Turning right in the middle of Antwerp’s wide shopping boulevard the Meir, you enter the university neighborhood where students of all stripes crack open the books and kick back pints. Here the minds of tomorrow are taking classes as well as shots, with the Ossenmarkt and Stadswaag squares functioning as party central for students who need to blow off some steam.
Home to no less than six student clubs, De Prof (short for professor) has long been one of Antwerp’s most popular student cafés. Straight across from a cluster of auditoriums and a 3-minute walk from the city campus library, its location is ideal for fueling up with a brewski on an hour break between classes. Theme parties like Mexican Night are daily delights with the many presidia (student club governments) at the helm, and closing hours tend to be a question mark.
A bit loungier than student bars in Antwerp tend to be, Barracuda keeps it classy with retro wallpaper, a nice assortment of fresh teas and a similarly extensive array of cocktails. A bit contradictory to this cozy, elegant vibe is its selection of shots with not-too-subtle sexual names, though the mini-pintje’ (or tiny pint) really is worth a try.
The house shot at Barracuda | Courtesy of Barracuda
Young artistic Antwerp has always had a soft spot for De Muze, the city’s legendary jazz café. Students, bohemians and musicians have been gathering here since the 1960s, finding a second home in the charming bar with its snug mezzanine. Live music and candlesticks hanging from the walls provide an atmosphere conducive to relaxing and letting your worries – and time – slip away, until you suddenly find yourself walking home at 4am in the morning.
Student club Eligia swings the scepter at ‘t Vervolg, where a whole set of resident DJ’s stands at the ready to make every party count. ‘t Vervolg bartenders tend to excel at showmanship (think not just shots on fire but an entire bar). The music is loud, the neighborhood historic and the terrace always buzzing.
The centrally located Den Doedelzak has contrived an alcohol-themed promotional angle for every single night. Vodka Mondays, Bacardi Tuesdays and Beer Pub Wednesdays are but a grasp of what reigning student club Hermes has thought up to attract fellow students. That and the built-in fireplace make Den Doedelzak a destination, especially in the colder months.
To heavy lifters’ delight, well-tapped 33cl’s at democratic prices are the standard at this authentic watering hole. When in need of a smaller beer you’ll have to ask for a 25cl specifically. The brown café with its dark wooden interior attracts anyone and everyone, from working professionals to students whose auditoriums are right nearby. Give the barman/woman a nice smile and he or she will gracefully let you bring in the fries you brought from around the corner. Kassa 4 holds extensive opening hours so grab a coffee in the morning and return at night for a party.
De Salamander, along with the aforementioned Kassa 4, is one of those fixed values students keep flocking to on the Ossenmarkt. For some reason – nobody has exactly figured out why – it’s the place to go for Spanish-speaking Erasmus students. The happy hours and wild cocktail parties probably play their part, as does the pool table area upstairs where you can take a breather from the noise.
Four different student clubs call this bar home, and what a home it is. A 10-meter long bar in the Art Deco style, a graffiti wall by Brussels-born artist Steve Locatelli and a 16th-century basement turned party temple makes La Dolce Vita stand out above the pack. You can always count on resident DJs Progrez, Fomas and Laurent to dig up some deep house vinyl tracks you’d never heard before and every first Friday of the month a big name stops by for House Nation. Every other Friday is Ladies’ Night, with mojitos, cuba libres and caipirinhas galore.
The student clubs of La Dolce Vita | Courtesy of La Dolce Vita
For over 30 years and counting ‘t Waagstuk has been there for students who prefer craft beer and good conversation to a thumping party. The tavern’s menu includes a hundred different kinds of bottled beers, ten more on tap (including Trappist Chimay and Tripel Karmeliet) and their very own house brew. Drink your way through the list while making new mates at the communal, medieval-style wooden tables.
Another popular student bar to jump on the happy hour train, De Schacht is wild on the inside and unusually cute on the outside. Don’t let the pub’s medieval corner façade on the Sint-Jacobsmarkt fool you: a great number of raucous parties are thrown here by its resident student clubs. Wednesdays get especially boisterous with pints at a mere euro a pop.
