For many of us, our social skills were honed on a (frequently rainy) Friday or Saturday night as we bar-hopped around the city. The destination bars had to meet one or more specific criteria… cheap beer, ambiance, specialty drink, and/or enough space for a constantly changing group size.

These five bars seemed to always make the weekend rotation during the late 70’s and 80’s:

1. The King of Spain (Le Roy d’Espagne)
   In the age before cell phones, you could always find a familiar face at the King of Spain. The draw here was location, location, location. The Grand Place is difficult to surpass. The expansive terrasse was certainly the first choice for seating. It made for easy friend-spotting as well as soaking in the magic. Disagreeable weather had us heading straight upstairs to the cozy nooks which gave us a bird’s eye view of the cobbled greatness.
   The drink of choice: Beer (cheapest available)
   
   
2. The Golden (La Chaloupe D’or – De Gulden Boot)
   Another Grand Place favorite. However, we seemed to leave the terrasse to the tourists and simply made a beeline for the upstairs quaintness. Fewer customers ventured upstairs and we could spread out as our throngs increased. It felt almost private.
   The drink of choice: Golden (Who can forget the floating cucumber in this secret Campari elixir?)
   
   
3. The Coffin (Le Cercueil)
   The gimmick worked. This macabre-themed bar accessed down a questionably dark hallway was always intriguing. The skull-shaped mugs, dim red lighting and blacklight coupled with coffin tables made it a perfect stop to rehydrate after the Grand Place.
   The drink of choice: Anything in a skull mug
   
   
4. The Cider Bar (à la Bécasse)
   Another hidden gem located down a narrow passageway. This was the place many of us received our first extensive Belgian beer experience. Ceramic jugs of kriek, lambic, gueuze, and even cider would be passed around as merriment ensued.
   The drink of choice: Not Stella
   
   
5. The Raven (Le Corbeau)
   Just off the Rue Neuve, this was one of the destinations most likely to lend itself to a story. It was one of the few stops with a bouncer. Inside, the music played while the crowd enthusiastically drank and caroused.
   The drink of choice: A chevalier of anything