10 Best Bars, Live Music and Nightclubs in Brussels

Delirium Café is often cited as having one of the world's largest selections of beers, with around 3,000 brews available, both local micros and worldwide macros. This bar has a gigantic 3-floor space with a down-home, welcoming and casual atmosphere, a veritable sea of beer and a crowd that loves nothing more than to talk about it. Not only can you try the best of Belgian beer here, but you can also talk about brewing techniques, hops choices, flavour profiles and the philosophy of craft beer.

If you are a craft beer fan in Belgium, this is a place to come not only to taste, but also to expand your knowledge. It's in the city centre.

Madame Moustache offers an over-the-top, whimsical and even kitschy atmosphere with a hip crowd that packs the dance floor, jiving to tunes from every era. This is a place where you can have a great time no matter what your tastes or style might be. You'll hear tunes from the 1950s through the 1990s and beyond, from rockabilly to Lindy hop, techno-industrial, EDM and more. The DJ booth is staged in a caravan wagon that's so red it'll make your head hurt.

If great drinks and good tunes aren't enough, you can also hit up a smoking room or even get a haircut at a barbershop space right onsite. It's in the heart of the city centre.

Fuse is nothing short of a temple to techno in the heart of Brussels, offering some of the biggest, most famous DJs and standing as a hub of LGBTQ culture. This club is famed for its monthly La Démence party that is dedicated to the local LGBTQ community and has been a wild ride since the club's opening over 20 years ago. The crowd here is welcoming and friendly to all, and the techno-industrial and EDM music here is tough to beat, with outstanding playlists spun up by renowned hosts from all over the world.

Melomaniacs from all over Brussels come here to party the night away. It's only 13 minutes southwest of the city centre.

The Music Village is the heart of Brussels' 'music street' stretch and is a legendary jazz club modelled after world-famous New York and London venues. Here you'll find a 1920s speakeasy-style vibe with couples huddled close around round tables in soft, dim lighting. This old-fashioned club even holds special Prohibition cabaret nights featuring fine cigars and top-shelf whisky. The venue hosts more than 250 concerts every year and draws some of the top jazz acts from all over the world.

If you're a fan of places like Blue Note in New York or Ronnie Scott's in London, you'll love this club. It's right in the heart of the city centre.

L'Archiduc is a legendary club with an art deco vibe, smooth melodies and a legacy of hosting some of the most amazing jazz and rhythm-and-blues artists. Such big names as Nat King Cole and Miles Davis have graced the stage here. This cocktail lounge is a venerable venue, having showcased mellow music since 1937. To this day it maintains its original art deco-style decor, and while its reputation as a secret rendezvous spot may not be current anymore, the jazz music is still its biggest attraction.

This club is so traditional that you have to ring the doorbell to get a doorman to let you in. It's in the city centre.

Bonnefooi is a cosy neighbourhood bar whose name means 'by chance' or 'random', and a visit here is serendipitous as you never know what famed acts you'll catch on stage. No fewer than 5 different acts a week appear here to fill the space. The vibe features charming balconies, and the music goes on all through the night into the wee hours of the morning. Every Sunday, the spot hosts open jam sessions where anyone can join the fun. Just bring a guitar and pop up on stage.

One exciting feature is that the club has no set closing time, and the curtains are drawn so you might not even see the sun come up. It's in the city centre.

Celtica is an Irish-pub-cum-disco-bar with multiple floors, each focused on a different experience from live rock shows to a sports bar, mainstream music and beyond. The bar features rock concerts on the 1st floor from local and big-name bands. This floor also features a sports bar area with the latest football matches shown during happy hour with fantastic prices on beer. On the 2nd floor, you'll find the mainstream dance club with an exciting party vibe and great DJs spinning the latest pop dance hits.

Celtica is set apart from other city-centre clubs in its varied experiences, from rock to sports to dance, all in one spot, often at the same time.

The Big Game is a sports bar open every day until late into the wee hours, with HD screens placed everywhere showcasing just about every kind of sport. Whether you want to see the latest football match, the American Super Bowl, hockey or even horse races, you're likely to find it on one of the 25 screens throughout this spot. The beer list here is also just about endless and keeps growing all the time, so if you're a craft beer fan, you've got lots of selections.

This is a spot that's as popular with locals as it is with visitors, and it even has a dance club area downstairs. The club is in the heart of the city centre.

Spirito Brussels is a club that features wildly over-the-top decor that some say borders on gaudy but is absolutely celebratory, with all the glitz and glam you want. This club is inside an old converted church, with the sweeping arches and vaulted ceilings soaring overhead, and all decked out in crystal and gold. This is a club where you need to have an outfit as gaudy as the interior for the doorman to let you in. Here's a hint: Cover yourself in sequins and glitter and you've got a good shot.

Inside, you'll find thumping dance beats from popular music and ever-flowing champagne with an ongoing party atmosphere. It's only a 20-minute walk south of the city centre.

Zodiak is the spot to go for the latest in techno and EDM music spun by great local DJs every weekend with reasonable prices and fun staff. Here you'll catch not only the biggest hits in the local electronica dance scene, but plenty of deep cuts as well. You might discover your next favourite electronic artist in the well-cultivated playlists spun here, and you might also catch an up-and-coming DJ on the brink of going global. The drinks are delicious and strong, and the atmosphere is lively and casual.

If you're looking for the classic, traditional electronica discotheque, you've got it at Zodiak. It's right in the heart of the city centre.