5 of the coolest bars in Brussels

This old cafe on a quiet, leafy square has been given a Nordic makeover with exposed brick walls, big windows and hanging plants, along with a photo booth. The menu offers homemade food along with an interesting list of craft beers including Oude Geuze Boon.

The owners of this corner coffee bar describe it as an ‘urban retreat’. The interior is decorated in a relaxed Scandinavian style with bare brick walls, pale wood tables and tree trunk stools. As well as great coffee, they serve up organic quiches, sandwiches and cheesecake.

This relaxed bar occupies a building covered in wisteria on a lively Ixelles square. It is run by a friendly local cooperative whose aim is to promote distinctive organic beers from small Belgian breweries. The beer list includes brews from Brasserie de la Senne, Silly, En Stoemelings and l’Ermitage. The bar has an intimate conservatory at the back filled with hanging plants and a terrace out on the square.

The designer Lionel Jadot has brought a Milan vibe to the Parvis de Saint-Gilles square with his Café Flora interior of yellow tables, abstract ceiling paintings and quirky details. Dating from 1905, the cafe originally belonged to the Aegidium cinema, a Moorish-style film palace. After decades of neglect, this beautiful forgotten cinema hidden behind the cafe is finally being restored.

This hybrid modern cafe on two levels is decorated with wood floors, round bistro tables and subtle lighting. It serves coffee, pastries and lunch during the day, then turns into a candlelit bar and restaurant in the evening. The menu features innovative French and vegetarian dishes, wines by the glass and three beers on tap from Rolling Hills microbrewery in the Flemish Ardennes.