Hello,
I'll be traveling to Brussels and Brugge in a few weeks. I plan to visit many cafe's to try the beers and food.

One question, sorry if it is a dumb one. Do you have to pay to use the restroom in a cafe typically? If you are a customer (if you bought beer and/or food?). First time in Europe, so I want to appear as clueless as possible. Thanks!

Correction from my above post...I mean...I do not want to appear clueless!

If you are a patron, you generally have the WC (water closet) at your disposal FREE. Halfpint

Not a silly question. If you use a public WC in Belgium expect to pay 30 - 50 (euro) cents per visit. The money is usually left in a saucer at the entrance to the facility guarded by a dragon/cleaning lady. The same applies in department stores and cinemas, from experience. It's useful to carry some small change, you will be spending more than a penny...

This reminds me of our first trip to Europe, with a Trafalgar bus tour. The first pit stop after leaving our channel hovercraft was a stop in Belgium. Since no one had yet acquired any Belgian coins, our tour director paid the way for all of us to use the toilets. What a guy! It was amusing, a guy counting out the coins as we each entered the WC, directing a jovial 'thanks, Kevin!' to him on the way out.

Yes...Madame Pipi gets 30 cents

However note, he had asked about using the WC in a cafe after a purchase where it usually is free, otherwise yes, you had better have some small change for the public restrooms (although it is not so small anymore, the 1/2 euro is approaching 75 cents of our money. But then they are generally promptly clean also. Halfpint.

It doesn't usually matter whether you've purchased something or not ....it's still 30 cents. However, Madame Pipi is not everywhere - usually in shopping centres and fairly low grade cafs (though also in some hotels)

The cafes away from the touristy areas are far less likely to charge; for example, none of the cafes/restaurants we like in the Chaussee de Waterloo/Tenbosch park area of Ixelles part of Brussels charges to use their facilities.

Nor do the cafes we like over in the de Voot or Thielmans part of Woluwe St. Pierre.

However, in some of the more popular areas, like the Sablon, even a few upscale places (like Au Vieux St. Martin) have started to charge, although they may not have someone on duty all the time.

If I'm out walking around in the Ave. Louise/Blvd. Waterloo area of Brussels and need to use a restroom, I head straight for either the Conrad or Hilton Hotels. I never get stopped, but it always helps to look like you know where you're going. In the Hilton, go through the main entrance and walk straight back as if you're heading for their restaurant. The restrooms are on the left just after your pass the elevators and before the restaurant.

In the Conrad, go up the staircase as if you're heading to the lobby salon (which is near the check-in desk), then walk straight down the windowed corridor next to the salon. At the corridor's end, turn right towards the vestiaire (coat check, which is usually closed during the day), then left and you'll see the restrooms on your right.

In Bruges, most of the places we like are along Smedenstraat on the "other" side of t'Zand, so they get far fewer tourists and don't charge to use their restrooms. I have also used the facilities at the Crowne Plaza Hotel without charge, but not lately.

BTilke; I do the same! I usually park at the Conrad too, then use the very nice restrooms there.

Some restaurants and cafes charge for using the toilets even if you are a patron. I never mind that, if it means the place is spotless.

The Conrad has the best public restrooms in Brussels, IMO. Not to mention a few nice shops as well.

If the OP's travels take him/her to the Mongtomery/Merode area by Cinquantenaire, then a few other places that don't charge customers include: L'Aurige (we stop there for a glass of Bel Pils on hot days), Le Pain Quotidien, the Leonidas store and cafe, Martin-Pecheur (Kingfisher) on the Ave. Georges Henri...a nice place to eat and they don't take reservations, it's all drop-in, but quite popular with the locals.

Last time I went into Jacquemotte on the Grand'Place, they didn't charge for their restrooms, but that was a long while ago (I don't like their coffee).

Do the Irish pubs charge? I avoid them like the plague, so have no idea.

Just returned from Brugge, did not have to pay to use restrooms in any of the restaurants.

Not unusual either to encounter unisex WCs

and there are open urinals on streets or actually on sides of buildings

don't be bashful