Brussels
This grand café has a single, high-ceilinged room whose walls sport a ludicrously ornate load of gilt stucco tracery. Despite the grandeur, drinks are…
Must-see nightlife in Belgium
Brussels
This sumptuous 1886 grand café dazzles with polished brasswork and aproned waiters, yet prices aren’t exorbitant and coiffured mesdames with small dogs…
Brussels
An institution. Behind windows plastered with beer stickers, this tattered, quirky old café is the ultimate beer spot in Brussels. Sample some of its…
Brussels
Overwhelming weirdness hits you as you acid-trip your way through this sensory overload of rambling passageways, ragged old sofas and inexplicable…
Brussels
Down a tiny hidden alley from Rue du Marché aux Herbes 5, Nostre-Dame has an almost medieval feel but retains a genuine local vibe. A magical old café…
Brussels
At the home to Brussels’ classic puppet theatre, this irresistibly quaint and cosy timber-framed bar serves beers and basic snacks.
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Antwerp
Overlooking one of Antwerp's most underrated architectural glories (Borgerhout Town Hall) this superb beer bar stocks well over 100 choices (including…
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Liège
Elegantly contemporary with tones of black and muted gold, this superb find serves excellent coffee (from €2.50) with which you get two exquisite Benoit…
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Leuven
The 30 bars that cram together on Oude Markt form one huge mass of happy drinkers whose chatter and midnight whoops reverberate around the baroque gables…
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Antwerp
In a series of old warehouses transformed by an artists' collective, this magical hang-out has concrete floors, barely hanging together arrays of old…
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Bruges
Luminaries have frequented Bruges’ oldest pub for 500 years; local legend has it that Rubens once painted an imitation coin on the table here and then did…
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Antwerp
Little has changed since 1924 at this congenial bruin café (traditional pub) that attracts grizzled elderly locals with its exceptionally reasonable beer…
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Northeast Belgium
At this cyclist's dream cafe, you can relax with a great coffee (from €2.30) or a specially bicycle-themed beer (from €2.90) microbrewed by Brouwerij…
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Liège
Liège’s wackiest pub-café lurks down a private cul-de-sac decorated with psychedelic murals and lamps resembling radioactive triffids. Watch UFOs landing…
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Wallonia
Hype feels like a hidden retreat from the busy Grand Place, with a laid-back crowd gathered at outdoor tables on a peaceful square. The friendly staff…
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Brussels
This venerable 19th-century building faces out onto the market square of Parvis de St-Gilles. A combined café, bar and exhibition space, its scruffy-cool…
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Namur
Marc Detraux, who is excellent value for a chat about wine, runs this little haven of pleasure. There's always something interesting available by the…
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Brussels
Two tiny, super-cosy tasting rooms behind a tea-trading store offer six bean types for its coffees, and 200 teas, served in an eclectic range of pots. The…
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Bruges
Try the fabulous Garre draught beer, which comes with a thick floral head in a glass that’s almost a brandy balloon; the pub will only serve you three of…
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Bruges
With its dark-timber beams, low lighting, convivial clatter and park setting, L'Estaminet scarcely seems to have changed since it opened in 1900. It’s…
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Ostend
Ostend has a compact gay scene. Of its handful of bars, Valentino – with its charming hosts, dance floor and cruisy back room – is a bit of a one-stop…
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Ghent
Heavy beams, a heraldic ceiling, barrel tables, lacy lampshades and the odd boar’s head all add character to one of Ghent’s best-known beer pubs. It has…
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Ostend
Ostend's new hipster-kid on the block is worth checking out just to see what a bar/restaurant called Mommy's Bastards is like. There's a tapas and a la…
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Ghent
Sporting an enticing waterfront terrace, this photogenic classic beer-pub has an interior draped in dried hops, plus three exclusive house beers amid the…
Brussels
An emporium of nocturnal activities such as gigs, and of apéritifs featuring deli cuts and cheese platters, Chez Franz is a locals' bar. The beers are…
Brussels
Rub shoulders with a Flemish crowd at this industrial café, with brick and concrete floors, away from the nearby touristy hot spots. Try local beers such…
Brussels
Dark wood, a piano and opal lights set the mood of this classic Belgian pub. Mostly attended by Flemish locals, Monk serves a wide array of reasonably…
Brussels
With sumptuous beers and a constant flow of new brews taste-tested by the public, this democratic microbrewery and bar is one of the most innovative…
Brussels
The impeccably trendy Bar du Matin sits on a corner site, the noisy road screened by beech trees. There’s a serious beer menu and pared-back '60s decor…
Brussels
Duck beneath the statue of the bishop, then tunnel through the centuries to this lushly panelled 1695 gem. You’ll find lavish fireplaces, fascinating…
Brussels
Sounds from soul to punk to progressive rock (live, DJs or just through the speakers) play at this ubercool bar, where entry’s free, the atmosphere buzzes…
Brussels
An absolute classic unchanged since 1928, with lined-up wooden tables, arched mirror panels and entertainingly brusque service.
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Wallonia
Around 1km south of Mariembourg towards Nismes, this tourist-oriented microbrewery creates five well-balanced Fagnes beers (€3). Try them in a large part…
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Liège
In the days of Jacques Brel cafés chantants were common – simple pubs where crooner, pianist and accordionist sang for their beer. Today Aux Olivettes is…
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Liège
Outremeuse is the antithesis of all things hipster, right? Not if Accattone can help it, with great coffee (from €1.80), breakfasts and wine-and-pasta…
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Brussels
Jester is a self-proclaimed brown café, with a minimalist stained glass window looking out onto the medieval Porte de Hal. The interior stylishly combines…
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Brussels
Typical of the new array of hip but relaxed Brussels bars, BarBeton has a tiled floor and unpolished wood furnishings. It's good for an early breakfast,…
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Brussels
The nicotine-stained walls of this tiny café, adored by artists and locals, are covered with writings, art and scribbles by Magritte and his surrealist…
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Brussels
Big windows and a 1920s and '30s charm make this intimate café a particularly relaxing place to read the newspapers (provided in several languages) by day…
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Wallonia
David Frere, the friendly and award-winning barista behind this small cafe, serves up some of the best coffee in Wallonia. It's well worth stopping in for…
