Kicking back with friends in a bar or restaurant is a great way to unwind after a hard day or week of work, but how about doing something different with your gang?
We’ve put together four ideas of things you can do with your friends to spice things up a little, discover hidden talents, or just try something new.
And don’t worry, this list doesn’t include escape games.
Board game nights
Step back into time to unleash memories of family fun playing classic board games from Monopoly to backgammon, but this time with a twist – a bar atmosphere.
Board Games Fanatics Luxembourg is a multicultural community that meets every Friday from 19.30 to midnight at the Independent Café’s upper floor (Fire Room). It’s open to beginners or experienced players, and smaller groups or individuals can join friendly tables to play new games or old favourites. You can find out more here.
Rotondes is hosting the annual Game On! event on 28-29 November and entry is free to this two-day gaming marathon. You can try a range of video games made in Luxembourg, participate in tournaments and catch exclusive presentations of game prototypes by their authors.
De Gudde Wellen hosts Board Game Nights, usually the first week of the month, with the next one on 3 November. You can come alone or with friends, find a board game, and order food and drinks. If you need help, organisers (IG Board Game Nights) will help you find the right game to try. You pay €5 at the end of the night.
Board game fanatics should head to Bei de Minettsdapp which also has a cafe in Esch-sur-Alzette, and is filled from floor to ceiling with board games, if you and your friends want a limitless supply of games.
If board games sound like too much hard work, then GANG the food hall at Belle Etoile hosts bingo nights, and chess and uno tournaments. You can check their events page for upcoming games evenings and grab a pizza whilst you are there.
GRIDX in Wincrange also hosts games nights, and you can view their events agenda here.
Pub quiz nights
Social Gaming Luxembourg organises pub quizzes hosted by Jerome at Café Bei de Minettsdapp in Esch-sur-Alzette, where teams of up to six people can test their knowledge with entry costing €5 per person.
Quiz Collect organises quiz nights across several bars including Bar Grand Place and Independent Cafe in the capital and Cafe Saga at Belval. You can check their Instagram page for up to date information.
De Gudde Wellen also hosts regular quiz nights with Benjamin, Yann and Pol that guarantee fun even if you don’t know the answer. You need five people and you pre-register (the next one is 12 November, registration by 1 November). Entry is €5 per person, and the winning two teams take home cash prizes. The quiz usually starts at 20:00 and is finished by 22:00.
Carlitos Comedy Club, Rocas and GANG hold ad hoc quiz nights, so keep an eye on their social media posts.
If you’re a quizzer looking for a real challenge then sign up for the Come Together quiz in Differdange, which will see 33 six-person teams competing on 28 October. You can register for it and find more details here.
Karaoke
You can choose from 50,000 songs at Caribou karaoke lounge, which has a free bar area where you can try some singing, but there are also private karaoke lounges which can accommodate up to eight people.
Friday night is karaoke night at Café Saga in Esch-sur-Alzette, where you are invited to “sing your heart out on stage”.
Boom! Karaoke in Wickrange has private rooms to hire for karaoke with friends. Rooms can accommodate up to 12 people.
You can also head to The Pyg in Clausen for karaoke every Thursday from 21:00, whilst Oscar’s Bar in Grund also hosts occasional karaoke nights, as does Mama Shelter.
Bowling, baby-foot and billiards
I am Wow! is a relatively new place in Bertrange’s City Concorde complex, where you can enjoy bowling, billiards, baby-foot (table football), pétanque and shuffleboard. Unlike most bowling complexes, targeted at families, this place stays open until 1:00 on Friday and Saturday nights and has a DJ set from 20:00.
It also serves up food that goes beyond the usual burger (although it has a long list of these), such as ribs, steaks, paellas and pinsas. There’s a selection of mocktails, but also quite a good selection of cocktails and a wine list. You can book for just 30 minutes (minimum one hour for bowling) or up to three hours if you want to make a night of it with friends.
A similar concept is run by Strike Howald, a restaurant and sports bar where you can play table football, billiards, shoot basketballs and, of course, bowl. They serve up fajitas, pasta and pizza.
For somewhere more central, Oscar’s Diner has pool/billiards, darts, table tennis and kicker (table football). It has a good selection of burgers and beers. The pool/billiards table is just €12 for an hour, so it won’t break the bank.