Delightful 19th century café named for a dice game with long wooden benches, high ceilings and an array of mirrors are part of the charm

Archiduc 

Ring the door bell and disappear down the rabbit hole at l"archiduc, a smoky 1030s jazz bar. Once the regular haunt of legends like nat King Cole and Jacques Brel, it is often referred to by locals and expats alike as Brussels' best drinking den 

 City Center

Au Bon Vieux Temps 

This tiny bar is like a cross between a parish church and your grandmother's living room, featuring stained glass windows and a number of clocks, all of which have stopped 

City center 

Au Soleil 

As soon as the sun's out, the terrace of this cosy little bar gets packed, regardless of outside temperatures. A great spot to while away your Sunday with a blanche and your favourite book 

City Center 

Belga Queen

Sip champagne at the oyster bar or eat oysters at the cocktail bar, followed by a sumptuous dinner. Snobby and noisy but spectacular  

 City Center

Bizon

Soak in blues, booze and live entertainment at Bizon, a small diamond in the rough gem, which, like the whisky it sells, gets better with age. A massive bison head tower over the bar counter, the wooden ceilings beams are strewn with concert tickets, and the crowd's a great mix of old roadies, suited office workers and drunken expats. They serve one dish and one dish only: spaghetti bolognaise and it's pretty good 

City Center 

Cafe Roskam 

Both expats and locals love this Brussels institution, which hosts live gigs and serves good cocktails. Beer still tastes best here though 

City Center 

Cobra Bar 

This laid-back bar is famous for its super-friendly owner who's always up for banter. His taste in music is great too, and so are the cocktails 

 City Center

Dali’s bar 

Sit on gigantic red lips at this unusual electro lounge where the decor is all about the grand master of Surrealism, Salvador Dali. Hidden amidst the tourist traps off the Grand Place, its arched entranceis easy to miss so look out for the blue neon

 City Center

Doucha Bar

This amazing cavernous bar belongs to authentic Russian restaurant Les Nouveaux Russes and is pretty much THE drinking hole for vodka lovers in Brussels. Also a great place to celebrate big birthday bashes or New Year 

 City Center

Duke’s 

Luxurious night club for the thirty-something crowd 

 City Center

Fontainas

Come here for breakfast on Sunday, especially if you haven't gone to bed yet. A great bar filled with interesting characters 

City Center 

Goupil Le Fol

Climb creaky, sloping staircases, get lost in little rooms, and sink into comfy leather couches. French troubadours sing of love and loss while time drips as slowly as the wax off the ancient chandeliers here. This one's for cultivators of nostalgia, dreamers and hopeless romantics. A truly charming gem, which sparkles at least till 5AM every night 

 City Center

Mappa Mundo 

Wood-panelled bar which attracts an international crowd

 City Center

La Bécasse 

Business started in 1877, and the interior hasn't changed since, quite cozy-and always crowded. Come here for the traditional Brussels beer, lambic and gueuze 

City Center 

Le Cercueil

This somewhat macabre bar is decorated with skulls, coffins and other deathly memorabilia

 City Center

Le Cirio 

On the other side of the Grand Place is 118 year old Le Cirio, among the city's most atmospheric bars and home to half and half, a mix of white wine and champagne

City Center 

Le Roi des Belges

With its decoration somewhere between Modernism and Retro, this is the ‘see and be seen’ centre of St-Gery district 

 City Center

Le Delirium Café 

Beers from Belgium and the four corners of the earth in an eighteenth-century cellar 

 City Center

O'Reilly's 

Biggest Irish pub in the capital. Open until 4 am on week-ends

 City Center

Poechenellekelder

Located right opposite the wee Manneken Pis  statue, it's a charming candle-lit bar with photographs, faded newspaper articles on the wall and an excellent beer selection. It attracts throngs of locals too 

City Center 

Rock Classic 

This cavernous joint in downtown Brussels is not for the faint-hearted. With graffiti art of pink Floyd's The wall and ZZ Top, it's the cavern of brussels' heavy metal heads. Stays open till 6AM. Don't say we didn't warn you

 City Center

Theatre Royal de Toone

A marionette theater that opened in 1834, serves a vast array of Belgian beers. The atmosphere is boisterous, mixing students with visitors and locals

 City Center 

The Greenwich 

An old fovourite of Surrealist painter Rene Magritte, this classic is THE meeting point for chess players in Brussels. Join in  a game or have a few beers and enjoy the relaxed, music-free atmosphere 

City Center 

Viage  Brussels 

Viage is a unique entertainment complex offering 14,000 square meters of bars and restaurants for all the family, plus relaxation areas and play areas. The complex offers a casino a theatre, a concert hall and a dance floor. Visitors can enjoy and discover many different flavors and emotions in a magnificent setting. Visitors can travel from one universe to another, changing atmospheres and activities as they wish. 

