Editorial
Brussels has the most encyclopaedic beer culture on the planet. Belgian abbey beers, lambics, gueuzes, Trappist ales — every style has a serious dedicated bar. The 10 below balance the historical beer cafés (À la Mort Subite, Le Cirio, Au Bon Vieux Temps) with the modern cocktail bars that have emerged in the past five years (Hortense). Most are within walking distance of Grand Place.
Jaja pours natural wine on Rue Vandenbranden in central Brussels, with a short list of low-intervention bottles and share plates. Star Wine List features it among the city's natural-wine rooms. The crowd skews local and the by-the-glass selection turns over often.
Bar Pilar sits inside the VUB campus arts house on Triomflaan, pairing drinks with a concert hall that books alternative and electronic acts. The VUB press notes its art-and-music programme, and the bar stays open into the evening on weekdays for a student-heavy crowd.
Madame Moustache runs as a neo-cabaret and club on Quai au Bois a Bruler near Place Sainte-Catherine. Resident Advisor lists its calendar of hip-hop, disco and vinyl nights, and the daytime terrace fills before the room turns into a small club after dark.
Belgian beer is the entire reason to drink in Brussels. Start at Moeder Lambic for the lambic education; move to À la Mort Subite for the Belle Époque experience; finish at Delirium Café for the variety (3,162 beers on the menu). The cocktail rooms (Hortense, Goupil le Fol) are excellent but secondary to the beer story. Most pubs close by 1 AM.
European Editor — based in London. Twelve years across Soho, Marais and Mitte. Strong opinions about ice.