Best Areas to Stay in Brussels for Nightlife

Brussels by day is charming, but once the sun sets, the city truly comes alive. Whether you’re a seasoned partygoer or looking to delve into local nighttime, finding the right base is essential to getting the best experience out of Belgium’s capital. From spirited pubs that line narrow cobblestone streets to fashionable clubs pulsing with electronic beats, each neighborhood offers a distinct flair. In this post, we’ll go through the best areas to stay in Brussels for nightlife. We will also talk about some of the best bars serving world-renowned Belgian beers, clubs, and important events in the city.

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Accommodation Options in Brussels

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What’s the Best Area to Stay in Brussels for Nightlife?

The best area to stay in Brussels for nightlife is around Marché Au Charbon Street. This central area, near attractions like the iconic Manneken Pis fountain, is the city’s official gay street, with many LGBT bars, clubs, and events like the famous La Demence party. However, you can find all kinds of bars specializing in delicious Belgian beers in this part of Brussels.

Best Hotels around Marché Au Charbon Street

• Best luxury hotel: Rocco Forte Hotel Amigo
• Best midrange hotel: La Bourse Hotel
• Best guesthouse: Guesthouse Bxlroom
• Best party hostel: The Classic by 2GO4 Grand Place

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Top Areas in Brussels for Nightlife: A Summary

As with every destination, choosing among the best areas to stay in Brussels ultimately comes to your personal preferences. If, like me, you want to see a less touristy side of Brussels while remaining close to its attractions, you should book a hotel in Ixelles. Located southeast of the Grand Place, this neighborhood is home to Avenue Louise, lined by exclusive designer boutiques. Place du Châtelain, a square surrounded by excellent bars and restaurants, is also in Ixelles. Keep reading our list of the top areas to stay in Brussels for clubbing below.

• Marché au Charbon Street is Brussels’ gay and LGBTQ+ area par excellence. The street is close to the iconic Manneking Pis fountain and houses several LGBT-owned bars and businesses. So, while you bar hop in this area, you can count on classic tunes by pop divas and drag shows.
• Staying near the Grand Place, the city’s most famous square, is an excellent choice for sightseeing and nightlife. Around the square, you’ll find bars and clubs playing all types of music, from techno to Latin rhythms. Additionally, the area is in the city’s heart and has fantastic transport connections to the rest of Brussels.
• For a more laid-back cultural experience, you could look for accommodation in Flagey. Though this area is technically part of Ixelles, it revolves around the Eugène Flagey square and houses the Flagey building and cultural center. This gorgeous Art Deco building, also known as Radio House, is among the most famous concert venues in the city. So, staying here, you can attend concerts and events like the Brussels Jazz Festival. Moreover, the area stands out for its many bars, perfect for pre-gaming before heading to a club.

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Best Areas to Stay in Brussels for Nightlife: District by District

Marché au Charbon is Brussels’ gay street par excellence. As such, the district houses many LGBT bars and clubs, making it one of the best areas to stay in Brussels for nightlife.

Marché au Charbon Street is not your average street. It’s a cultural artery where Brussels’s nocturnal magic flourishes under the glow of streetlamps and neon signs. Located within the tangled web of central Brussels’s streets, this area is synonymous with welcoming LGBT bars and spaces. However, calling it merely a “gay street” would be simplifying its incredible history.

The street’s “Coal Market” name hints at its utilitarian origins. Yet today, the street presents a completely different character. As evening dawns, electricity charges the air along the cobblestones, and doors open to reveal dimly lit bars and clubs.

The legendary La Demence party is a prime example of this area’s influence on Brussels’s and Europe’s nightlife. This party started in 1989 at Fuse, one of Europe’s most famous techno clubs, minutes away. Over the years, La Demence became a symbol of Marché au Charbon itself. Meanwhile, Chez Maman, established in 1994, continues to be a drag institution. This bar is the place to go to see drag queens dazzle audiences with high-energy performances.

Getting to and moving around this central area is easy. You can use Brussels Central Station or lines 1 and 5 on the metro, stopping at Sainte Catherine station. Staying in this part of the city, you’ll be close to sites like the Manneken Pis, the iconic fountain with a bronze statue of a little boy peeing. The Grand Place is also nearby.

Accommodation in this area includes several luxury hotels, some hostels, and charming B&Bs.

Best Hotels Around Marché au Charbon

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Ixelles is an upscale area that houses some of Brussels’s most exclusive clubs and bars. However, this large neighborhood’s Art Nouveou buildings are also home to budget-friendly Belgian beer bars and pubs.

Ixelles, the bustling municipality in the southeastern part of Brussels, transforms as the sun dips below the horizon. By night, it sheds its daytime skin of commercial hustle for an altogether different energy. This is where you’re as likely to run into philosophy students from the Université Libre de Bruxelles or young professionals unwinding after work.

For those looking to party in Brussels, Ixelles does not disappoint. In Avenue Louise, for example, you can have an evening draped in dimmed lights and electronic beats. Spirito Brussels, previously a church, now serves as an upscale club where house music thrums against stained glass windows.

Bars tucked away on streets branching off the main avenues exude a more relaxed air without ditching that night-on-the-town feel. For a casual beer among an eclectic line-up of draft choices, swing by Le Tigre. This bar is perfect for beer enthusiasts and opens until 2 AM.

Getting to and around Ixelles is no complicated quest. Trams and buses crisscross the area and operate until late. Specifically, tram 81, connecting Montgomery to Marius Renard, services Ixelles until nearly 1 AM on weekdays and later on weekends. You can also easily find taxis in the early hours of any day.

During the day, you can still find plenty to do in the picture-ready streets and lanes of Ixelles. Its Art Nouveau facades house designer boutiques, high-end restaurants, and luxury hotels, making it one of the best neighborhoods in Brussels for nightlife.