 City Center

Zebra

Let your day come to a delightful end by drinking vodka with fresh raspberry juice and mint at this offbeat cafe. Open for more than a decade, it's also a great place to enjoy winter warmers 

City Center 

L'Axess

Enjoy a chic lunch, a casual after-work drink, or a crazy party night in this brand new restauarant-bar-club at Tour & Taxis 

Rogier 

Le Comptoir Florian 

A charming “literary tea room” in an Art Nouveau building

Saint-Boniface 

Café de l’Université

For a friendly drink and meal

Around Ixelles cemetery  

de Valera's

Home to expat football club FC Irlande, this bustling Irish pub on the Flagey square is famous for its beautiful decor and great service. You'll be guaranteed a good craic-and you're only a stumble away from other great local bars 

Around Ixelles cemetery  

La Bastoche

Another place for a friendly drink and meal

 Around Ixelles cemetery 

Le Tavernier 

Drinks are served outside on the terrace or inside. Mainly busy in the evenings, with loud background music on Friday and Saturday evenings

Around Ixelles cemetery  

Le Ratabar 

Relaxed ambiance. Make sure you try an "apple submarine", the specialty of the house! 

Around Ixelles cemetery  

Waff 

Well-known trendy coktail bar

Around Ixelles cemetery 

Tribeca

Located inside a beautifully restored town house, both the library bar and modern lounge of this stunning restaurant are simply lush

Around Ixelles cemetery

Its terrace and very mixed atmosphere make it a must-see 

Around Ixelles cemetery 

Delecta

This original 1950s tapas bar has a large wine-by-the-glass selection and is a favourite among arty types, young professionals and students. Also hosts live DJ sessions

Around Ixelles cemetery

 Very busy place with a vast terrace area and interior space

Around Ixelles cemetery 

This amazing place is set up like a private apartemnt, where you can drink champagne in the bedroom or boogie to live DJ beats in the downstairs living room. Modern furniture mingles with vintage candelabras and funky carpets

Around Ixelles cemetery 

Occasionally dead quit but mostly jam-packed, this is possibly one of Belgium's tackiest karaoke bars but certainly also one of its finest. Best enjoyd with a large group of friends and several stiff drinks

Around Ixelles cemetery 

Winebar and little & Light meals 

 Europe

 A skip away from Mont du Cinquantenaire, this lovely corner brasserie serves tasty traditional grub and has a large terrace, which gets packed during summer with expats, locals, and the occasional celebrity such as musician Dani Klein

Etterbeek 

Bohemian pirates should head straight to this Brussels corner bar. Originally the home of the legendary Union de Saint Gilles football club, its fan club includes rockabillies, hippies and the occasional punk 

Saint Gilles

A Bout De Soufre

A bit rock 'n' roll, a bit chic, a bit traditional, this is Bacchus' gift to hedonists in search of a chemical-free life. The small wine bar-cum-bistro specialises in natural wines of exceptional standards

Saint-Gilles 

Moeder Lambic

Adored by locals and expats alike, this tiny bar with its den-like interior and comic-covered walls is considered one of Brussels best beer spots

 Saint-Gilles

Cafe Maison du Peuple 

 If you're into arts, music and a chill-out vibe, definitely add this address to your little black book. The red-brick walls, black floors and wooden furniture give the place a relaxed boho-chic feel while its expos and live jazz, rock and hip-hop concerts make it a vibrant cultural club

Saint-Gilles

Bar du Matin

This funky bar has managed to inject the previously dreary neighbourhood of Forest with much-needed zing. There's a large terrace out front, the wasabi nibbles beat the boring peanut and the staff are incredibly friendly 

Uccle

Cool & sometimes jazz . One of the best clubs in Louvain-La-Neuve. Two levels with seating 

Convivial and very cosy restaurant huddled in a corner beneath the tower of Cathédrale St Aubain. Specialises in regional cuisine, Breton crepes, and Belgian beers, all at very affordable prices. A blackboard lists the available brews (usually around 30), and the décor's charmingly rustic

Namur 

Cool with Hip-Hop, Pop, Club House, Funk, etc.

Little house with warm colors. Cosy, trendy & friendly 

Cozy pub with a small dance floor, opens late at night (5-6 am)