019

We truly enjoyed spending time with Shanthuru! So intelligent, enthusiastic and a true seeker of extraordinary experiences! Spending time on tour with him is a delight on so many levels! Brussels

Mohammed Zameer🇺🇸 United States

30 August 2019

We took an afternoon tour that was personalized for us. We were with two young kids that were handful. However, we were happy with the pace, felt satisfied with the amount of sites, things we saw in about 5 hours or so. Shanthuru was able to modify the tour per weather/detours for refreshment/bathroom use. An exciting and well paced tour of brussels

Myriam

2 August 2019

Shanthuru heeft ons onze eigen hoofdstad op een andere manier laten ontdekken. Wat een beleving! Hij liet ons plekjes zien die we niet kenden. Hij wist ons te boeien met weetjes uit de geschiedenis en te challengen op onze kennis. Hij nodigde uit om zelf uitgedaagd te worden want hij vond het best spannend om een rondleiding te geven aan Belgen die Brussel al wel eerder bezochten... Wel, we raden het al onze landgenoten aan om met een gepassioneerde local zoals Shanthuru Brussel te bezoeken. Verrassend hoe hij zijn bewondering voor Brussel en de schoonheid van deze stad wist over te brengen. Shanthuru heeft een punt wanneer hij zegt dat wat we gaan zoeken of bewonderen tijdens verre reizen ook dichtbij te vinden is. Blij dat deze kerel ambassadeur is van onze hoofdstad in al haar facetten! Hij heeft ook ons fan gemaakt😊 Dank je wel Shanthuru! Myriam, Leen en EstelleWat een beleving!

Paul🇬🇧 United Kingdom

2 August 2019

Shanti was an excellent guide. Full of interesting insights, and constantly adapting to our needs and interests. Highly recommended. Many thanksExcellent guide

Jen🇺🇸 United States

26 July 2019

Shanthuru was an excellent guide for our day in Brussels. Very knowledgeable and shared many interesting details. He was very flexible and made sure we were happy and comfortable. Excellent day!Excellent!

Brittany🇺🇸 United States

11 July 2019

My group and I had no idea anything about Belgium or Bruxelles. We were open minded to learn a little about this place during our Euro trip. Shanthuru brought us around and taught us EVERYTHING that we wanted to know. We told him our interests and he was able to customize his tour to meet our needs. He was entertaining, knowledgeable and made the tour feel like we were catching up with a friend. I highly recommend doing a tour with him! Thanks a bunch Shanthuru!!Shanthuru is amazing!

Rachel🇺🇸 United States

7 July 2019

My friends and I loved Shanthuru and appreciated his insightful history and culture tour of Brussels. We strongly suggest this tour as he was able to accommodate and tailor it to our interests. Highly recommend and would do it again if we return to Brussels!Excellent guide and tour

Gerhard🇩🇪 Germany

23 June 2019

Shanthuru war für uns (2 Erwachsene und 2 Kinder 12,14) der perfekte Führer. Die drei stündige Führung war absolut interessant und sehr kurzweilig. Auf unsere Fragen und Wünsche ist Shanthuru jederzeit gerne eingegangen. Shanthuru haben wir als sehr angenehmen und netten und weltoffenen Menschen kennen gelernt. Seine Vielsprachigkeit hat uns beeindruckt, sein Deutsch war nahezu akzentfrei. Wir würden Ihn jederzeit wieder buchen und können ihn für alle empfehlen, die sich eine individuelle Tour in Brüssel wünschen. super Führung mit vielen interessanten Orten abseits des Mainstreams

surjo🇮🇳 India

18 June 2019

A passionate and knowledgable guide. Shanturu gave us a fantsstic opening day tour of brussels. He was interesting and also very patient with our questions. Very good experience.Excellent!

Leigh🇺🇸 United States

13 June 2019

Shanthuru gave our family of four (2 adults and 2 teens) a fantastic tour of Brussels highlights. His energy, knowledge, and kindness were amazing. We learned a lot and he even provided us with additional information regarding vegan eateries and restaurants for our stay. He also frequently checked in with us on the pace of the tour, helping to ensure everyone was comfortable. He engaged both with the adults and the kids, which was wonderful. He is highly knowledgeable, and he is able to provide a lot of information on Brussels history and culture. Our tour with him was only 3 hours but it was—by far— one of the best highlights of our visit to Brussels! I would recommend him most highly to anybody who wants to learn about Brussels in the trusted hands of a true professional and a wonderful human being!Wonderful experience

