Fun and entertainment Bruges - Brugge

Afternoon Tea was introduced by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, in 1840, at around 4pm. The ritual has spread throughout Britain... and to Bruges. Take time out between two visits to the superb setting of the Hotel De Orangerie and its salon, decorated with paintings from the ^17th and ^18th centuries, by the fireside in winter or on the terrace facing the canal in summer. From cream teas to champagneafternoon teas, there's a choice of formulas.

To enter, ring the bell. Don't hesitate: you're about to enter a place out of time and out of this world. The town's former Masonic temple has been refurbished by owner Willy Retsin into an original, offbeat bar with a unique atmosphere, open only on weekend evenings. From New Orleans to 1920s Cuba in Prohibition mode, you can enjoy rum cocktails to the sound of Latin music. The inner garden is Bruges' smallest cemetery. A gothic cabaret that's both thrilling and astonishing!

Next to the eponymous brewery, which produces the famous Brugse Zot, a tasty lager, there's a tavern and restaurant where you can sample a wide range of beers. But also regional and seasonal dishes of beer specialties (such as pork cheeks with Brugse Zot Double), around a roaring fire in winter. Everything is homemade, and the menu changes every month. The terrace offers a relaxing break in fine weather, while the beautiful panoramic view of Bruges from the third floor and the store are its main assets.

If you have to be one, push the door of this very reputable bar. A Bruges café like before, a real, pure one with coasters in every corner, old advertising posters, glasses, sacred bottles and ... more than three hundred kinds of beer à la carte. You will be spoilt for choice when it comes to tasting the local malted specialities which can be accompanied by mixed boards. Young, old, other people and tourists come together in this authentic place with a lively Bruges soul.

The Concertgebouw is a center for music and the performing arts, dedicated to the development and presentation of art on an international level. It focuses on contemporary music and dance. With its sound factory (an interactive space for sound art) and its visual art collection, the Concertgebouw invites active discovery of contemporary art. Each season, the Concertgebouw presents established names such as Bach Academie Brugge, Jazz Brugge, Budapest Festival, December Dance and More Music. When not performing, you can also visit the Concertgebouw.

Blend is both a wine bar and a wine shop. The kind of place where one comes to pay tribute to Bacchus in a friendly and warm atmosphere. The knowledgeable advice of the staff will delight wine lovers and/or the most curious, as the assortment is wide. A selection of famous wines and promising new ones that you can discover around tapas and beautiful boards of Italian cold cuts. A quality address and a very friendly welcome. Moreover, there are two other Blends in Antwerp and Ghent!

The eponymous hotel's "Café Marcel" is a very central spot, distinguished by its trendy setting, with refreshing bamboo, large landscape photos on the wall and convivial tables. It's like being at home here, by the contemporary decorative fireplace, on retro but studied armchairs. Superb breakfast and lunch menus. Also ideal for a tea break or an afterwork tapas aperitif. A warm, modern atmosphere, a pleasant terrace just as carefully decorated, and smart cocktails to get the evening off to a good start.

Ready to take a cocktail world tour from Bruges? This is the trendy place to sip these sweet treats. Behind a historic façade lies an elegant interior with a hushed ambience, inviting us to make ourselves comfortable in the satin armchairs. The stars here are the Ghost colors based on gin and IPA beer with lemon and ginger syrup, and the Zombi with its 3 rums and deliciously tangy notes of pineapple, lime and passion fruit. The ingredients are all fresh and the balance of flavors respected.

A must for all lovers of Duvel queen beer: the Duvelorium is located just above the Historium. This bar specializes in Belgian beers. Enjoy a moment of relaxation in a medieval tavern, and try the astonishing tastings combining beers and pralines. You can also choose another beer from the extensive menu. To be tasted on site or sold in the boutique. Gift sets with bottle and collector's glass are also available. Plus: the panoramic terrace overlooking the market square.

The Cambrinus is one of those breweries in the historic center that is a must for any beer lover. The menu details a long list of more than 400 references, with, in particular, a nice list of Christmas beers in season. Also on the menu, a very Belgian brewery menu with some dishes prepared with beer such as rabbit with prunes or fish cassolette, real delights. Warm atmosphere of the room where a light smell of hops floats. Ideal for a good-natured stopover. Warm welcome.

