L'Archiduc

L’Archiduc has a great location and a calm atmosphere, but sadly the place feels very neglected. Many of the seats and tables are broken, and it looks like nothing has been updated in decades. For a bar with such history, it’s a real shame that it’s so poorly maintained. On top of that, the drink prices are higher than average, which makes the experience even more disappointing.

Lovely experience, highly recommend the U Green Cocktail that was absolutely divine and refreshing, staff is fast and very friendly, will come back !

Really lovely venue - Art Deco design with a great vibe. I enjoyed the margaritas and the amazing jazz music. Totally worth a visit and within walking distance of the square.

The place to be for jazz lovers, and vintage bars. Open every night till 5.00 in the early hours. 80 years old and still standing strong with every weekend free jam sessions of live artists . Very cool decor and atmosphere.

A cultural heritage from 1937. I went there on monday, at noon, and without any ongoing special events. Very friendly staff and amazing pisco sour. The prices are also reasonable.

My favorite bar in Brussels—relaxed vibe, great drinks, and the perfect spot to hang out on weekends.

Always a pleasant service, nice & affordable cocktails and often live piano music. Otherwise nice jazz music. A bit crowded during the weekends, but during the week very easy get a table. Highly recommended.

I fell in love with this place... it has a great ambiance, very unique interior. A gem indeed! Servers are very nice and they give good suggestions as well. I loved how they made my special mocktail! It was amazing being here with the nice music and very interesting crowd they have as well. This is a must visit place in Brussels!

Can't remember if I sought this place out or if I happened upon it, but a Sunday night in sleepy Brussels came alive thanks to Archiduc. It's as jazzy as they come. Real old school cats jammin' out as if no one else is there. The crowd is hypnotized and for good reason, as the musicians are spellbinding. I felt a little out of place at first since my idea of jazz is limited, and by limited, I mean whatever Carrie listens to on Homeland, but after a couple songs and a couple martinis, I was at ease. When there is a band playing, it's quite intimidating walking in, but just do it and you will be handsomely rewarded with an evening of magical tunes and adult bevvies.

Love this spot! The vibe is cool, live music is hot and the drinks are good! Very central and very trendy, recommend it to both locals and visitors.

Fun fact: A Belgian, Adolphe Sax invented the saxophone. This, and my love for Jazz and speakeasy vibes prompted me to come here. Atmosphere: Cosy and intimate. Not a bad seat in the house! The decor is said to be in its original 1930s aesthetic, which at first glance appears simple. But if you pay attention to the revolving curvature of the glass doors there is detailing to be admired. I love that patrons ring in for the feeling of exclusivity, but yet it's a down to earth spot. Drinks: Your standard fare. I opted for the beer (I'm in Belgium after all) but there are also cocktails and bites. Verdict: Come early to grab a seat and enjoy!

A Brussels institute: often packed, but always with good vibes and great music. Good for dancing or drinking, or both!

Pretty cool spot if you're looking for somewhere to squirrel away by yourselves for a drink in nice surroundings. The mezzanine is where you wanna be - check out the action down below and hide away from the world. The architecture is original 1930s and it honestly doesn't look like much has been changed since then. It's a little crumbly and rough round the edges but the original beauty is still there. We got a couple of decent drinks in there for decent prices, served by a very decent and friendly waitress. So why the three stars? We called in early evening and it was a little lacking in atmosphere - I guess there was no music on yet and not many people around, so I'd love to go back and try it again when it was more thronged.

A lovely ambience with live piano music. Being a former piano player I really enjoyed the view and the sound at the upstairs balcony. Very romantic.. And if I'm not mistaken the guests are allowed to play the piano as well as long as they can show the skill. There was some singing involved too. Staff's approach was very relaxing but at the same time attentive. It felt like at home.. And most of all I discovered there my new favourite abbey beer La Ramee Blonde :) The place has a very peculiar but interesting architectural structure. Pity that if it hadn't been for my local friend - I'd probably not know this little gem existed.

Just like so many before have noted, this place is really cozy and intimate. That really contributes to its charm because it's a very laid back place that serves great cocktails (I suggest the U-Green if you like gin) and really fulfills its jazzy roots. I really dig this place and the general ambiance it gives off. I would recommend coming when they have live music (5pm I believe) or after 9pm.

An original 1930s cocktail bar in the very center of Brussels with a grand piano in the middle. A bit rundown now but late at night when the lights are dim and the piano is blasting you won't mind. Drinks are excellent and appropriately strong. Servers are kind, charming and cute. This is a bit of an institution and a thing to do when in Brussels. Highly recommend the dry martini.

