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Drinking
Drinking in Brussels, as in the rest of the country, is a joy. The city
has an enormous variety of bars and cafés. Sumptuous Art Nouveau bars
sit alongside swanky, Parisian-style, terraced cafés; traditional
drinking dens with ceilings stained by a century's smoke nestle next to
hi-tech cyber bars; and speciality beer bars offer hundreds of different
types of ale.
The city's bars are concentrated mostly in the centre : around the Grand-Place,
Bourse and the place St Géry. Recently, the area has seen a
proliferation of trendy bars in which the fashion-conscious youth of
Brussels drink beer, cocktails and flavoured vodkas until the wee small
hours. When the weather allows, crowds spill on to the terraces and
streets, making for an amazingly upbeat ambience.
Although the Upper Town doesn't have as much to offer, there is a number
of smoky, velour-furnished bars near the Toison d'Or shopping area, on
the chaussée de Charleroi. Venturing out of the petit ring can also be
worthwhile, especially if you head to laid-back Ixelles or St Gilles ,
where you'll find a selection of fashionable bars and cafés and an
almost inexhaustible supply of small local hangouts. The EU quarter
around place Schuman also offers a decent selection of watering holes,
the majority of them Irish or British pubs.
Belgians make little or no distinction between bars and cafés , and the
two words tend to be used interchangeably; most bars serve food, and
practically all cafés serve beer and other types of alcohol - cafés
often have a terrace, but then again so do many bars.
As opening hours in Brussels are not officially restricted, bars and
cafés can stay open as long as they want, usually until the last soaks
slide out. In practice, most close around 2am, although at the weekend
it's often much later.
Prices for drinks can vary hugely depending on where you are. As a
general rule you pay over the odds for the privilege of drinking around
the Grand-Place, though not necessarily in the streets around it. If
you're paying more than ¬2.50 for a beer, you're paying too much.
Spirits are relatively expensive, and a gin and tonic can cost you
between ¬3.50 and ¬4, though the measures are often generous. There's a
good selection of reasonably priced wines (especially white and red
Burgundy) available by the bottle or glass. Food is served in most
places, ranging from sandwiches and croques monsieurs , to more exotic
fare.
Clubs and live music
After a slow start, club culture seems to have finally taken hold in
Brussels. The city has a number of established meccas playing anything
from acid and techno beats to deep house, including the throbbing Fuse
with its regular line-up of big-name house DJs, to the sassy Who's Who
Land, which often sees crowds of over 1500 and attracts people from as
far away as Paris and Amsterdam.
Most venues are in the Lower Town , especially in the area between place
St Géry and the Manneken Pis, and in the scruffily hip Marolles quarter
just southeast of the Grand-Place. The Upper Town has a only few
offerings of its own, and there are a couple of places beyond the petit
ring that are worth the trip. If you do venture out of the centre, don't
forget that the public transport system finishes at 12.30am and starts
up again at 5.30am, so you may have to get a taxi home. Night buses are
fairly infrequent.
As a general rule, clubs are open Thursday to Saturday from 11pm until
as late as 6am, but it is possible to club every night. Entry prices are
fairly low: you rarely have to pay more than ¬10, and many of the
smaller clubs have no cover charge at all, although men have to tip the
bouncer a nominal fee (¬1.25 or so) on the way out.
The cost of drinks varies depending on where you are, although shorts
and cocktails are expensive across the board. If you're on a limited
budget it's worth remembering that the bars which morph into clubs on a
weekend, such as Le Sud and L'Acrobat , tend to have cheaper drinks than
ordinary clubs.
Although the city just about holds its own on the club scene, Brussels
fares extremely well as a place to catch live music . The capital has a
vibrant jazz scene, with many bars, both in the centre and on the
outskirts, playing host to local and international acts. Jazz buffs in
particular will be pleased to learn that live jazz has been popular in
Brussels since the 1920s - a tradition kept alive today by small
atmospheric venues such as Sounds and L'Archiduc , and by the annual
Brussels Jazz Festival - widely regarded as being one of the best in
Europe.
Unfortunately the local rock and indie scene isn't particularly kicking,
although if you are prepared to go off the beaten track you can still
catch some excellent live music at the Fool Moon, Magasin 4 and VK . The
good news for mainstream gig-goers is that Brussels is a regular stop on
the European tours of major and up-and-coming artists. The biggest gigs
are held in Forest National , although many medium-sized gigs are held
in Le Botanique, Cirque Royal and Ancienne Belgique . It's also worth
considering going to one of the music festivals held regularly outside
Brussels, which usually attract a good line-up of rock bands mixed with
dance DJs. The Torhout-Werchter Festival, held in early July, is the
biggest.
For listings of concerts and events, check the What's On section of the
weekly Bulletin or the Wednesday pull-out section of Le Soir . Flyers
for most clubs and raves can be picked up in the trendy bars and cafés
in the centre, particularly in the Beursschouwburg - which also has its
own events list - Zebra , and Au Soleil . Tickets for most concerts are
available from Fnac in the City 2 complex, on rue Neuve (tel 02 209 22
11), or from the booking office at the tourist office on the Grand-Place.
The performing arts and film
Despite its reputation as the grey city of Europe, when it comes to the
city's cultural scene, Brussels answers, if not confounds, its critics.
Domestic talent flourishes, particularly in the theatre , which has
nurtured a new generation of young playwrights, including Philippe
Blasand and Jean-Marie Piemme. The modern dance scene is alive and well;
one of its major exponents Wim van Dekëybus, artist in residence at
Koninklijke Vlaamse Schouwberg, has gained international acclaim for his
cutting-edge choreography. Despite serious underfunding over recent
years, classical music remains strong - the Orchestre National de
Belgique continues to thrive under Yuri Simonov, and a number of
excellent classical music festivals and concerts is organized by the
Philharmonic Society. Sadly, despite Belgians being avid cinema-goers,
home-grown film-makers seem something of an endangered species, though,
more promisingly, there is a number of first-rate film festivals.
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