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Non-Toursist Tourism in Brussels :: Ixelles Bar Scene

Want to know where the hipsters hang in Brussels? Try Ixelles, a small bohemian area just south of the touristy Grand Place--full of cafes, lively pubs, and plenty of Art Nouveau buildings. Ixelles has a bit of a history--Karl Marx and Alexandre Dumas both lived here for a time and the place still has that struggling artist feel. For those of you familiar with San Francisco, if Ixelles was an SF neighborhood, it would be Cole Valley. Or to put it in geek--if Craig Newmark lived in Brussels he would live in Ixelles.

Avenue Louise, where all the Brussels high end retail shops sit, divides Ixelles into two areas. We spent our time south of Louise, and walked through the tres Belgian streets and squares until we found our spot, on Ru Du Bailli. Here, just up the street from Parv de la Trinite, we found a bar on all four corners of a square, each with its own plusses and minuses. We split our time at two spots: Roxi (82 Rue du Bailli), a definite hipster hang, and the Irish Bank which was a full on sports pub, and, or so we were told, the only Irish pub in Brussels. The evening we were sipping Chimay, France was involved in some late night football action, and the crowd was decidely French, of course. Late night at Roxi we learned our first important lesson about drinking in Belgium--mixed drinks are overpriced and not always made right, so stick to beer.

Once the sun goes down on the rue (after 10pm in late June) the nearby Ste Trinite should light up the night sky for your viewing pleasure. Oh, and the bars are all within stumbling distance of most Avenue Louise hotels.

Related Stories:
·   More Ixelles Photos [Jaunted/Flickr]
·   Belgium Field Trip [Jaunted]