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There's a café on virtually every street corner, most serving all kinds of alcoholic drinks. Although the Belgian brewing industry is declining as the giant Inbev firm (the brewers of Stella Artois) muscles smaller companies out of the market, Belgians still consume copious quantities of beer, some of it with a 10% alcohol content or more. Most bars have artisanal beers along with the usual suspects. The place St-Géry, rue St-Boniface, and the Grand'Place area draw the most buzz.
The club scene is lively, and world-famous DJs as well as homegrown mavericks spin regularly. Many places stay open until dawn. The online magazine Noctis www.noctis.com is a good resource for upcoming parties and other late-night events.
Another to add to the growing number of natural wine bars in the capital. Together with Titulus, this bar and neighboring shop stock some 400 references from France, Italy, Spain, Georgia, and what owner Matthieu Vellut calls "punk wines"—those you're not even sure are a wine! The bar also runs tasting nights and courses.
The cozy, dimly lit Music Village hosts a plethora of international jazz musicians, with nightly concerts usually starting around 8:30 pm. You don't need a ticket, but it's usually best to make a reservation (pay on-site).
There's, unsurprisingly, a proliferation of Irish bars around the EU area. This is certainly one of the better lit and more modern. It's also a friendly spot to watch sports or even grab some posh fish-and-chips. Needless to say, it is packed to the gills with expats.
The first of what is now a flood of natural wine bars in the capital. This cozy, chic shop-cum-bar in the Matonge area even has its own label, made on the owners' vineyard in France's Loire Valley, where they all grew up. With bottles from €17, it's good value (natural wine usually has a high markup), and staff will cheerfully talk newbies through the selection of some 400 references.
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