Here's an authentic place where you can still hear the heartbeat of the old town. Housed in a cul-de-sac, it's not easy to find between the Grand-Place and the Burg. A small, friendly, authentic, old-fashioned café where you can sample over one hundred and thirty varieties of beer, either à la carte or by the board. We won't tell you more to preserve the secret, but the Garre is the name of a Triple served here and only here. The bar is spread over two floors, mostly filled with Bruges locals and a few tourists who've found the address.

An old-fashioned art house cinema, but with its finger on the pulse of cinema. Every year, a prestigious festival is held here (the MOOOV festival), promoting reruns of major films from around the world that are eagerly awaited in Belgian cinemas. The best thing about cinoche en Flandre is that the films are always shown in their original version, but also with French subtitles, so if you're so inclined, don't be afraid to hear Auteuil spoken in the language of Gezelle! In this ciné Lumière, enjoy a coffee in the brasserie, bathed in a bath of culture.

Flanders Burgundy, a blend of Bruinen Os and old lambic, is both refined and complex. It was also brewed in Bruges until the middle of the last century. Good news: the legendary beer finally returned to Bruges in 2015 in this bar with a breathtaking view of the canals. Either on the terrace or warm inside, you can enjoy a refreshing, quality beer break in a well-hidden spot. What's more, you can visit the brewery to discover the secrets behind the making of this beer (€15).

A bar where many of the city's musicians meet. Artists of all stripes meet there all the time; it's not uncommon for there to be a concert. It's an opportunity to mingle with the locals. Beers and cocktails add salt to the often colourful conversations in this authentic troquet with a woody soul that smells of vibrant Flanders. The place, with its wooden tables and stone walls, smells of authenticity and joie de vivre. Otherwise, the cocktails, music and relaxed atmosphere are worth a stop.

Cuvee is both a wine boutique and a popular wine bar... for local restaurateurs, which is a good sign! Ivo and Hilde became passionate about wine over ten years ago through wine-tasting courses. Large 130 m² wine cellar. Natural wines and small productions, often exclusive to Flanders, for a choice of 250 labels. The large counter at the back is ideal for tastings by the glass, accompanied by cheese and charcuterie, with the cutting machine visible.

This alternative café in the center of Bruges, which could be described as "eco bobo", is very warm and welcoming, offering quality, fair-trade coffees and teas, as well as simple, affordable lunchtime dishes (soups, bagels, quiches, tarts...). The first room on the street is pleasant, while at the back there's another room with an outdoor patio. The whole place is furnished with odds and ends and mismatched retro sofas and chairs. The background music is eclectic and well-chosen, but not too loud. Also a few tables on the street in summer. Wifi.

This cosy resto-bar is housed in a splendid 15th century building in the historic centre. We love the magnificent setting, the wide selection of beers, wines, cocktails and a beautiful range of whiskies and rums, in a Latin-Jazz atmosphere. Several times a month, concerts are organized to enjoy a moment of live music (see on their Facebook page). They also serve snacks, tapas and Belgian brasserie dishes where beef is the main dish, which is quite expensive. It's better to come and have a drink there on concert evenings.

It's the only (large) concert hall (apart from the classical and jazz-oriented Concertgebouw) to program all international and national pop, electro, hip hop and jazz fusion artists. Every year, it organizes the Cactus Festival (one weekend in July), which welcomes major headliners (including Massive Attack, Erykah Badu, Air, Lauryn Hill, Beach House, Bonnie Prince Billy Macy Gray, Gregory Porter in 2021), and also takes part in the Moods! (July-August) and More Music! (one week in April).

This loungebar is the only real nightclub in Bruges. This is where you can dance the night away into the wee hours of the morning. The setting is classy, that of a historic former bank in the city center. DJs follow one another at the turntables and don't look alike: electro, techno, R'n'B, hip hop, the program is eclectic. The space is small but cosy, and the lighting is designed to create a lively atmosphere at the end of the week. Cocktails and beers are on the menu.