From London to Athens, rooftop and sky bars have represented the pinnacle of the urban party environment for some years now. Brussels is no exception to this craze.
The 5 best rooftop bars in town
Also read: Our 5 favourite places for ice cream
A terrace in exotic wood, long-limbed waitresses, atmospheric music, free-flowing cocktails, large beds to stretch out on and enjoy an unrestricted view of the sunset… These days, any capital city worthy of the title must have a rooftop overlooking the urban landscape, a seventh floor to make you feel like you’re in seventh heaven.
Where does this obsession come from? That’s a question for the sociologists. In the age of globalisation, in which the city is always on the rise, it seems the average person wants to take stock of their living environment by observing it from a height. Ride the lift to the very top and you’ll experience a sense of impunity coupled with a feeling of dominance. Viewed from above, the bustle of humanity seems pretty insignificant. This is no doubt a reassuring perspective for an individual who is under constant social pressure.
Hanging garden
Brussels also has a few rooftops that fit the bill. We won’t return to the subject of the Beursschouwburg and its lofty and often lively terrace. Credit where credit is due, we will begin our tour of places from which to contemplate the city with Là-Haut Viage. Entered through the Nouvelles Galeries Anspach, this new and highly popular enterprise has taken up residence in the same building as Grand Casino Brussels.
Situated on the seventh floor, this 225-square-metre space, capable of accommodating 400 people, boasts a terrace and an unbeatable view of the city. What sets this place apart is that the organisers – four friends who previously brought us the J’Peux Pas J’Ai Piscine drinks on the roof of the JAM hotel – commissioned the interior designer Michel Penneman to create a genuine “hanging” garden.
Another initiative that deserves a mention is Play Label Rooftop. Set up by Crosly and the record company Play Label Records, this event takes place on the south-facing roof of the famous bowling alley. There is no fixed programme, but you can download a “Play Label Rooftop” app, which will send you a notification whenever a soirée is happening – between 5 pm and 10 pm – thanks to good weather.
By far the best thing about it is the somewhat edgy electro playlist provided by in-house DJs including Exon Bacon, Latence, and Red’Out. We love the excellent homemade-style decor with its synthetic grass, wooden hut, parrot, deer antlers, and hanging fabrics. What to drink? Without a doubt, the mojito, which ticks all the boxes. The place is not huge, so it’s better to arrive early; if the venue is full, the organisers apply a “first in, first served” policy.
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Urban farming
A stone’s throw from the Charleroisesteenweg/chaussée de Charleroi, the Pantone Hotel puts on the Panoramic by Le Toit after-work drinks. The famous colour chart was the inspiration for the design of this boutique hotel, which contains 59 rooms and suites. Each floor has its own colour scheme, which you can choose according to the mood you’re in. In the summer, two rooms on the top floor are made available to party animals, offering a magnificent 360° view of the city.
Then there are rooftop cocktails of a more exclusive nature: Summer Set. Started by Benoît Sauvage, the main attraction of this event, to which you gain access by signing up on the website, is the location, on the ninth floor of the Residence Palace, a building on Wetstraat/rue de la Loi which also houses one of the seats of the United Nations.
Our final recommendation is for a sweet little rooftop that is not in the business of supplying aperitifs: Peas & Love. It offers anyone in Brussels the opportunity to become an urban farmer by proxy. This is a chance to rent an allotment plot on the roof of the Caméléon shop in Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe/Woluwe-Saint-Lambert and harvest your own crops, just like in the countryside.
Read more about: Resto & Bar, Best of Summer
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