GROW WITH SARAH GRACE

While my friends and I were planning our trip to Belgium, we had one city in mind: Brussels. I mean it is the capital of the country and it has an iconic monument, the Manneken Pis. But while trying to find accommodations, my friend mentioned that her brother went to Antwerp, Belgium on holiday once and enjoyed it. He went mainly for the nightlife so we decided to add a stop to our journey and spend one night in Antwerp. 

Before I jump into the places where you can enjoy a drink or two in the city that is most famous for its diamond trade and seaport (which plays a key role in our story), here is some transparency on the other elements of Antwerp. We booked the “Boomerang Hostel” and while it was a good price, our experience wasn’t the most ideal. 

In my opinion, the location isn’t the best for sight-seeing and although the staff seemed to be kind, we were told before arriving that there was an age limit on guests but once we got to our 10-bed female dormitory, we found quite a few women who seemed to be far out of that age limit. This small issue made us uncomfortable to the point that we forced ourselves to stay out almost all night to spend as little time as we could in the room.

Besides the hostel, I think Antwerp is a city worth visiting if you have the time. Aside from the nightlife, they offer a great number of tourist sights like Antwerpen-Centraal, Grote Markt, Plantin-Moretus Museum and the Cathedral of Our Lady, to name a few. Once you’re done with your sightseeing and want to enjoy a drink or two, here are some places that are tried and true.

Rococo Antwerp  

Address: Grote Markt 32, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium

As I said before, we only spent one night in Antwerp and of course, with our luck, we ended up being there during a horrible storm. Because of this, we started our “night out” a little early and stumbled into Rococo Antwerp to avoid the rain. Although we enjoyed the place to ourselves due to a daytime visit as opposed to a nighttime club experience, the drink menu was intriguing and the staff was fun. 

We enjoyed a drink in the upstairs area and the place has a gorgeous interior. With stunning chandeliers and angelic statues hanging from the walls, the colorful velvet seats welcome you to relax and enjoy a view of the Grote Markt across the street. While this design flows throughout both the two levels, the ground level does have room for a dance floor and according to the staff, around 10 pm, the bar turns into a nightclub. 

The staff recommended we come back at nighttime to enjoy a cocktail and a lively scene but we had many more places to hit and never returned. However, on our lime scooter ride home, we passed Rococo Antwerp in the early hours of the morning and it was still bustling with people.

The Irish Times Pub

Address: Grote Markt 38, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium

Located just a couple of storefronts down from Rococo Antwerp, this pub offers that “Irish pub” energy that is always a good idea no matter where you are in the world. Like most Irish pubs, this one doesn’t disappoint. While it wasn’t our favorite place we visited that night, it is still worth a visit if you want a nice pint and a crowd. 

Some nights, they have entertainment for instance, when we went, it was a stand-up comedy night. Of course, they weren’t speaking English so we didn’t enjoy it as much as the fellow native speakers. They offer seating outside (clearly with a storm, this wasn’t ideal), upstairs and on the ground level. There is plenty of space in this pub and it offers a great “chill” vibe. 

Barok Antwerp

Address: Melkmarkt 11, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium

The size of this bar isn’t ideal for its popularity but it is still a great place to visit. As a whole, the bar has some dancing, tables and couches to sit at and they serve amazing cocktails. The bar backdrop is full of light that radiates a red ambiance to the rest of the room and while it seems like a fancy cocktail bar, the staff and cozy couches make the energy comfortable. In addition to the amazing atmosphere inside, just a stone’s throw away is the Cathedral of Our Lady making it the perfect, central location. 

It might be tight but it is full of interesting people that to be completely honest, entertained us for a few hours. As I mentioned before, Antwerp is home to Europe’s second-largest seaport so this bar was full of soldiers and yes, it was giving fleet week in New York City. Besides the crowd, the bar itself can stand on its own as a must-go-to location. The staff is kind and engaging. The drinks are delicious and range from 10-20 euros so it’s an averagely priced place. 

Billie’s Bier

Address: Kammenstraat 12, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium

Of all the locations my friends and I hit, I would say we stayed at Billie’s the longest. In the beginning, there was a bit of confusion with the staff as we solely came to this location for the beer flights and we were told they were too busy to serve those even though we were one of the only customers in the building at the time. 

As the night went on, more patrons crowded the bar so I understood the excuse then. Nevertheless, we all opted for regular pints of beer and we even nestled into a cozy corner upstairs with a couch and a “friendly” game of chess. I’m not the biggest beer drinker and enjoyed some of the “Farmhouse Ales” while my more avid beer drinker friends enjoyed classic Antwerp beers.

Since we stayed for so long, we ended up ordering some snacks. As a group, we ordered some nachos, wings and fries and it was all eaten with no crumbs left. As a whole, this bar offers a local and comfortable feeling and if you get the chance, you should enjoy the beer flight and stay for a while. 

Red and Blue

Address: Lange Schipperskapelstraat 11, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium

Red and Blue is a very animated night club and from what I understand on their website, also can be called “Cargo Club.” No matter what the name is, this was the most recommended place we heard from locals and online for going out so we decided to save it for last so we could enjoy the late-night crowd. 

Since we came at the end of the night, we were a bit tired and didn’t have the energy required to enjoy such a lively scene. My friends and I don’t usually frequent the night clubs so this was a lot for us but if you have the energy and stamina, it’s a great place. The music was great and the crowd was full of many different characters.

When we went, we got into the club for free since it was student night but once inside, you are required to get a locker for your purse and coat, and this cost around 2 euros, depending on the size of the locker. In addition to this, you must pay to use the bathroom and the bar is cash only so be sure to hold some euros on you. All this is not to bash the club but rather a warning. If you are a regular clubber, I’m sure this is normal for you, and if that’s the case, Red and Blue is a great place to visit in Antwerp. 

Besides the night scene, Antwerp is a great city full of rich history and it’s only a 45-minute bus ride away from Brussels making it the perfect pitstop to enjoy more cities in the amazingly beautiful country of Belgium.