Love the atmosphere of this bar! Laied-back place to enjoy a cocktail or a local beer. The mezzanine is really cosy Ps: if you are lucky, there will be someone playing the piano which certainly adds a special vibe to the bar

We had an experience that I belive needs to be shared on yelp. Before I arrived, a friend ordered a glass of wine (une verre du vin). The server brought a small Carlsberg and the wine (during the concert she could have heard "une bière et un vin". We refused the beer (not my thing at all), it was taken away immediately, but eventually reappeared on the bill. Mistakes happen, but what should not have happened was a very aggressive and condescending lecture how the bar was going to "offer" us a non-wanted beer this time, but in the future the clients are always responsible for the incorrect orders. I hope it was just staff having a bad day and not a general understanding that we are taking over the commercial risk of a server's human error. Some of my friends really like this bar, it would be a shame if I had to insist we meet somewhere else.

Had a very uncomfortable encounter with the bouncer. I arrived with four guys (All american) and he said there were a lot of guys and he couldn't let us in. Right before us though, 5 gives went in and right after us, another 2 guys went in. I think it was discriminatory because we did not speak french. I urge anyone considering to visit place to NOT SUPPORT.

Art Déco bar + local vibes ! Discovered this bar via a local friend from Brussels. Art Déco design, Jazz bar with a piano in the middle, nice vibes, local friendly people, full bar, what else do you want ? I had a great evening here, come and drink, you will too.

I like this place. It is not very big and often it is quite packed but I like the crowd. Prices are not cheap but it is the city center... I have been a couple of times when they have some group or somebody playing music and I was a bit disappointed but still not enough to not be back. Good selection of beers. The bar itself is tiny but they can make you some nice beverages if you ask. I like this bar to start a night in the area. Do they ever play the piano?

Best bar. Ever. Good music, nice drinks and everyone is just relaxing. If this were the Michelin guide, it would say it's worth the detour.

I expected more from Archiduc given its history. However, I thought it was disappointing. There isn't a schedule online, so you never know when there will be live music, which is frustrating. When we visited, the pianist was good but only played for a short amount of time since he was a volunteer. While I enjoyed the music, I was hoping for more of a concert/performance. Plus, the drinks are pricey and the beer selection is meh. It's not a bad spot, but there are plenty of other live music/jazz bars in the city to check out.

This place seemed so sad. We walked in on a Wednesday night (10-11pm) and the place was completely dead. They were playing pop music over the speakers, until some guy walked in off the street and started playing classical music on the piano. Don't get me wrong, the classical music was nice but not what was expected. The seats are rough/falling apart and not taken care of. I'm hoping that this place is better on the weekends because during the week it's terrible.

Fantastic, intimate live music venue with friendly staff and great beer selection & cocktails. I saw a phenomenal Afrobeat band and thoroughly enjoyed the evening. Not a bad seat in the house and a great atmosphere. Highly recommended if you're a live music fan visiting Brussels.

Atmospheric and elegant bar in central Brussels. Intimate and friendly. Live music of Greek folk band on the night of my visit. Can't believe I haven't discovered this Brussels gem before now!

This bar is a Brussels staple. It's small, but draws a good crowd. The music is pretty decent. The upstairs has seating around the balcony, which can be a great place to relax. You probably have to get there early to grab a seat though. As the night rolls on, the downstairs area gets pretty crowded.

Kind of bummed I came here for live music, but they only do that Monday nights during the summer. Still the 1930's Art Deco interior is very cool. The bar is small and intimate, but was very chill on a Saturday night. Beer selection is decent. Still trying to figure out why they gave me a mini glass ( shot size) of beer to go along with my big glass of Orval. I do know whatever was in there was pretty tasty. Good bar to start the night or just chill with some friends

Nice place to listen to excellent jazz Saturdays at 5pm

As a tourist passing through town, I went to see "Golden Boy" perform on Monday night. Pianist and string player. Enjoyed the show very much. Was a bit crowded but not a problem. No cover. Recommended.

The grand old Duc Once you get past the slightly intimidating (but actually pretty indiscrimate) 'ring to get in' door policy, prepare to take a step back in time to a 1920s luxury liner. From the leather buckets seats via the dimmed vintage wall lights to the grand piano, there is no better place to enjoy an impeccably-made Cosmopolitan in the early hours. Just superb.

The bar of central Brussels! An Art Deco gem left intact since its construction and original design, great beautiful place for cocktails and live jazz. Always a good choice ! Some artsy locals are always there or passing by, cosy warm and perfect size for a late night drink or on the weekend after a shopping spree !