With arguably the best beer in the world and over 80,000 university students, Brussels is home to an abundance of bars which make for a great night out as a student.
Though everyone has their personal favourites, several bars and neighbourhoods are consistently chosen by students for their ideal location, buzzing atmosphere and affordable prices. Cimitière d'Ixelles is often the first neighbourhood to be cited, but Brussels' city centre also has attractive options, particularly to international students.
Erasmus HR manager at VUB Isabelle Johnston, who also studies linguistics and literature, and pharmaceutical science students at UCLouvain, Hélène Hamamji and Bénédicte M'Bilo, talked to The Brussels Times about the best student bars in the Belgian capital, with cheap drinks and happy hours aplenty.
The Waff
Located in the Cimetière d'Ixelles area, The Waff is a student favourite for its daily happy hours, online reservation system and ability to host large parties, which makes it a great choice for birthday dinners and other large celebrations.
The Waff. Credit: @waff.bxl / Instagram
With table football and a menu ranging from finger food and pasta to poke bowls, this bar's warm atmosphere can be enjoyed every evening until 05:00. "Many students come here, and after 23:00 there's music and dancing!" Hamamji told The Brussels Times.
455 Chausés de Boondael, Ixelles, 1050 Bruxelles. Find more information here.
Cafē Bastoche
Also situated near Cimetière d'Ixelles, Cafē Bastoche is as old as it is popular and is one of Johnston's personal favourites.
Cafē Bastoche. Credit: @logroup_be / Instagram
Nestled in the student neighbourhood since 1927, the café and bar describes itself a 'mythical destination' for many Bruxellois. It draws particular attention to its famous Bastoche pasta on an extensive menu that also offers traditional bar food.
Chaussée de Boondael 473, 1050 Ixelles. Find more information here.
Le Bar 77
Just across the street from the Cimetière d'Ixelles itself, Le Bar 77 showcases self-service beer pumps on eight of their tables, daily happy hours, live DJs from Thursday to Sunday and karaoke from Monday to Wednesday.
Le Bar 77. Credit: @bar77.ixelles / Instagram
For student organisations looking for a venue to host an event, Le Bar 77 has a private room that can accommodate up to 120 guests.
Avenue de la Couronne 437, 1050 Ixelles. Find more information here.
Halles Saint-Géry
Halles Saint-Géry is a cultural and exhibition space located in Brussels' city centre, whose building dates back to 1881. Besides hosting conferences, performances and concerts, it also has a bar area that serves beers produced in its very own microbrewery and matured in its cellars.
Credit: Halles Saint-Géry / Facebook
This unique space is a favourite of both Hamamji and M'Bilo. "I like it because it is very central," M'Bilo explained. "The mood is always nice, with lots going on and people sitting inside or out on the terrace." The bars surrounding Les Halles are also always buzzing with locals and worth a visit too.
Place Saint-Géry 1, 1000 Bruxelles. Find more information here.
Delirium Café
"Just a stone's throw away from Brussels Grand Place," Delirium Café offers visitors not just one bar, but eight throughout a small alley in the city centre. With over 2,000 types of beers, Delirium is self-dubbed one of the most famous bars in the world.
Naturally, this has turned the bar into more of a general tourist destination than just a student hangout. But Johnston said that many international students love the bar exactly for that: everyone is international and it is the perfect place to meet other expats.
Impasse de la Fidélité 4, 1000 Bruxelles. Find more information here.
RITCS Café
RITCS Café is found within the Royal Institute for Theatre, Cinema & Sound. It is "the cultural café for and by students, open to everyone" – and not your typical student bar.
Credit: RITCS café / Facebook
At RITCS Café, students can attend concerts, comedy shows, live DJs and more. The bar and venue has a partnership with Erasmus in Brussels, and regularly hosts events especially for students.
Rue Antoine Dansaert 70, 1000 Bruxelles. Find more information here.
Latroupe Grand Place
Latroupe Grand Place is another bar within an institution – this time not in a school but within a hostel. This means that it is bound to be full of students travelling around the world on a budget.
Credit: Latroupe (Latroupe Grand Place) / Facebook
This bar also has a partnership with Erasmus. Students can expect lively events throughout the year, including karaoke.
159-163 Boulevard Anspach, 1000, Bruxelles. Find more information here.
Café Belga
Located in Flagey, Johnston describes Belga as "a classic." A café-bar in the art deco Flagey centre with outdoor seating and guest DJs playing music until late, the traditional sit-down space rapidly transforms into a dance floor after dinner.
Credit: Café Belga / Facebook
Despite some students complaining of rising prices in recent years, Café Belga remains a firm favourite.
Place Sainte-Croix, 1050 Bruxelles. Find more information here.
Supra Bailly
Although not situated in the city's student hotspots, Supra Bailly is still wildly popular among students.
Credit: Supra Bailly / Facebook
"It's pretty cheap, and always packed," Johnston explained. The self-described casual café with outdoor seating serves cocktails, a range of beers and "pub grub staples."
Rue du Bailli 77, 1050 Ixelles, Belgium. Find more information here.
The Big Game Brussels Sports Bar
For students interested in watching live sports, The Big Game is the place to be: they have 60 HD screens! This sports bar is open until 06:00, and offers amazing happy hour deals (reviews say €3 beer, which is rare in Brussels centre).
Credit: Louise Schmidt / The Big Game Brussels
It also turns into a club at night, in addition to claiming the longest happy hour in the city.
Rue Henri Maus 5, 1000 Bruxelles. Find more information here.
