Seeking Brussels nightlife? Here are 4 ways to live it up

The key to enjoying nightlife in Brussels is going out without missing out. With so much entertainment on offer, it’s good to throw some ideas into the cocktail shaker before you hit the town. Here’s a guide to the best places to visit in Brussels after sundown.

If you end up chatting with locals about the top bars in Brussels, it won’t be long before someone mentions Delirium Cafe a few minutes’ walk from Grand-Place—the city’s famous central square. The bar’s spectacular collection of over 2,000 beers has earned it a place in the Guinness World Records. The intimate, convivial venue is packed with even more brewery-related memorabilia than it has beers.

During warmer months, beer gardens and rooftop bars are often still buzzing long after dark. A little out of town, around 40 minutes from the centre by public transport, Soko Rooftop is well worth a visit for its terrace overlooking the Sonian Forest.

To enjoy the enviable luxury of strolling down from a rooftop bar to your own hotel room, stay at Sofitel Brussels Europe (at 1 Place Jourdan near Leopold Park), where 1040: The Roof is open every day from 5pm to midnight. 

Soko Rooftop

• 455 Chaussée de Malines, 1950 Kraainem
• Open 5pm-1am daily except Sundays from early May until late September
• Bookings may be required during peak times
• Transport: metro Line 1 and tram route 44

If you’re only in Brussels for one or two days and looking for a jazz club, make your way to The Music Village just off Grand-Place. This classic jazz joint in a 17th-century venue has live music six days a week, and it’s conveniently located close to city centre hotels so you can take a short stroll back in the night air while still clicking your fingers to the beat.

Close to The Music Village, Ancienne Belgique is one of the most prominent Brussels concert venues hosting everything from orchestras to hip hop. Meanwhile, at nearby Bonnefooi, the night is still young way after midnight, with eclectic musicians, local artists and DJs performing until the early hours.

If you see a band and decide you could do better, seek out a karaoke bar like BOA Karaoké Room (Rue du Marché au Charbon Kolenmarkt 112, 1000 Brussels) or KaraFun Bruxelles (12 rue de la Vierge Noire, 1000 Brussels), which both have private booths. An alternative to nightclubs and bars—and laughing at amateur singing attempts—is hitting a comedy club. English Comedy Brussels, a 15-minute drive from Grand-Place, often features international acts.

The Music Village

• Rue des Pierres 50, Steenstraat, 1000 Brussels

• Opens 7:30pm, concerts start 8:30pm
• Reservations possible

Throw on your most popping outfit and make the short trip to Spirito on the northwest edge of the Ixelles district, less than 10 minutes by taxi from the Old Town. At this animated club in a converted church, champagne flows, chandeliers glisten, and clubbers party beneath towering archways. When you take a break from dancing, skip up to the second level that overlooks the dance floor, providing an impressive view.

Fuse is another highlight on the city’s nightclub landscape, and one of the scene’s longest-running settings. Located in an old cinema at Rue Blaes 208, the club features a vast main room with a 360-bar at its centre, along with a roll call of resident DJs who appear alongside big international acts.

Bloody Louis in Ixelles is a major player on the Brussels hip-hop and R&B scene. The place is adorned with red carpets, which is fitting given that some of the biggest names in the world perform here. The dance floor in the main event hall is almost always packed, so it’s best to buy tickets ahead of time. 

To discover a beacon of creative expression and alternative culture, spend a night at C-12. This underground venue beneath Brussels Central train station combines club nights with art installations and gallery space. You could uncover anything from exhibitions to house and techno nights.

Bloody Louis

• Avenue Louise 32, 1050 Ixelles
• Transport: Louise metro station, Line 2 or Line 6

There’s plenty going on after sunset right in the city centre, and locals, expats and tourists all gravitate to the best bars in Brussels’ Old Town. But venture just a little further out, and you’ll find neighbourhoods that each represent the city’s diversity in their own way.

