Fun and entertainment Bruxelles - Brussel

In a nice corner house in Uccle, this turtle has put his shell. And what is hidden underneath? A beautiful selection of natural wines. Here, no fuss, you have the impression of entering the home of friends (Yann and Étienne) who are waiting for you to taste their new finds. The eye is directly attracted by a wall covered with shelves and of course, bottles. All you have to do is to let yourself be advised for the choice. If wine isn't your thing, there are also beers and cocktails and nice cold cuts to nibble on.

IN-CRE-VA-BLE and as rebellious as ever, Magasin 4 continues to raise the banner of alternative music: punk, ska, funk, hardcore, experimental... Since 1994, when they were housed at 4 rue du Magasin, they've been making noise. Both a club and a concert hall, the concept is currently housed in warehouses not far from the canal in Anderlecht, although they will have to move to a permanent location some time from now. Aka Moon, Babylon Circus and Lofofora have all survived its overheated atmosphere.

Hidden in the bowels of the Galeries Louise, Bloody has made a name for itself in the few years it has been in existence. Its niche is not electronic music (although it is) but urban music (hip-hop, RnB, etc.), the dominant musical trend in this third decade of the 21st century. This is the place to go to discover emerging artists but also confirmed artists, even huge stars like Drake, Damso, Migos, Major Lazer, etc. who have already played there or organized an after party. In short, a reference in the genre.

In a corner house with its very vintage burgundy and green tiled windows, Marcelle invites you into another world. You would think you were in a Shanghai gambling joint in the 1930s. Art deco accents, decorative objects and wallpaper evoking the Orient, subdued lighting... It's a speakeasy that doesn't hide, even if Marcelle is rather discreet... when her terrace is not open. In fact, it's the perfect place for a date. Cocktails, gin and tonics and a few well-chosen beers are on the menu to accompany your trip back in time.

In the shadow of the Schaerbeek town hall, Café Colignon is still very new. It opens early for breakfast and closes at the end of the afternoon. Drop in for a coffee (from the top Ghent roaster OR), a drink and to satisfy your cravings with tasty dishes that put a smile on your face (pasta, generous toasts...) and beautiful (and good) sandwiches. Menus change weekly. The interior is simple, in the canteen spirit (white walls, wooden furniture and benches). Nice garden as a bonus.

Since the 1980's, and always under the same owner, the Belgica has been the atmosphere of Brussels' gay district. Under its old café look, it is in fact a disco bar where the public, mostly gay but not only, comes to get into the mood to the sounds of the DJ of the evening, often before going elsewhere later. Convivial, warm and overheated when it's busy, you can't miss the house speciality, the... Belgica, a lemon drink served semi-glazed. It puts the spirits back in place to continue the party!

Beer bar, but above all game bar, we come there with several people to pick among all the board games that their library has, from the good old classics to the newest ones. A host will be there to advise you and explain the rules, if you don't know them. Even better, some games are for sale, so it's an opportunity to test them before buying. The beer list is very well supplied (30 kinds) and particularity: the beer on the barrel comes from the Dubuisson brewery, which is rather rare. Pizzas and crunches for your cravings.

Nicely positioned opposite Les Étangs, what was Le Canard has become Cayuga, combining café-resto, grocery-bakery, bookshop and sales of decorative objects. Scattered around the corners of the café and in the second space are plenty of books that you'll love to leaf through before deciding to buy, and start reading straight away with a good cup of coffee or glass of wine. It also serves good brasserie cuisine. A place that fits in well with Boitsfort's bourgeois-bohemian character, and we love its terrace overlooking the water!

Initially a sort of Brussels-style Starbucks, Café Capitale has evolved with François, its owner. His love of coffee led him to start a roasting business. Original coffees, different ways of preparing them (espresso, chemex, etc.)... For lovers of coffee with milk, there is a large list of alternatives to cow's milk ? To snack, the establishment offers a nice variety of pastries, cookies, cakes, sweet pies, etc. and as coffee and music go well together, have a look at the vinyls on sale.

