Fun and entertainment Antwerpen 6

Next to the cathedral, this tavern-restaurant is located in authentic 15th century cellars. Classical music plays in the background as you sit around large, friendly tables or in nooks and crannies. A leap of several centuries back in time! You can go there for a drink (the menu has 25 draught beers, more than 100 bottles and good wines), or for lunch or dinner. Either tapas to share, or traditional Flemish dishes modernized, such as rabbit with prunes in bacon with Westmalle Dubbel Trappist beer.

Born of crowdfunding, the Company set up its tanks in 2017 in the Het Eilandje district, the oldest port area. ABC prides itself on being Antwerp's only independent brewery. Respectful of the environment, it focuses on all re-use possibilities and uses 100% green electricity. The brewery produces Seef, a blond, cloudy beer whose origins date back to the ^16th century. Come and taste it on site among the vats. You can also eat here!

Very nice to watch soccer games and sip a good brown Guiness in this typical Irish pub. To make matters worse, it offers concerts every Friday and Saturday night (covers by a local band...). All the sporting events are broadcasted on the 12 screens and followed by numerous regulars. The pub offers 9 types of draught beers and more than 50 whiskeys. Ideal to taste good Belgian and Irish craft beers and don't forget to taste the delicious Irish dishes including the "fabulous Irish Breakfast"

Located on the Grand-Place, this famous bruincafé is anything but a tourist hangout! With its atmosphere, beer brand advertisements on the walls, old stove, wooden benches and many regulars of all ages lined up at the counter, it's hard to find anything more typical. A plunge into the heart of real Antwerp, one of the best-known establishments in the Metropolis, perhaps the oldest (^14th century) and twenty beers on the menu. Only twenty... but that's not the whole story!

One of the oldest gay bars of the city. Cafe Strange attracts a clientele almost exclusively male and rather mature. Barbecues held during the summer season estivale.

Welcome to a beer-lover's paradise! Over seven hundred beers await you in this establishment, which has been going strong since 1979. Some are simply impossible to find anywhere else, and some bottles are over thirty years old... The most daring, or true fans, will venture to taste the famous EKU 28, also known as Kulminator 28, one of the strongest beers in the world (28°), to which this place owes its name. For a long time, this was the only Belgian brewery to import this strong beverage... A true institution.

The Antwerp locations of Opera Ballet Vlaanderen remain the best places to go to see a classical or contemporary opera or ballet in Belgium. Moreover, Antwerp boasts the most prestigious ballet school in the country. After the departure of the famous choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui for Geneva, Ballet Vlaanderen is entering a new era with artistic director Jan Vandenhouwe and three associate artists, including Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. This is a guarantee of quality for a company that is open to the world.

Large film complex in the city centre with 17 rooms and 3 800 seats.

The largest film complex in the city with a capacity of 8 500 places. Located outside, in the northern part of the city.

Just a stone's throw from the Museum of Fine Arts, this pleasant place to visit day and night is very popular with the people of Antwerp. It's named after the American painter Edward Hopper, who used to sketch atmospheres like this one. The clientele is young, a little arty, very hype, and there are regular jazz concerts every Sunday and Monday evening. The café opens its terrace as soon as the weather permits, on the pedestrian cobblestones and under a large, shady tree; the setting is perfect for leafing through a newspaper.

A small brown café by the docks, popular with locals and employees alike, perfect for mingling with the Antwerp locals. In the morning, you can enjoy a breakfast of croissants, while in the late afternoon, you'll appreciate the intimate atmosphere for a cup of coffee or tea. In the evening, the focus is on beer, with the region's finest malts. There's also a terrace in summer, and a glass roof if the weather turns nasty, as well as a pétanque court to stretch out afternoons with friends when the sun comes out.

It's true that Belgium isn't a country where the sun often makes an appointment. And the specialty here is beer, of course! But there are a few Belgian wines produced in these regions. Still in their infancy, some small producers are beginning to make a name for themselves. In this bar with its large, welcoming wooden trays, you can enjoy a glass generously filled with a Belgian cru, from the most charming to the most audacious. The bar also sells bottles to take away: a great gift idea for a change from chocolate!

Club Noxx closed, Ikon was born! One of Antwerp's newest clubs is not only a club, but also a venue for events and festivals. And the space is vast. There's the Ikon Mainroom, with its R&B, techno, deep house and drum & bass sound. The Fusia room is cosy and intimate, with a brand-new soundsystem and oriental decor that takes you on a journey. The Skyclub, open only on Saturdays and the eve of public holidays, is more commercial (pop, R&B)... Lovers of groovy music will be well served!

This Zomerbar is one of the projects of the TimeCircus art collective. Set along the quays of the old port, in old Red Star Lines installations, Bar Paniek is much more than just an entertainment venue. With its salvaged furnishings and a slightly haphazard feel that goes well with this hangar, you'll feel right at home, and the lovely selection of beers from independent breweries and the view over the water all contribute to this! As an artistic collective, the hangar hosts exhibitions, organic markets and flea markets. Foodtrucks also stop by.

This is THE best jazz café in Antwerp. Opened in 1964, it's still standing. Bands play live and jam every day from 9pm (see the program on the Facebook page). The interior is quite intimate, all wood, on two floors. The welcome is very friendly, the atmosphere cool and a little hippy. The décor is exceptional, with brick walls and high ceilings that have allowed the construction of a mezzanine overlooking the stage below. To top it all off, the beer list is well varied, in harmony with the jazz notes.

This cultural centre offers an excellent programme of plays, classical concerts, ballets and contemporary dance. Bold national and international works. Its building is in itself a contemporary architectural marvel built in 1980 but which hasn't aged a day. In fact, deSingel offers highly original thematic exhibitions on architecture and houses an architectural institute. The institution also has a conservatory and hosts artists' residencies.

This bar offers a rich menu of 90 types of beer, in a setting decorated, of course, with objects evoking... beer. Dozens of different mugs hang from the ceiling, the mere sight of which triggers the thirst. The place is very popular with students from the nearby university and their professors... The outdoor courtyard is also a great place to sip a cool suds around a convivial table. Special mention for the Black Tripel Malheur, but also the Tripel Karmeliet and Chimay Triple on draught.

This bar-brewery is decorated with numerous brewery objects. A kitsch atmosphere that will delight fans of authentic troquets, with a marbled checkerboard floor and a bar with antique wood panelling. The small outdoor terrace is also a good option when the weather's nice and on market days especially, when the street atmosphere is very lively. There's a choice of some forty beers on the menu, including Arsenaaltje, specially crafted by De Koninck Brewery. Suggested beers are featured every month. The choice is yours!

This very large club with high ceilings is lavishly decorated in the indus and art nouveau style so dear to the city. Recently renovated, it is the meeting place of the Antwerp youth who like groovy music and good cocktails. We like the small concerts that are organized there, and the thematic evenings. Dé Nachten evenings (funk and house Ibiza) on Saturdays, alternating with other concepts and the Pre-Night afterwork every last Wednesday of the month. Check the program on their Facebook page. A must-see.

A friendly café (near the market on Sundays) where you can enjoy a soup, a sandwich on the go (prepared with quality ingredients) or a sweet tart to accompany your afternoon coffee. Good coffees, smoothies and cocktails are also on the menu. The hipster population is young and relaxed, and the décor is vintage. Banquettes with cosy cushions in some corners, lots of light throughout. Nice terrace on sunny days, calm and relaxed atmosphere. Popular weekend brunch.