The
cafes around the
Grande-Place and place Rihour
are always buzzing with life.
Rue de Paris has lots of
tacky, loud, crushed
bars
raging at all hours, while rue
Basse and nearby place
Louise-de-Bettignies have some
trendier spots. Bars are thick
on the ground in rues
Solférino and Masséna, and
attract a young crowd. Art and
music events are always worth
checking up on - there's a
particularly lively jazz
scene. Pick up a copy of the
free weekly
listings
magazine ,
Sortir ,
from the tourist office, or
look in the local paper,
La
Voix du Nord.
L'Angle Saxo , 36
rue d'Angleterre (tel
03.20.06.15.06). Relaxed bar
with good jazz - and you can
hear yourself speak. Drinks
are pricier than the pubs.
Daily 9pm-2am, with concerts
generally Thurs-Sun.
Bâteau Ivre , 41
rue Lepelletier. Loud music
ranging from house to soul in
a pleasant street in the old
quarter. Mainly young crowd.
Mon-Fri 3pm-2am, Sat 11am-2am.
Cafe au Bureau ,
rue de Béthune. Done out with
plenty of brass and dark
woodwork, and offering a
hundred kinds of beer. Tables
outside are crowded with young
things watching the parade.
Les Deux Zèbres ,
57 rue Basse. Groovy stripy
bar, with an intimate
atmosphere, playing Eighties
music. Daily 6pm-2am.
Father Moustache ,
19 rue Masséna. In a street
lined with bars, this is as
good a place as any to join a
mainly student crowd. Daily
9pm-2am.
L'Imaginaire , place
Louise-de-Bettignies, next
door to the Hôtel Treille
. Arty young bar with
paintings adorning the walls.
Mon-Sat 10pm-2am.
Les Trois Brasseurs
, 22 place de la Gare. Dark,
smoke-stained dining stalls
surround copper cauldrons in
this genuine brasserie that
brews its own beer. Food is
also served but it's the beer
that's the main attraction.