After returning from an expatriation in Australia, Chloé Sengier had the idea to import the concept of the "all day breakfast", serving toasts, pancakes, buddha bowls and other healthy dishes. Crème was born in the popular Rue de Rollebeek next to the Sablon. The place is superb: plant suspensions, exposed brick walls, neon lights, wooden table and rattan seats. Everything is designed to be photographed. As for the dishes, we navigate between the greediness of pancakes dripping with toppings and the "clean" side of bowls. Excellent coffees and pastries.

At the Bizon, you can order a beer but also twenty kinds of juniper and of course vodka, including the one with bison grass... bison grass, of course! With its dark and smoky old pub look, its blues and rock concerts, its sports broadcasts and its experienced bartenders, one starts to feel a certain nostalgia for this type of establishment that is resisting the lounge wave. In short, the Bizon is a bit different in this neighbourhood where the cafés tend to be a bit formatted... and that's all to the good for diversity!

The legendary club of the 1980s, this beautiful venue shining brightly is back on the city's nightlife scene. The Mirano reopened in 2019 after a delicate renovation, the building being listed. Like a phoenix, it also survived closure in 2020 and 2021. According to the intentions of owner Jérôme Blanchard, urban and electro nights are on Fridays and hip-hop on Saturdays, but this is not exclusive. It's best to check the agenda, and above all, don't miss out on the pleasure of returning to this legendary Brussels night spot!

The audiophile bar concept is coming to Brussels, just a stone's throw from Altitude 100 in Forest. It is a bar but designed to listen to music. The acoustics have been thought out, as well as the sound system, to measure. During the day, it's the vinyls of Thomas Mamakis, the boss, that turn on the turntable and we enjoy while drinking a coffee. On weekend evenings, a DJ adds to the atmosphere while you eat delicious, well-prepared dishes with natural wines. The interior is simple but the bar with its Art Deco lines steals the show.

Le Grand Café is in the tradition of these fine boulevard brasseries. For centuries, it has boasted a magnificent terrace with a breathtaking view over the Bourse and the pedestrian precinct. This venerable establishment is a restaurant, but above all it's a café with a pleasant decor, all the more so as during the 2020 confinement, the whole place was given a facelift and its magnificent awning was restored. A classic menu, with moules-frites of course, steaks and other meats, savory waffles, a wonderful sauerkraut in winter and many other dishes.

The conviviality of the Daringman is well established! The house dates back to 1942 and is said to have been home to a boxing club, Daring Brussels, in the 1950s and 1960s. Since 2000, Martine has been at the helm. A typical Brussels corner café, where Dutch-speaking and French-speaking people drink together. Sort of thebruincafé of our Dutch neighbors, the place is tiny but its reputation has made it a veritable institution. You go there as if you were visiting old friends, and commune over the divine beverage with other beer brothers.

A place, an atmosphere, almost a legend! Always on the lookout for new international discoveries in the field of contemporary shows (theatre, dance, music), Le 140 is a performance venue renowned for its bold programming. The biggest names on the international artistic scene have performed there. The theatre has been a precursor for surprising, innovative or irreverent shows. Conviviality is not an empty word, the public as well as the artists are always used to meet at the theatre bar.

Who would have thought it? A club has been set up in Boitsfort! Called La Cabane, this club is indeed a large wooden structure divided into 3 spaces: an intimate bar, a bohemian style terrace to take the fresh air and of course, a clubbing space with a capacity of 300 people. A human-sized club for Belgian standards. The light effects were designed by the Parisians of AC3 Studio. The ceiling is covered with suspended pieces of wood that reflect the light. Original as hell. On the music side, it is techno which has the preferences of the house.

Little brother of the restaurant Ma Jolie (so close that only one building separates them), this cocktail club has taken on many of the codes of its elder sister: dark walls, parquet floors, velvet and touches of rich colours... It works very well, it's cosy and it makes you want to launch into great confidences, cocktail in hand. Nicolas, the barman and mixologist, proposes surprising cocktails (including a pisco with fir tree liqueur or a negroni with hibiscus-infused grappa). To accompany all this, we pick from the menu of tapas / finger food house.

