Ha, I love going to this place any day any time. Everybody knows each other and the good times are never ending. I always find someone there to have deep meaningfull conversations with and I adore the natural friendliness of the staff.

I absolutely appreciate the wooden interior and the stylish decoration. They also shedule some excellent live music and in the weekends or evenings the place is crowded with people watching the football or rugby. This must be the most homely place in the area surrounding avenue Louise. Next to a very large beer selection they have good food and high quality wines.

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Irish pub michael collins | Bars, Music | Glass of wine € 3
1, Rue du Bailli | Ixelles | +3226446121
08:00 – 01:30 daily

I used to love this place few months ago. I don’t go there that often anymore and I was really thinking : should I leave this article online or not?

I decided to leave it online (but to change the content) as, if you want to act as a local, you should know this place and have an opinion about it.

In Brussels, there’s always a place that everyone loves to hate.

A place that everyone agreed (a) year(s) ago that it’s the hippest one, but it’s not anymore.

A place where everyone will still go but with excuses : “I don’t like it, but I’m meeting people there before going to a party” or “I hate it on Saturday night when it’s crowded, but it’s decent on Sunday afternoon as it’s the last terrace of the neighborhood in the sun” (which is true).

But then they make some renovation (the place is twice bigger now) and you like it again or you hate it because it’s not like it used to be… !

For the moment, the place you’ll love to hate for many other reasons is Bar du Marché. You can’t miss this opportunity to have an opinion about it as any other local…

Please leave me a comment and explain why YOU hate it!!

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Bar du Marché | Bars, Coffee & tea, Music
Rue Alphonse de Witte, 12 | Ixelles
Mon – Fri 16:00 – 02:00, Sat – Sun 09:00 – 02:00 | Happy Hour Sun – Thu 23:00 – 00:00, Fri – Sat 00:00 – 01:00

You must know it already if you have been reading my articles, I like jazz music (and soul, funky, groovy, hip-hop music, …): so I can’t keep this legendary place in Brussels for myself and the very few who like Jazz. It’s located in a little street near the city hall of Ixelles : The Sounds.

The name itself sounds like this is the place were things happen. And things have been happening for more than 20 years now at the Sounds!

I can’t explain more than that. It’s not something you have to read, it’s something you should hear and experience by yourself. It’s warm, cosy, friendly and the sound in the air is one of the best in town.

Every Monday, you’ll enjoy the Master Sessions (with very good Belgian jazzmen), every Wednesday the sound is more latino, I’m sure none of us will complain.

And there’s a concert every other day, so you must find what you’re looking for (and even be well surprised).

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The Sounds | Bars, Music, Snacks
Rue de la Tulipe, 28 | Ixelles
Mon – Sat 20:00 – 04:00

This is my place to be on Wednesdays nights, for their concerts. But this small bar in the fresh renewed neighborhood of Place de Londres, organizes events every week from Wednesday to Saturday.

I remember that the only time I did organize a party was here and it was a great success!

During the day, I do not go very often, but it’s also a nice bar to spend an afternoon: the place is cosy, the design is modern and the bartenders very friendly.

Also: I must notice that the place has a certain energy which makes the talk with other people you don’t know yet easy: very soon, you make new friends in town. So don’t hesitate to come to have drink and enjoy the music and the company!

And I’m adding you a tip; they have an extra room in the basement, so after a certain hour, the bar only seems close in order to keep peace with neighbors. So, just knock on the door if you see some light and one or two people hanging at the bar and they’ll show you the way to the stairs…

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London Calling | Bars, Music
rue de Dublin, 46 | Ixelles | +3228888347
12:00 – 02:00 daily

Everybody loves l’Amour fou. During years, long time before Brussels was even hype, it was one of the place to be. Then, year after year, it lost its charm… and one day : closed. We were all sad, but realized that no one we know were even still going there. End of the story.

Then, few months ago, L’Amour fou reopened. We had a party during a long week-end and more than thousand people showed up. It seems to everyone that l’Amour fou still had a place in our heart.

The new team running the place did a good job : it’s still has this brasserie style we love, in more hype. During the day: you can have a nice afternoon, you can plug your computer and benefit from free wifi. Evenings are more crowded : people coming for dinner, or just for a drink, for a concert, spend some good time with friends.

What a like the most is the spirit of the new owners : they know they have to handle with an institution and everyone has a word to say about the food, the drinks, …. Those guys are just willing to listen to it and to make the necessaries changes in order to please everyone. It’s hard to deal with a place everyone is crazy in love with, but they do it great!

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L’Amour Fou | Bars, Coffee & tea, Music, Relaxing
185, chaussée d’Ixelles | Ixelles | +3223257353
Tue – Thu & Sun 11:00 – 01:00, Fri – Sat 11:00 – 03:00

The aim of this organization is to promote folk and world music. They organize concerts throughout the year in several locations in Brussels. Just to give you an idea, these past months, they’ve welcomed artists from Belgium Brazil, Spain, Algeria, Palestine, Senegal, Italy, Hungary…and that’s just to name a few. It illustrates the organizers constant search and efforts in finding foreign (& local) talent and sounds.

I’ve only been to see concerts in the Théâtre Molière venue, which is small and cosy and is located in a gallery near the Porte de Namur. The audience might sometimes take a little time to show their enthusiasm, but after a while, people often stand up and start dancing.

The concert always starts with a short presentation of the artists and the activities of the organization. You should try to make sure you reserve in advance for some concerts, as tickets do sell out.

Sometimes the party continues downstairs, where the musicians continue to entrance the audience near the bar. You’ll travel the world by listening to the musicians that get invited by Muziekpublique! If you’re still up for a drink after the concert, there’s a nice bar just round the corner (check the Athénée article).

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Muziekpublique | Music | Concerts from € 7.00
Square du Bastion, 3 | Ixelles | +3222172600
When concerts take place

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This laid-back bar at the corner of a calm street is one of my favourite places to have a drink. Surprisingly for such a discreet bar, it always seems to be full every day of the week and at whatever time you arrive. Although I do feel it’s lost of bit of its atmosphere since the smoking ban, but no doubt it’ll return quickly, once people have adapted to the change.

The crowd is quite diverse, as there are students (the INSAS, the film & theatre school is located just opposite), people from the neighbourhood, and the regulars, who seem to be there everyday. I’ve encountered some interesting, funny and sometimes bizarre characters, but it’s always been a night to remember!

There are lots of beers, various alcohol and warm drinks to choose from, the guys behind the bar are friendly and the music they put on is great: a mix of jazz, soul and world beats. And there are also small bossa nova concerts on Wednesday nights.

After eating a tasty dinner at Rue Saint Boniface (check the l’Ultime Atome article), don’t hesitate to pop in for a drink…You’ll probably stay for more!

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L’Athénée | Bars, Music | Drink from € 2.00
L’Athénée 0, Rue de l’Athénée | Ixelles | +3225482710
Mon – Fri 12:00, Sat – Sun from 14:00

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