The best bars and cafés Wallonie

In the pedestrian area, in front of the Saint-Loup church, this small bar with a retro look was until March 2022 managed by Jean Courtoy, helped by his wife Francine. At more than 75 years old, the time of a well-deserved retirement has come for this true connoisseur of beer service. If his charisma and humour will be missed by his customers, they can rest assured knowing that Jean-François, the son, is now taking over the family institution. Drinking a beer at the Collège will remain a proof of good taste, knowing that he already masters the subject very well.

A Liège institution. You can't miss this mythical place behind the Place du Marché, in a cluster of ^18th-century mansions. The place is a must-see, as is the local beverage, peket, a genever available in some thirty fruity flavors... or flambé. But the special thing about the place is that it's made up of four entities (pékéterie, restaurant, wine bar and club) linked together in a maze of adjoining rooms where it's easy to get lost! There's also a popular outdoor terrace.

Opened in 1987 by a university professor, the bar covered an existing courtyard (hence the name). Today, it perpetuates an unchanging ambience, a popular and convivial side and an eclectic quality of music. It attracts night owls until 6am! The beer flow system here consists of a cold room that cools the kegs to -2°C and a mixture of nitrogen and_CO2 that makes the beer more digestible and the foam thicker. At weekends, you'll find some not-so-youngsters dancing on the tables.

Located at the end of an open courtyard, Pot au Lait, with its charming terrace, is a must. It's a real pleasure to be with a group, even if the place is noisy. Between alternative and reggae music, the decor is completely crazy and changing, and you mingle with the many students whose university is just a stone's throw away. A must-see at least once! For a touch of nostalgia, remember that the "Pot" was one of the very first cybercafés in the country... a genre that no one under twenty could possibly know!

A must-see for Montois evenings and even early alcoholic mornings since the bar is open 24 hours a day, a real beacon in the night! Or rather a tavern in a vaulted cellar with exposed stones. Here good music, deep friendships and happy drinks are intertwined. Take the opportunity to discover the local drink: Chinchin (served in small "shoots", the lemon liquid is sold at a small price), but also special local beers, such as the inevitable Montoise. The typical old-fashioned Belgian troquet atmosphere.

While brewing at Deca's Woeste facility until 2005, Nino Bacelle and Guido Devos then crossed the language border to establish their facilities in Dottignies, near Mouscron. At De Ranke, the importance of hops is not negligible. Hop extracts are out of the question. Here, we use real hop cones from Poperinge and Warneton. Their reputation is well established, and in their tap room you can try out their XX Bitter, Noir de Dottignies or Guldenberg, a typical abbey beer.

When a specialist, a snoop in search of the best wines for over 30 years, decides to open his own wine bar, you can only expect the best. Christophe offers a fine selection of his favorites, and the quality is top-notch. He'll know how to advise you so that your visit to this cosy nest in the center of Liège leaves you with unforgettable memories. In addition to the quality of the welcome and the wines on offer, we fell in love with the upstairs lounge, the perfect place to catch up on old times with a few mates and a few bottles from behind the scenes.

Located in the Imagix cinema complex, Brasse-Temps is more than just a tavern-restaurant, it's also a microbrewery. The beers are brewed on site by Brasserie Dubuisson, the owner of the premises and "inventor" of the concept, which is also available in Froyennes (Tournai) and Charleroi. The catering, a "Parisian brasserie" style with local accents, is prepared by Moresto catering and adapted to the various house beers.....

A great place in a contemporary setting, ideal for a drink with friends or a tête-à-tête... before or after a film at the Sauvenière cinema. Or simply when you feel like it. The drinks menu is very comprehensive, including many organic wines and a range of pékèts. If you're hungry, don't hesitate to order one of the dishes from the à la carte menu or the suggestion board - they're delicious! As the chef is a vegetarian, there's no shortage of vegetarian options. Les Grignoux also has its own beer... eponymous and beautifully amber.

A true benchmark for the whole of Brabant-Wallon! This vast 150^m2 space houses a large counter featuring twelve beers on tap (ten of which are fixed) and a long list of two hundred Belgian beers (as well as seasonal beers, which are by their very nature ephemeral). The highly professional team offers advice to the undecided. The premises regularly host small, spontaneous concerts: all in keeping with the pop-rock ambience of this bistro, which attracts both passing beer lovers and local students.

Georges Goffart was at the counter of Georges Café since its creation in 1993. The sanitary crisis and the floods have had their way with the establishment but not with its emblematic owner who had already bounced back with his superb Gorgées... On the menu, a lot of Belgian beers, including about twenty on tap, as well as rare beers.

A student bistro, given its location near the University, but open to all. The menu features around a hundred beers, including eight on tap. The bistro also has its own label, La Bouffonne, an amber ale. At the back, the sunny courtyard terrace is lined with a pétanque court, while the table soccer, board games and comic books in the reading corner are ideal for rainy days. A large screen broadcasts Red Devils matches. In terms of décor, the old pharmacy sign, formerly known as an apothecary, is a real eye-catcher.

With its warm atmosphere and friendly service, this establishment offers a pleasant dining experience. Customers can eat in or order takeaway, but delivery is not available. Whether for lunch with friends or dinner with the family, Brasserie Champs Élysées is a sure choice to satisfy every culinary craving.

A real festive institution in Tournai, Le Bouchon is a cult for the passion it puts into beer more than for the number of labels on the menu. Local or artisanal breweries are honored, from Hainaut or elsewhere: Cazeau, Dupont, Dubuisson, de la Senne, Boon, Cantillon... A beer is more specifically highlighted each week. A small stage allows various musical groups to perform in an indescribable good mood.

A few steps from the Grand-Place, this café seems to have remained intact since the 1900s. One meets here a flock of regulars. At noon, you can pick from the small menu to have a quick lunch (sandwiches, salads, daily specials...), and the rest of the time you can enjoy the good Belgian beers. As its name indicates, the atmosphere of this small establishment is warm, friendly, so much so that this nice café is sometimes overwhelmed with customers looking for an authentic setting that represents so well the conviviality of the Tournaisiens!

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.

Founded in the Middle Ages, it is now a place of worship and a historic site. Surrounded by magnificent gardens, the abbey offers a peaceful and serene atmosphere. Visitors can admire the church's Gothic architecture and explore the abbey's various rooms. Visitors can also take advantage of the souvenir store, where they can buy local products and religious objects. Bonne-Espérance Abbey is a must-see for lovers of history and spirituality.