Le You is dead, long live Volt! With a facelift, this mythical club rises from the ashes with more sophistication (including a magnificent backlit bar), more inclusivity, and a more urban program. Volt targets a young, open-minded audience. On Fridays, the club is open for its "Chez Ginette" evenings (no-holds-barred, more commercial music), while on Sundays, "La Flash" evenings are for the gay and gay-friendly community. In short, Volt is a club for everyone, as long as they like a good sound.

Just for a change from beer bars or wine bars, why not visit a cider bar? Both a wine shop and a bar, Joran has more than 100 references of ciders or perries from various countries (France, England, Spain and even Belgium). We recommend taking a tasting board to discover the various subtleties of this fruit alcohol. And if you are hungry, there are also sweet and salty buckwheat pancakes. All this in an atmosphere that Brest would not deny. Concerts and Irish music jams on weekends.

An amazing rooftop bar close to the Louise and Châtelain districts, where you can enjoy the view! Take the Jam hotel elevator up to the 6th floor to discover this haven of light, open during the day for sunbathing on the terrace overlooking the pool, and at night for sipping an aperitif cocktail. The prices are reasonable, the drinks well measured. The fireplace crackles in winter, the background music is good, and the space is small but convivial. A good address for a mix of locals and young hotel guests.

Perched above a huge building (the administrative building of the city of Brussels), right in the center of town, 58 is quite simply one of the biggest rooftops in Europe. To get there, you'll have to queue, as there are only two elevators (don't panic, they'll get you there in no time). Once you're up there, you're in for a real treat, with a sumptuous 360° panorama of the whole city and region. The whole of Brussels is at your feet. Order a drink and some snacks, and enjoy! Tip: you don't have to drink to enjoy the view.

At Mok, you can be sure of quality coffee, because in addition to running this great coffee bar, founder Jens Crabbé (twice Belgian cup-tasting champion) is also a roaster. Ethiopia, Rwanda, Guatemala and of course Colombia and Brazil, the best of the little caffeinated bean is selected and prepared with care and respect. The huge white counter invites customers to sit back and watch the baristas officiate. If you're hungry, a menu of vegetarian dishes and pastries (many gluten-free) will put you back on your feet.

The Supra is a poem. Set on its corner and facing 3 other bars, it has kept its 1960s bar soul, resisting the gentrification of the Châtelain district. With its narrow terrace and interior reminiscent of village cafés, it's the kind of endearing, no-frills place that has had a loyal following over the years. The list of beers is long, the hungers are satisfied simply but copiously (spaghetti, croques...) and as the evening goes on, we are more and more tightly packed.

Hidden in a former 19th century hospice, now a retirement home, are listed gardens, now open to all since the residents moved out. Temporarily occupied for several years, Jardin has transformed this place into a true urban oasis. In the summer, drinks are served in the hospice's rose garden. On bad days, the former café of the retirement home, completely revamped, welcomes you to keep you warm. A small business incubator, it also houses a pastry shop, a hairdresser and various associations.

This is the Archers Guild's bar. Nestled in the middle of Josaphat Park, it's the kind of unlikely place where you'd like to come back again and again. The old barrack has kept its vintage decor and inside, it's a warm and friendly atmosphere around the large communal tables. Besides the beers, on Thursday, it's paella night, on Friday, fish and on Sunday, it's the turn of the chips. They are worth the trip alone; to be eaten inside (reservation required) or to be devoured in picnic mode in the park!

Right next to La Monnaie, Frank welcomes you every day for coffee, breakfast or lunch. Regularly, Frank becomes Francine and invites you to dine, sharing dishes (or not) accompanied by a good glass of wine. Francine selects only European wines (with surprises like Belgian and Moldavian productions). Frank and Francine are vegetarians, so vegetables (organic and in season) are the order of the day. And the reception venue? A large white room overlooked by a huge stained-glass light fixture. So pretty!

