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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.
The Art Deco design of L'Archiduc attracts a thirtyish, fashionable crowd, which is hardly surprising given the upmarket shopping area in which it resides. Add to the mix live jazz on weekends and fine cocktails, and it makes for one of the more polished entries in the city's bar scene.
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).
Sounds has been dishing up contemporary jazz along with decent Italian food since 1986, and it shows no signs of losing its rhythm. It also does plenty of good, regularly offering its space to gigs in support of local nonprofit organizations.
