Fun and entertainment Charleroi

Tam-Tam is a tiki bar with a tropical atmosphere, and with exotic, caliente or sexotic cocktails some would say. Because in this long list, most of the cocktails on the menu are forbidden to under 18s: the Maousse Costo (very loaded!) or the Erotiques for example. There are also the Déjantés du Tam-Tam and in those, we like the Nana (rum and pineapple juice, served in a fresh pineapple). As a good tiki, the Tam-Tam serves a lot of compositions based on good rum and offers a neat bamboo decoration with tropical plants, to warm up in winter.

The Maison des Huit Heures is one of the last monuments of socialism, and the source of many workers' demands, notably the fight for the 3-8 system: 8 hours of work, 8 hours of leisure, 8 hours of rest. It's a must to go there at market time on Sunday mornings, when a colourful population rubs shoulders. You'll be happy to sit down with strangers and chat. CTS scotch is invariably drunk by the cask. Curious non-union members will also find something to their liking here, with the attractive XXL-format photos of Charleroi.

The atmosphere is festive and sometimes a little crazy, with an old-fashioned café decor, wooden tables and stools, and enamel plates that evoke beer. One of the 70 beers on the menu is highlighted every month. A must-visit establishment in the upper town for a good froth, alone or to share, as the "social" beers (75 cl) are well represented. Local cuisine on Thursday lunchtimes and themed evenings once a month, including some small acoustic concerts. Nice terrace in summer.

Set in a motley brocante of bric-a-brac, but where everything is for sale, Chez ta mère is a troquet of a kind never before seen in Charleroi, brimming with family souvenirs and kitsch knick-knacks. On Friday evenings, the whole town gathers here for an aperitif that often goes on for a long time. Themed evenings follow one another with as much originality as good humor. Discoveries too, like Brune du Pays Noir on the barrel. In short, Chez Ta Mère is your guarantee of a different, unformatted experience.

Do you love cats? Then you'll be delighted to get your dose of purrs at Carolo Cat, a pretty cat bar in the lower town. The interior is as cozy as you could wish and, of course, fully equipped for their boarders, with plenty of overhead access and a real catwalk from which the furry creatures can observe customers before deciding whether or not they'll come to them (it's up to the cats to approach, we don't solicit them). Snacks and hot and cold drinks are prepared by Carole and her team. Cats for adoption, except her own.

Blandine Grandchamps is following in the footsteps of her illustrious father, while revisiting the genre and bringing a new dynamism to it. Fafouille's daughter, the young lady has taken over the second family space dedicated to used books, in the recently refurbished Passage de la Bourse. Here, you can sit down for a drink and browse through a book from one of the many themes on offer. You then choose whether to buy the book or come back and continue reading a little later. Blandine also organizes intimate concerts and events in her stylish boutique.