A cultural jewel, the Opera de La Monnaie is one of the most appreciated in Europe. In perfect harmony with the prestige of its main building and at the back of it, you will find the theatre with a cutting edge and contemporary programme. It is aimed at teenagers who benefit from specific information sessions, workshop visits and special adapted performances. Visits to the theatre are organised on Saturday lunchtimes. It is said that it was following an opera in 1830 that the Belgians made their "revolution" for Belgian independence.

You can't miss Le Phare! The facade of this canal-side building is covered with a huge fresco representing a galleon. Both a café and a coworking space, it is a welcoming place for all the sailors who come here. The coffee is excellent, the breads and pastries come from C'est si bon, just next door, the kitchen offers a small catering and a home-made dish, all with organic ingredients. The wooden interior makes it feel great to have a drink or to work with a view on the water.

We go to the Aventure cinema for second views, auteur films, discoveries or simply more qualitative screenings than in thepopcorn bucket factories. Three theatres show five screenings a day, every day of the year. The cinema also stands out for the comfort of its seats, the space for the legs and its colourful rooms with love seats - seats for two - or its prestige seats. It is possible to book your session online and to privatize one or more rooms.

Jackie uses coffees from Wide Awake roaster in Anderlecht. Quality is the key to success! The coffees are fresh, tasty and smooth. They come from different producing countries (Brazil, Ethiopia, Guatemala) but most of all, they come from small independent producers and are roasted by them. The teas are not left out and at Jackie's, you won't be bored while enjoying your beverage: a whole series of independent magazines that you can't find in every bookstore. It's a change from being glued to your smartphone!

The first reaction when you enter this microbrewery is: "Wow! This former banana warehouse from the 1930s offers enormous volumes! We enter by the winter garden which gives on the place, filled with plants and furnished with chairs and tables in tin covered with big velvet cushions, before reaching the main space where we are more in the spirit of "minimalist abbey" with all this furniture of church. The long bar proposes a dozen beers of their own production as well as some guests. You can also eat there.

This prestigious building from the radio and television era is entirely dedicated to music and image. Flagey wants to be a meeting point and crossroads of different artistic disciplines in a spirit of dialogue, discovery and creation. A house where jazz, traditional, classical and contemporary music can resonate but where a place of choice is also made for cinema and video. Thanks to the exceptional acoustic qualities of its halls and its programming, Flagey represents an essential pillar of the Belgian cultural landscape.

Café La Pompe opened its doors in an old gas station and garage, the door of which is the last vestige. The furniture comes from a school and gives it a nice vintage look. One stops there willingly for their very nice terrace, their thirty or so beers (including nine beers on tap). In the morning, the regulars stop there for breakfast. At noon, they come for a soup or a toast, an aperitif or a hot-dog (their specialty). And in the evening, the atmosphere rises. Nice, to discover...

Every two months, the Velvet Sixty Nine parties welcome girls who like girls and want to party. It's nothing less than the biggest party dedicated to women in Belgium. After the long break due to the health crisis, Velvet is back this year in a mythical venue: the Claridge (opposite the less mythical Mirano). On the menu: excellent DJ's, and fun! To extend the experience, Velvet is exported to Ibiza for a few days each year for the same concept, but under the sun!

Behind Bisou is Chloé Sengier, designer of Coco Donut and Crème, already featured on our pages. It's pretty much the same all-day eatery concept as Crème, but with a different decor, featuring a long orange banquette that spans most of the room, and an astonishing faceted counter. The special thing about Bisou is that it opened on the site of the legendary ice cream parlour Le Framboisier Doré, so alongside pastries, cookies and avocado toast, you'll find ice creams whose recipes have been handed down from generation to generation. To be enjoyed on the terrace!

It is the oldest jazz club in Brussels and its reputation is well known. Since 1986, the best Belgian and international jazzmen, but also amateurs and stars in the making, have followed one another there. After 34 years of good and loyal service, Sergio and Rosy, the former owners, have handed over to Paul-Emile, Joachim, Fanny and Manu who wanted to mark the "political" character of jazz with the association Buen Vivir. The Sounds opens its doors during the day (and some evenings) in a "Resist" version where you can come to eat, discuss, organize events..

