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Brussels | |
Nightlife |
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Brussels,
Nightlife Aside from the tacky discos for tourists, there is the big‐name‐DJ‐drawing The Fuse (see Clubs below). The best send out their sounds into the night, around Place de St‐Géry, Manneken‐Pis and in the Marolles district. Clubs open at 2300, heat up at midnight and survive until about 0600. Being foreign and dressed in tune with the club’s image helps the admission process along considerably. Entrance is sometimes free but will more likely cost around &Euro;7. The Fnac, in the City 2 complex on Rue Neuve, is the best place for club tickets, although the Tourist Office on Grand‐Place may also be of help. Perhaps the highlight of the clubbing year is the Klinkende Munt outdoor music festival, held every July in Brussels at the Place de la Monnaie, Petit‐Chateau and the Beursschouwburg. Listings and information on nightlife events in Brussels can be found online ( or www.noctis.com). Tels Quels magazine (in French) has the most comprehensive gay nightlife listings. Bars: Belgium is justly famous for its superb selection of beers, not least those created by Trappist monks at various monasteries around the country. Brussels, furthermore, has its own idiosyncratic varieties, notably Gueuze and the fruit flavoured Kriek varieties. A wide selection (more than 150) of Belgian beers can be found at the Loplop Cafe, Schildknaapstraat 29 (). Other centrally located beer havens include La Bécasse, Rue de Tabora 11, A La Mort Subite, Rue Montagne aux Herbes Potagères, and La Rose Blanche, Grande‐Place 11. Le Soleil, Rue des Capucins 63, is an intimate little bar, tailor‐made for an evening of good beer and good chats. A number of bars transform into clubs as the night wears on, including lively Le Sud, Rue de l’Ecuyer 43–5, open Thursday to Saturday. A quieter evening is on offer at the Théâtre de Toone VII, Impasse Schuddeveld 6, off Petite Rue de Bouchers, where puppets form a backdrop to the drinking. For the younger audience, the bars around Place St Géry are popular venues. Casinos: There is a casino in nearby Namur. The Casino de Naumur, Avenue Baron Moreau 1, is open daily 1400–0500. Visitors are required to hold a passport or ID document and dress code is smart (strictly no trainers). The minimum age for entry is 21 years. Clubs: Top international DJs play techno, house and jungle at The Fuse, Rue Blaes 208. Mirano Contintal, Chemin de Louvain 38, is tacky with a yuppie crowd, while Le Bal, Boulevard du Triomphe, is just tacky. Tourists might meet other tourists at Espace de Nuit, Rue Marché aux Fromages, near Grand‐Place, while most of the hipper clubs have a gay (and sometimes lesbian) night. The Brussels trendy set goes to Les Jeux d’Hiver, Bois de la Cambre. Live music: Jazz dominates the live music scene in Brussels. There is jazz on Saturday and most Sundays at L’Archiduc, Rue Antoine Dansaert 6. Frequent concerts at Fool Moon, Quai de Mariemont 26, featuring anything from jazz‐funk to drum‘n’bass and Latin music. Although VK is a trek away at Rue de l’Ecole 76, this is where alternative sounds – hip hop, rock and indie music – are given a hearing. Magasin 4, Rue du Magasin 4, offers a more central venue for indie and hip hop. Folk fans should try Thunderbird Café, Quai du Commerce 48, where there are usually twice‐weekly gigs on offer, as well as good food. Informal weekend jazz ‘jam sessions’ are a feature of the LopLop Café (see Bars above). The main venues for touring big‐names are the Forest National, Avenue du Globe 36, and AB (Ancienne Belgique), Boulevard Anspach, for the bigger gigs, and Botanique, Rue Royale 236, and Cirque Royal, Rue de l’Enseignement 81, for smaller acts. |