The best bars and cafés Bruxelles - Brussel

Not to be missed! A beer lover's HQ, this is a visual and gustatory paradise for a clientele of locals, shoulder to shoulder with the many tourists and students of the IHECS who are delighted to be in such a place. In an intimate atmosphere - candlelight, old photos and engravings on the wall - no less than 180 different drinks can be tasted. This Mecca of culture and hops is home to the Order of Manneken Pis, whose various costumes can be found at the back of the bar.

Attention, major address! This bar, one of the oldest in the capital, embodies the popular and rustic Brussels spirit. It was taken over in the summer of 2018 but nothing has changed. Its specialties are lambic, gueuze and kriek without forgetting the delicious spreads and generous salads. The history of the estaminet goes back to 1877, when the Steppé family took over the former post office. It was only after the square was narrowed that Tabora Street was created, as well as the dead end of the café, recognisable by the bird embedded in the pavement at the entrance.

After Ghent and Antwerp, here is the Brussels "place to beer" which, as its name indicates, is dedicated to the divine hoppy beverage. As it is located right on the Anspach boulevard, it's hard to find a more central location! With 333 bottled beers and 33 draught beers, Bier Central is not short of choice. But in addition to the 366 beers (one for each day of the year), they offer typical Belgian cuisine such as mussels and fries with a local beer, Flemish-style carbonnade with beer, homemade shrimp croquettes..

Just a stone's throw from Place Flagey, in a former butcher's shop that later became a poulterer's, giving the place a very personal atmosphere, here's an eat & wine bar that's very much of its time... You'll feel right at home in these "penates", and the place is well known among Ixellois! Goat's cheese quesadillas, stuffed peppers, portions of cheese or charcuterie, or just a drink at any time. The wine list is extensive, and the team offers Mediterranean-style snacks to accompany a glass of red, white or bubbly.

Considered one of the oldest cafés in Brussels, it is said to have welcomed Charles V. That's how old it is! The furniture is rustic and the atmosphere of the bruin café warms you up in winter and refreshes your thoughts all year round. In terms of beer selection, the Vieux Spijt' is at the forefront and offers some thirty fine special beers from our region. On the plate, there are brewery classics, mussels in season and a few Greek dishes that do honour to the owner's homeland. It's a pity that the quality is sometimes so random...

A beautiful and emblematic place in the city centre, known for its strong character as an old-fashioned café. The Cirio is a real institution, especially since it has been completely refurbished. An old-fashioned café established here in 1886, the historic establishment has lost none of its architectural beauty. Nor has it lost any of its old-fashioned atmosphere or its "Bruxello-bruxelleer" ambiance.This is dear to the oldest inhabitants of the city as well as the youngest. People go there to sip original half in half. Often crowded during peak periods.

To set itself apart, this "wine shop - wine bar - tasting room - tapas bar" offers a huge range of wines covering all the bases: grands crus, small producers, world wines... The assortment makes you dizzy even before you've had a sip. You can also buy like a wine merchant (700 wines, 150 beers, 150 spirits), taste at the bar from a choice of fifteen or so, or pay a corkage fee for whole bottles. And if you're there at lunchtime, the menu, which goes beyond tapas, is not to be sniffed at.

Located just around the corner from Place Flagey, Le Pantin is well worth a visit. You'll find a fine list of beers to warm you up in winter, as well as a selection of teas. The decor may show its age, but that's part of the charm of this bar, far removed from the trendy café codes found in the area. The place is also a gathering place for chess and board game enthusiasts. Le Pantin celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2023, and while JM, who opened the establishment, drops in from time to time, it's Tom, the son (after his sister Liza) who runs the bar.

This astonishing ^18th-century estaminet was a den of Belgian surrealism in the 1950s and 1960s. Today, it lives on its memories, with a decor that mixes poems, collages, portraits and evidence of Jacques Brel's occasional visits. A magnificent place defended body and soul by an essentially Flemish clientele from Brussels. "Het Goudbloemmeke in Papier" is the translation. The pandemic almost killed off La Fleur, but here it is, flourishing, thanks in part to the young operators of Brasserie Verschueren.

Open every day, although not as early as it used to be, La Brocante has retained all its old bistro cachet, with its period tiling and wooden furniture. Historic locals mingle with antiques enthusiasts and tourists on the prowl. For sustenance (flea markets make you hungry), you can order a sandwich, a croque, a salad or a sausage stoemp. Or simply drink a beer (there are around a hundred to choose from, including excellent gueuzes and krieks) and enjoy the atmosphere of Les Marolles, the soul of Brussels.

Little Delirium is a bar located in Le Brasseur, Brussels. It offers an incredible selection of over 2,000 beers, making it a veritable paradise for beer lovers. In terms of decoration, the bar is adorned with objects linked to the world of brewing, creating a warm, authentic atmosphere.

Press the Archi's doorbell and enter another world where nothing, apart from the customers' attire, has changed since the 1930s: architecture, decor and comfortable original Art Deco armchairs that invite visitors to lounge around sipping a pisco sour. In 1953, jazz pianist Stan Brenders took over the establishment. His piano is still there, as are the jazz concerts, every weekend in the late afternoon. In the evenings, a motley crew gathers here, and after a certain hour, it's time to dance. L'Archi is a Brussels legend!

During the Second World War, the building was used as an underground location by the Resistance. It has kept this rebellious side embodied today by an artistic, bohemian, young and sometimes penniless population. The establishment was founded by Louis Verschueren in 1880! Its old café décor, with its post-war counter and its small canteen tables, makes it an important place in the life of Saint-Gilles, often full to bursting. One comes there to taste a beer, to read while drinking a coffee, to meet with friends and to remake the world.