In Brussels:

Delirium for some 2500 varieties of beer:

http://deliriumcafe.be/?___store=deliriumcafe_en&___from_store=deliriumcafe_fr

also the very traditional café with its own beer, À la Mort Subite:

http://www.alamortsubite.com

Chocolates - there are a number of chocolate shops in the Sablon area. All are good. However Neuhaus and Leonidas are distinctly factory-made (usually sold in department stores and some specialty shops) when compared with Wittamer or Pierre Marcolini.

Lavandula

Chocolatewise in Antwerp I'd try "the Chocolate Line" at Meir 50. Mr Dominique Persoone makes fabulous pralines.
He also creates them for three-michelin-star restaurateurs.
He has a shop in Bruges.

On the other hand there's nothing wrong with major brands like godiva and neuhaus.
Do try them first by asking for a small paper bag with a selection of say six pralines just to nibble away.
A great way to find your preferred chocolate.

A big brand like leonidas is widely sold in Belgium but is not as refined as the above.

My favorite place of my husband (the Belgian beer-lover) is Moeder Lambic Fontainas, at Place Fontainas 8. There's another location in St. Gilles, but we haven't been out that way.

On the chocolates, we visit every place we can, focusing (though not exclusively) on the hand-made places. We each select a couple of chocolates (in a bag, not a box), and then take them to a cafe (or to Moeder Lambic), and have drinks as we sample. Choosing your favorite maker and variety is the main fun of it. I think my favorite is Galler.

Another beer place in Brussels that was surprisingly good, given its very touristy location, is Poechenellekelder, across the street from Manneken Pis. The interior is so weird that our teen DD didn't even want to sit inside, but the beer selection is very good! And very fun to sit at a table outside and watch the tourists giggle at Manneken pis.

In Bruges, we've returned several times for meals and beer to Bierbrasserie Cambrinus, Philipstockstraat 19.

People gave me lots of good suggestions for Belgian beer on this thread
http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/looking-for-belgian-beer-recommendations.cfm

Thank you so much for your suggestions, this will be very helpful. Any thoughts from anyone on locations for beer and chocolate in Germany?

Thanks for any help anyone can offer.

Every city has its own beers in Germany, from the Rauchbier in Bamberg to the Berliner Weisse mit Schuss (with a raspberry or woodruff 'shot' making it pink or green, and sweet). There are different kinds of beer to look out for - wheat beer, pale beers like pilsener, dark beers (ask for 'ein helles' for a light-coloured beer, or 'ein dunkles' for a dark beer).

There are numerous supra-regional commercial beers (such as Beck's from Bremen, Warsteiner, Bitburger, Radeberger, Paulaner, Veltins), but most beers are brewed in Bavaria, so your trip should probably focus on that state. Other parts of Germany specialise in wine, particularly the south-west and the Rhine areas.

IMO Germany does not really specialise in chocolate in the same way that Belgium does ... but even supermarket chocolate in Germany is of a high standard when compared with Hershey's or Cadbury. If you are looking for chocolates of the kind you get in a chocolate box, they are called 'Pralinen'. A starting point might be the confectionary section in a department store like Karstadt or Galleria Kaufhof. I have actually seen Neuhaus chocolates from Belgium for sale in Karstadt!

Marzipan, on the other hand - the specialty town is Lübeck. Marzipan (including chocolate-coated marzipan) from Café Niederegger in Lübeck is sold in stores across Germany (again, like Karstadt). Also gummy bears, another specialty of Germany. A good chain of stores selling them is Bären-Treff, which is in several cities; a commercially-available brand is Haribo. OK, but not fabulous.


Good luck, your trip sounds delicious!

Lavandula

Try Laurent Gerbaud in Brussels - a small choclatier

http://www.chocolatsgerbaud.be/2013/choco-index.php

Agree with other posting about Chocolate Line. The shop in Antwerp is located in the beautiful former Royal Palace on the Meir.

Gunther Watte, Steenhouwersvest, has a cafe; great hot chocolate.

For Antwerp beer; try De Koninck
http://www.dekoninck.be/