Must-see nightlife in Antwerp

  • Mombasa

    Antwerp

    Overlooking one of Antwerp's most underrated architectural glories (Borgerhout Town Hall) this superb beer bar stocks well over 100 choices (including…

  • Bar Paniek

    Antwerp

    In a series of old warehouses transformed by an artists' collective, this magical hang-out has concrete floors, barely hanging together arrays of old…

  • Oud Arsenaal

    Antwerp

    Little has changed since 1924 at this congenial bruin café (traditional pub) that attracts grizzled elderly locals with its exceptionally reasonable beer…

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    De Vagant

    Antwerp

    More than 200 types of jenever (gin; €3 to €20) are served in this timeless, bare-boards local café decorated with posters and enamel signs.

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    Cargo Club

    Antwerp

    A great dance venue with a decent-sized yet still intimate dance floor. It's most famous for its Saturday male-only gay night. There's also Thursday…

  • Brouwerij Cafe de Seefhoek

    Antwerp

    Antwerp's new kid on the beer block is reincarnated Seef. To taste their full range of offerings (beers €3 to €3.50) head directly to their fashionably…

  • Bar Zar

    Antwerp

    The decor is a mad mix of voodoo, Carribean, Pacific and Japanese elements and nine piranhas cruise in the centrepiece fish tank. The list of premium rums…

  • De Vismijn

    Antwerp

    This classic, high-ceilinged bar once provided after-sales refreshment to market fishmongers. Now it's the place to come for Antwerp's best-pulled pintje …

  • Kolonel Koffie

    Antwerp

    Roasting their own beans for some of Antwerp's finest fresh coffee (from €2), this effortlessly hip cafe is the hub of the 'new Zuid', with a sunny…

  • Bakeliet

    Antwerp

    Tucked away on the ungentrified central edge of Borgerhout, on a square facing a lumpsome brick church, this bar is a gem of a neighbourhood local with…

  • Bocadero

    Antwerp

    Amid the cranes of the old harbour area, Bocadero is an area of sand and deckchairs backed by a series of bars and food stands (no cover charge; beer from…

  • Cafe Beveren

    Antwerp

    The very antithesis of Antwerp style, this unforgettable little café chantant is dominated by the city's last remaining 1930s Decap dance organ, a…

  • Buchbar

    Antwerp

    This quiet, cosy cafe with a mini-bookshop section feels like a neighbourhood home away from home, with excellent coffee (from €2.50), cakes, simple…

  • Biochi Tea Lounge

    Antwerp

    If you just want a cuppa go elsewhere. This place is for tea connoisseurs who want to savour rare Chinese brews like Wild Purple or En Shuy Lu in an…

  • Normo

    Antwerp

    Distressed brick walls, merrily battered tiles and mismatched chairs provide the atmosphere while friendly, bearded baristas fix faultless coffees,…

  • Wijnbar Kloosterstraat 15

    Antwerp

    It's only open 10 hours a week, but this place is a ridiculously atmospheric spot for an afternoon glass of wine, facing onto the courtyard of the 16th…

  • Le Royal

    Antwerp

    Within Antwerpen-Centraal, it's well worth climbing the stairs for at least a quick peep inside this station buffet, a workaday affair set incongruously…

  • Bar Leon

    Antwerp

    Backing onto a park and sandpit-playground, ever-busy Leon is the ultimate locals' local, shape-shifting its way from family afternoon haunt via early…

  • Plaza Real

    Antwerp

    On an otherwise typical Borgerhout street, this brilliantly unpretentious shop-room pub is owned by Klaas Janzoons of Antwerp indie-band dEUS.

  • Patine

    Antwerp

    This appealing wisteria-fronted street-terrace wine bistro and bar offers a good wine list along with an all-day menu of pastries, quiches, pastas, salads…

  • Boots

    Antwerp

    This fetish club for gay men has the distinction of being the country's most disreputable nightclub, with rooms devoted to fulfilling almost every…

  • Korsåkov

    Antwerp

    Scruffy-chic Korsåkov is one of the surest places in central Antwerp to find the super-late hipster crowd still getting served.

  • Bierhuis Kulminator

    Antwerp

    If the unpredictable and eccentric owner decides to let you in, you'll discover a wonderfully chaotic old-world beer pub boasting hundreds of brews,…

  • Café d'Anvers

    Antwerp

    Dance till dawn and beyond with highly rated guest DJs setting abuzz what was once a 16th-century church. The cover charge is typically €10.

  • Cafe Zeezicht

    Antwerp

    The top drinking choice on Zurenborg's buzzing Dageraadplats, this rambling, ever-busy local has oodles of unaffected character, beers from €2.20, fill-up…

  • Den Engel

    Antwerp

    A 16th-century guildhall pub decked with photos of regular drinkers and fronted by a terrace with fabulous cathedral views.

  • De Duifkens

    Antwerp

    One of several classic cafes that spread summer seating onto the tree-shaded square at Graanmarkt, De Duifkens is particularly cosy and is decorated with…

  • Baravin

    Antwerp

    This wonderful little wine bar combines 19th-century plasterwork, murals and parquetry with a gallery space and a fine range of excellent French, Spanish…

  • Café Hessenhuis

    Antwerp

    In a fine brick building that started life as a 16th-century warehouse, the cool, modernised interior hosts a welcoming bar aimed for a gay male clientele…

  • De Kat

    Antwerp

    A calm, mirror-panelled little bruin café (traditional pub) that's an absolute classic for quietly sipping a bolleke (beer from €2.20).

  • Chatleroi

    Antwerp

    Grungier and friendlier than most bars in ’t Zuid, Chatleroi has a deeply atmospheric interior and eclectic musical taste, whether piped or live.

  • Pelikaan

    Antwerp

    A lively, inexpensive bruin café (traditional pub) with summer street-seating spilling out towards the cathedral.

  • Vitrin

    Antwerp

    Of all the terraces on Marnixplaats overlooking the huge Neptune sculpture, this happy spot is generally the most popular. And when skies open, the big…