32 Best Bars in Antwerp and the Northeast, Belgium

It might not look like much, but this is regularly voted one of the world's best beer cafés for good reason. Bierhuis Kulminator pours 550 different kinds of beer, some of which are more than 30 years old.

A hefty tome of a menu details the brewery, style, and country of a worldly range of craft ales and Belgian favorites. There are up to 11 beers on draft and around 150 bottled, but if you're at a loss, just ask---the staff are extremely knowledgeable. Grab a board game and settle down for the day, or head upstairs for some excellent Flemish home cooking. It's closed on Tuesday.

Sometimes the name says it all. Just a five-minute walk from Centraal Station, the selection here runs the gamut of craft ale and Belgian favorites, with a dozen draft brews on tap. Its minimalist interior is more cocktail joint that your typical "brown café," but friendly, knowledgeable staff make exploring a bottle list 300-strong a delight.

This modish cocktail bar—all stone floors and leather sofas—lies in a 200-year-old building in the shadow of the Cathedral of Our Lady. Drinks are made with fanciful infusions, homemade bitters, and great skill. When the seats and terrace are full, drinkers are turned away, so get here early.

This has long been cited as one of the world's great beer bars, and it draws reverential beer pilgrims from around the globe. When open (it closes on Sunday and seemingly shuts its doors on a whim), Kulminator stocks some 600 brews, with many hailing from little-known or long-since-defunct breweries. Its interior is best described as "old clutter," and so long as you don't expect a warm welcome, you'll leave happy. Get here soon however—after more than 50 years of service the owners are in failing health, and the bar's long-term future is uncertain.

Beveren is boisterous and old-fashioned, and even has its own 80-year-old Decap organ—a rarity in the city (or anywhere), since most of the bars traded up for jukeboxes or DJs a long time ago. It also has a good beer selection.

Slap-bang in the heart of the red-light district, this is the city's flagship deep house venue, luring tourists and locals alike to its unpretentious, industrial-style dance floor.

As is common in Belgium clubs, you might want to bring change for the bathroom.

Café Hopper presents jazz performances every Sunday and Monday starting at 4 and 9 pm respectively in a rather formal environment. Check their website for other performance times.

Café Hopper is open daily as a bar, but also presents jazz performances every Monday at 9 pm in a rather formal environment. Check their website for other performance times.

Formerly known as Red & Blue, the biggest gay disco in Benelux has changed its name and expanded its offerings. Relentless house is still the music de jour on its industrial-style dance floor and it's still men-only on Saturdays, but drag shows have taken over Sundays.

Formerly known as Red & Blue, the biggest gay disco in Benelux has changed its name in recent years and expanded its offerings. Relentless house is still the music du jour on its industrial-style dance floor, though, as the party continues until 7 am.

In uber-trendy Het Zuid, it can be hard to find a traditional brown café. Chatleroi is the lone survivor, sticking out like a slightly down-at-heels sore thumb, and all the better for it. Old posters, cat paintings, mismatched furniture, and the odd jazz band set the scene for a no-nonsense bar that has survived the area's gentrification and kept its charm.

Da Vagant is Antwerp's iconic late-night bar, restaurant, and distillery. Sample more than 200 kinds of jenever (20%--54% ABV), a Dutch liquor that is similar to, but predates, gin. The many fruit varieties offer a gentle introduction, but for those without a clue, the staff are very knowledgeable and cheerfully adept at catering to curious tourists.

Facing the main square's fountain, Den Engel draws an eclectic and friendly clientele. It's a great place for people-watching and something of a step back in time; it's not difficult to imagine that it probably hasn't changed much since it opened in 1903.

This long-running pub is a beer lover's paradise that stocks around 500 Belgian ales.

Het Roze Huis is Antwerp's gay and lesbian community house, with a straight-friendly café, Den Draak ("The Dragon"), on the ground floor; evenings downstairs tend to run into the small hours (3 am) on most nights.

Het Roze Huis is Antwerp's gay and lesbian community house, with a straight-friendly café-bar, Den Draak ("The Dragon"), on the ground floor; evenings downstairs tend to run into the small hours on most nights.

Belgium's first "ecological" venue lies under the train tracks. As well as club nights, it also runs lectures, vinyl fairs, and workshops, but most come for the music. Nights run the spectrum from deep house to future jazz every Friday and Saturday, so check out the website for upcoming events.

Taking its name from a neurological disorder linked to alcohol abuse, this quirky, artsy café-bar has cultivated a loyal following among the in-crowd of hipster-drenched Mechelseplein. There's live music some nights.

This typical brown café (old-style bar, all dark wood and nicotine-stained walls) has been operating since 1929, and little has changed. It's been in the same family for three generations and serves up a good selection of beers, particularly some unusual gueuze and kriek (lambic beers) at a decent price—much to the delight of its dedicated locals.

The atmospheric Pelgrom is found in the vaulted brick cellars of an old 16th-century tavern beneath the Burgher House museum. Be warned: it's a bit of a tourist trap, given its medieval setting, but novelty value alone helps you to see past the group tours and steep prices.