Best Hotels in Ixelles

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Although the area has several tourist traps, the Grand Place surroundings still house some of Brussels’ most iconic bars and clubs.

Tucked away in Brussels’ geographical core, the Grand Place isn’t just a place to admire Baroque architecture. Post-sunset, this UNESCO World Heritage Site‘s surrounding bars welcome tourists from all over Europe. Historical? Sure. The cobblestones have seen centuries strut over them, with the square dating back to before the 12th century, evolving through times of trade fairs and insurgences. Rebuilt after bombings in 1695, the guild houses that surround the square are now hop temples.

Within the nearby streets, you’ll find A La Mort Subite, a bar dating back to 1928. It is just a stone’s throw away from the Central Station at Rue Montagne aux Herbes Potagères 7. The bar’s name, which translates to “a sudden death,” refers to the pleasure of sinking into its traditional Belgian beers.

Delirium Café is at Impasse de la Fidélité 4A and is one of the most famous bars around the Grand Place. With over 2000 beers under one roof, it holds a record for having the world’s largest beer selection.

Dive further into the area, and you’ll hit upon Fuse, a nightclub at Rue Blaes 208. It offers an electronic soundscape that has been thumping since 1994. It remains revered amongst techno lovers, not for its history but for still bringing world-renowned DJs. Plus, its location in an old movie theater makes it more cinematic, pun intended.

The surroundings of the Grand Place are a top location for nightlife in Brussels because, even though they’re very touristy, you can still find excellent historical bars and clubs. Likewise, you’ll be within walking distance from most of the city’s attractions. And, even if you want to move to further sites, you’ll have plenty of transportation options.

This district also hosts some of the best hotels in Brussels. This is also among the best areas to stay in Brussels for hosting several of the city’s main attractions.

Best Hotels Near the Grand Place

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Sainte-Catherine used to be a dock, and nowadays, it features some of Brussels’ more unique underground clubs

What sets Sainte-Catherine apart from the rest of Brussels? Well, for starters, it knows its roots. This area was a docking hub with tons of marine activity until it rebooted itself as a cultural hotspot with serious nocturnal credentials.

St. Catherine is north-west of Brussels’ city center, cozied against the canal. Regarding attractions in the neighborhood, the church that shares the district’s name stands proud. This temple is a relic from the 19th-century architectural revolution, when Brussels decided to swing a little harder towards modern flair. Another mandatory stop in Sainte-Catherine is Marché aux Poissons, a beautiful market that hosts tasting sessions of fresher-than-fresh mussels.

As for the nightlife, Saint Catherine is home to Madame Moustache, a one-of-a-kind club with retro-themed decor. This club hosts 70s, 80s, and 90s nights and is super affordable. Likewise, you can find many cocktail bars and pubs in this area with an extensive collection of beers and wine.

St. Catherine connects with the rest of Brussels via trams and metro, including De Brouckère and Sainte-Catherine stations. Meanwhile, when it comes to accommodation, you can choose between B&Bs, 4-star hotels, serviced apartments, and cheap hotels in the neighborhood.

Best Hotels in St. Catherine

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Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, or just Molenbeek, is one of Brussels’ hipster areas. Here, you can find alternative bars, concert halls, and excellent coffee shops.

Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, often known as Molenbeek, might not be the Brussels poster district. But, trust me, you’ll be missing out if you don’t visit this part of the city. This Brussels sector is on the city’s western flank, across the canal from the city center. You can get to Molenbeek by train from the city’s central railway station in 18 minutes.

Molenbeek isn’t your run-of-the-mill hipster neighborhood, where gentrification waves its magic wand and another cold-brew coffee shop pops up. No, Molenbeek has more layers. It’s where workshops become impromptu galleries, and old industrial warehouses become spaces like the excellent MIMA Museum. This visual arts hub is among the best museums in Brussels.

Among the must-see nocturnal spaces in this neighborhood, you’ll find LaVallée. This art center-concert hall-coworking-multi-hyphanated space captures the essence of Molenbeek perfectly. Another place synonymous with the area is Recyclart, an art center and collective with its own bar and restaurant. This sustainable bar’s menu changes weekly, including drinks and cocktails for the after-office.

Finally, for those who want to delve into music and culture, there’s Le Château du Karreveld. With its classic castle vibes, this venue hosts jazz festivals, drawing crowds across all ages.

Accommodation in this neighborhood includes sustainable hotels and hostels. This is also one of the cheapest areas to stay in Brussels.

Best Hotels in Molenbeek-Saint-Jean

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Flagey houses one of the most important concert halls in Brussels and is the perfect place for pre-gaming before a night out in the city.

Flagey is a part of Ixelles that revolves around the Flagey square. The area, known for its eponymous square and proximity to Ixelles Ponds, becomes a social epicenter at night.

The Flagey Building is at the core of Flagey’s night scene. This piece of Art Deco architecture, dating back to 1938, was reinvigorated in the early 2000s after years of disuse. Nowadays, it hosts concerts and renowned events like the Brussels Jazz Festival.

The streets around Place Flagey flood with melodies that show an appreciation for jazz in venues like L’Archiduc. Since its opening in 1937, L’Archiduc has stood as a testament to Brussels’s rich jazz heritage. It’s held onto its Art Deco charm and continues to be a respected hub for jazz aficionados.

You can hop on Tram 81 or 83 to move between this area and central Brussels. Yet, you can still find a lot to do during the daywhile wandering through Flagey. The restaurants and cafés in the area are particularly popular with students.

Moreover, this neighborhood stands out for its cocktail and beer bars that are perfect to drink before heading to the club.

Best Hotels in Flagey

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