Le Cercueil Bar in Brussels

I'm not a big fan of the Belgian capital, (Sorry Brusselers) but if I had to say something nice about Brussels, it would be that it does have some great bars. But one bar in particular called Le Cercueil, deserves a mention. Not for its trendiness, ambiance or great beer. No, more for its morbidness.

photo by elPadawan off flickr

Translated into English this bar is called the coffin, so I guess you know what's coming next. Passers-by are beckoned into this spooky establishment by a skeleton reclining in the window. A purple shroud and a discoloured wreath keep him company. When we walked in, we needed a minute so our eyes could adjust to the darkness of the room which was only list by candlelight and black light. When our vision cleared, we took a bewildered look around.

photo by elPadawan off flickr

Tables were non-existent. Punters sat at actual coffins with skeletons peeping back at them. The walls were painted black and decorated by Gothic paintings of graveyards and Frankenstein lookalikes interspersed with  wreaths of flowers you'd generally find at funerals.

Drinks were served from skulls. Not real ones, just fyi. They're massive mugs shaped as skulls. Although they do have normal glassware as well. The drinks vary from regular Belgian beer to wines, but the menu also features an abundance of cocktails with 'enticing' names such as 'the devil's spit, 'a demon's seamen' and 'urine of a cadaver'. Yum.

As morbid as this place sounds, the atmosphere however is not what you'd normally find at a funeral. The people that were there when we were, sounded pretty jovial. We only stayed for one. Because as quirky as we all thought it was, who wants to have a night out at a funeral home?

photo by elPadawan off flickr

You can find Le Cercueil at 10-12 Rue des Harengs, Brussels near the Grande Place/ Grote Markt.