Christina🇬🇧 United Kingdom

12 June 2019

I chose to do this tour having reviewed and been drawn to Shanthuru bio .... and certainly did not regret it. Shanthuru has such a gentle and engaging personality and adapts the tour to what you are interested in ... he welcomes all questions and engagement. We wanted to see his favourite places or those he thought interesting and we were not disappointed. The conversation was easy and it felt we’d known him for years. As well as seeing some great ‘off the beaten track’ places, chatting to Shanthuru about veganism, mindfulness and human kind made the trip all that more special. It was 90 minutes that went by in a flash but if you’re looking for more than a quick rush round to ‘tick off’ the hot tourist traps, I can’t recommend this highly enough. We also got some top tips for the rest of our stay which was super helpful. Great value for money. Great tour, lovely guy

Urvashi🇮🇳 India

8 June 2019

I was visiting Brussels for a day and I booked a tour with the locals.. and picked Shanthuru as my guide and he was absolutely amazing. I wish I would of found him earlier in my trip. He was very responsive when I contacted him. Once the tour started .. He answered all of my questions and pointed out all the interesting sights along the way with amazing little details.. and even helped me buy chocoates.. He was willing to stop if I wanted any extra photos. He was also more than happy to customize the tour the way that suited me best.. was even kind enough to buy me water. He also took pictures and sent them to me during and after the trip!!! I highly recommend Shanthuru, you won't be disappointed! He is genuine, friendly and does complete justice to the tour.. I will definitely contact you when I am in Brussels again and even recommending your tour services to all my friends and family..! Excellent Value for money!!  Thank you Shanthuru..!Fantastic Personalized Tour

Daniel🇺🇸 United States

8 June 2019

Shan was amazing! Truly a kind human who loves his town and life. He took us to some great locations and gave us a locals view with the history knowledge of a professor. We do not speak any language besides English, and he took us back to the train station so we did not miss our train to Paris. He was so good to us! He took us on a great tour and really customized it just for us. I liked him so much that I gave him my card and told him if he came to the States he had a place to stay. Amazing person!

Sidharth🇮🇳 India

1 June 2019

Shanthuru walked me thought he alleys of Brussels and delivered a beautiful narrative on the essence of the city. He was friendly, warm, receptive and had an amazing attitude of hospitality. Fantastic Tour

Shelly🇺🇸 United States

31 May 2019

Shanthuru was an incredible engaging, knowledgeable and friendly professional and did an awesome job. We were a foursome including our teenage girls and he did an amazing job connecting with each one of us and making the tour particularly engaging to meet the unique needs of teenagers. We more than got our money's worth and thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of the tour and our tour guide!!!Wonderful!

Steve🇺🇸 United States

31 May 2019

Shanthuru did a nice job. He asked what we were most interested in and shaped his commentary based on that He is well traveled himself which gives him a good perspective. Highly recommend.Shanthuru

Jully🇺🇸 United States

11 May 2019

I randomly picked Shanthuru for our short daytrip visit in Brussels, hoping that we can enjoy the city better. Shanthuru wealth of knowledge brought us back to the old Brussels as well as giving us directions to places of our interests in just 90minutes. A real story teller and you can ask anything ! He is awesome and we are glad we picked him! Thankyou Shanthuru!90minutes with Shanthuru

Kannan🇮🇳 India

10 May 2019

With just 6 hrs in Brussels & having a train back to Paris , traveling with 2 tired kids, made me worry a lot until we met Shanthuru. He made us so comfortable and relaxed and gave such a memorable tour around Brussels , we can't thank him enough. Kids never felt tired with Shanthuru around them explaining and sharing the significance of each and every place. We all just loved his tour. Witnessed 3 tours WithLocals during our Europe trip and Shanthuru's tour was the most memorable one. If you are not selecting Shanthuru as your guide, you are missing on the best local of Brussels. Thank you soooo much Shanthuru ! :)Best tour ever

ashutosh🇮🇳 India

30 April 2019

Shanthuru was the best decision we took on our short trip to Brussels.He is enthusiastic , accommodating ,helpful and knowledgeable. We discussed variety of issues from history, architecture, future planning and politics. It was very enjoyable and informative and on our request he extended his time for us. I would highly recommend Shanthuru for an amazing trip to Brussels. One day with him is also not enough.Shantahuru. Friend, philosopher and Guide

Joslyn🇺🇸 United States

23 April 2019

We enjoyed Shanthuru and the customized tour he provided based on our art noveau interests. His pace was good and his information shared gave us a better appreciation for Brussels. He also spent extra time with us. Shanthuru exceeded our expectations and we’re so happy we booked this tour.90 Minutes Kickstart Tour of Brussels