Brussels
Brussels's most photographed drinks aren't on any menu — they're in the rooms with the right windows. The bars with a view on this list span every neighbourhood worth a trip — the central districts all show up — and every price tier from a $5 local pour to a $25 hotel-bar tasting. Each bar earns its spot for a different reason. We have visited every one.
CITY CENTRE · $$ · ROOFTOP BARS
Cafe Bota draws a steady local crowd in City Centre. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
CITY CENTRE · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS
The Dominican Rooftop draws a steady local crowd in City Centre. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
AVENUE LOUISE · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS
Skyrise Brussels Rooftop draws a steady local crowd in Avenue Louise. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.
AVENUE LOUISE · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS
The Hotel Skyfall Rooftop draws a steady local crowd in Avenue Louise. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.
SAINT-GILLES · $$$ · ROOFTOP BARS
The Jam Hotel Rooftop draws a steady local crowd in Saint-Gilles. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
THE CENTRE · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
A La Mort Subite has been pouring on Rue Montagne aux Herbes Potagères since 1928 and is the most famous Lambic beer house in Brussels. The room is preserved Be. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
THE CENTRE · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Au Bon Vieux Temps is hidden in a narrow alley off Rue du Marché aux Herbes in Brussels Centre. The bar dates to 1695 and is one of the oldest continuously oper. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.
SAINT-GILLES · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Au Laboureur draws a steady local crowd in Saint-Gilles. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.
FOREST · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Bar du Matin draws a steady local crowd in Forest. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
THE CENTRE · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Bier Circus earns its reputation as one of Brussels' finest craft beer destinations not through spectacle or record-breaking beer counts, but through genuine cu. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Use this guide either as a single curated route through Brussels or as a checklist to revisit over a long weekend. Reservations are flagged where they matter. Otherwise, walk in. Below: the ten bars with a view that any serious drinker in Brussels would tell you to put on the list.
Cafe Bota draws a steady local crowd in City Centre. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
The Dominican Rooftop draws a steady local crowd in City Centre. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening. Order: the bar's house signature. Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for sunset drinks or a slow first date. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Looking beyond Brussels? See our guide to the best bars with a view worldwide, or compare bars with a view city by city.