In a cosy and refined atmosphere, Le Cercle des Voyageurs introduces you to a world tour. Phileas Fogg would feel right at home here! In a back room, freely accessible, a library has been set up for fans of faraway landscapes, eager to discover new things and get away from it all. You'll find Belgian-French catering spiced up with a touch of the exotic, as well as a range of teas with dreamy names. There's also a well-chosen selection of world wines. A fine blend of travel agency and tea room.

Well hidden at the end of a dead end street in the heart of Brussels, in the Sacred Island, Dali's Bar is one of the oldest music bars in the city. International DJs come and go from one weekend to the next. You can sway all night long to the wild rhythms. Red armchairs in the shape of luscious lips and other reproductions welcome those who prefer to settle down quietly to sip one of these explosive cocktails that give a boost to the beginning of the evening or the end of the night.

Lombric defines itself as a neighbourhood bar, like the one at Altitude 100 in Forest, but it's a bit more than that! It's a wine bar where you can eat to better enjoy the treasures of their cellar. Their wines are natural wines but you can also find ciders and local beers. Until 7pm, you can eat appetizers and then they give way to more elaborate dishes that can be shared, drawn from a limited but well-mastered menu. Not hungry? Choose a wine by the glass from their selection. Sober, warm setting and terrace.

Created in 2012 by Frédéric Nicolay on a street where the party was not quite instituted yet, Barbéton has become a sure bet. Nicolay advocates purifying architectural lines to the extreme. At the centre of the decor, a bar with a very "monolithic" style: the bar is a single concrete casting, literally. To warm up the atmosphere, the ceilings are decorated with racks, beautiful lampshades and red cedar. We go there to start the day with a breakfast, to start the weekend or for the happy hour on Thursday. Enjoy, especially on the nice terrace.

Located in the Saint-Géry district, this café offers, in addition to a rather impressive drinks menu, petiscos, the Portuguese tapas. Hot (feijoada, Madeira cubes...), cold (Portuguese cheeses, tuna mousseline), sweet (pasteis de nata), there is plenty to enjoy. Without forgetting a whole choice of very caliente cocktails (a good fifty). You can also simply enjoy the warm and relaxed atmosphere of Floreo or go and browse through the collection of board games for a little game with friends.

What a great café! With its old bistro interior, vintage black-and-white tiling, wooden furniture, slate above the counter and small terrace facing Place Van Meenen, one of Saint-Gilles' most popular squares. You can drop in from morning to night, and there's always something good to drink: coffee and breakfast, homemade lemonades, a good beer (the menu features a selection of Brussels microbrews) and, for those who are hungry, a croque or spaghetti to settle the stomach for lunch or dinner.

A canteen, a terrace, a meeting place for an eclectic mix of people, Le Soleil is one of the must-see places in the city center: noisy and warm. As soon as the weather is nice, the terrace overflows on the neighboring houses: everybody sits on the ground or dances in the street. And the atmosphere is always good. Unfortunately, by law, the terrace has to close at midnight, but those who can get in continue the party inside. The daytime attracts almost as many people, thanks to good simple food (cottage cheese, spaghetti...).

Since 1960... it's as much a place of history as a cabaret. Its programming is highly varied, and the cellar is transformed into a dance hall (retro "Let's Dance" evenings, burlesque evenings "Parisian cabaret version" every quarter, all genres, swing...), a concert hall (mention "Mad Jam" Thursdays once a month), a theater (renowned and unknown comedians, improvisation, theatrical creations...), and a games room (music and cinema quizzes). You might have guessed that we also eat at Os à Moelle!

To have a boentje, in Brussels, is to have a crush, and we have it for the first zero waste café in Brussels. Local suppliers, recuperation on all levels, including for the decoration, home-made preparations, recycling of organic remains... everything is done to avoid the slightest waste. You can come and have a coffee or a bite to eat in the morning, with dishes based on seasonal products (salads, toasts, omelettes, cookies...). And if you are interested in zero waste, you can also attend the workshops organized by the café.