Ixelles is known for vibrant nightlife enjoyed by locals. It’s also known for being very big, so it’s best to aim for a specific hotspot. Try Place Eugène Flagey square for restaurants and bars with terraces in the shadow of the art deco Flagey building, Place Saint-Boniface for global cuisine, or the Cimetière d’Ixelles area further south where students from nearby campuses fill the bars and cafes.

Place du Luxembourg pops with colour and camaraderie on warm evenings, as this square right next to the European Parliament fills up with colleagues relaxing after work. Similarly lively is Place Fontainas, a short walk southwest of Grand-Place. You can begin the evening in one of the surrounding outdoor cafes with the sun glistening on your glass, then join the arty crowd in the adjacent Saint-Jacques neighbourhood or walk along Rue du Marché au Charbon Kolenmarkt to see which of the chic bars draws you in.

Despite being just south of the Old Town, Saint-Gilles is often described as a village and has a local community vibe about it. Organic food stores and vintage shops nestle among the plentiful cafes and bars. Before choosing your hangout, take a quick stroll around the area to admire its many art nouveau facades. 

Around Parvis de Saint-Gilles, a square with several terrace bars, try Café Maison du Peuple for happy hour, DJs and live music, or L’Ermitage Saint-Gilles if you’re seeking out craft beer. Saint-Gilles also hosts multiple festivals throughout the year, such as Parcours d’Artistes de Saint-Gilles, when local artists open up their workshops to be explored. Some workshop openings and gallery exhibitions continue into the night.

Dansaert, to the northwest of Grand-Place, is a design district that’s home to young professionals and expats who make up the clientele at the area’s boutiques, bars and restaurants. Admire the architecture as you stroll to the canal end of Rue Antoine Dansaert, where some of the locale’s best-loved bars are found. Stop in at Cafe Walvis for Belgian food and beers, or try BBP Dansaert for craft beer from the onsite brewery.

Head to the Mont des Arts neighbourhood and delve into something different at La Pharmacie Anglaise, which is often referred to as a speakeasy but is more like a historic pharmacy combined with a haunted farmhouse. However you decide to describe the atmosphere, you’ll be in eccentric surroundings as you browse the house cocktail menu. 

A puppet show might not be first on most lists of nightlife activities, but Théâtre Royal de Toone is worth a detour if you’re looking for unique spots. After a show, you can decamp to the theatre bar that’s open until midnight and features puppet-themed decor. Shows are not usually in English, but it’s the novelty rather than the narrative that provides the charm.

Théâtre Royal de Toone

• Impasse Sainte Pétronille, 66 Rue du Marché aux Herbes, 1000 Brussels
• Shows: Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8:30pm, plus Saturday 4pm (closed in January). Bar open from noon to midnight, Wednesday to Sunday
• Location: a minute’s walk from Grand-Place
• Booking recommended

Time-worn wooden beams and delightfully cluttered decor prove that A l’Imaige Nostre-Dame (Rue du Marché aux Herbes 8, 1000 Brussels) is the real deal and not just a new venue trying to appear rustic. In this stalwart bar that claims to be the oldest in Brussels, there’s regular live music, both impromptu and planned. La Porte Noire (Rue des Alexiens 67, 1000 Brussels) also has a good historical claim being set in a 16th-century cellar, where you’ll feel rock music, sometimes live, vibrating in the ancient stone. The setting is actually not a wine cellar but rather the kitchens of a former convent. 

The lure of 1920s nightlife lives on a century later at Marcelle - Débit de Boissons, a 10-minute walk from Grand-Place in the Sainte-Catherine area. Confidently walking the line between classy and kitschy, the cafe and mixology bar features a terrace on the square. But don’t miss the aesthetics of the interior, where you can sink into a plush sofa and browse the cocktail menu amid plants, elaborate wallpaper and ostentatious ornaments.

Now you’ve got your bearings, have fun exploring the nightlife in Brussels!