Brussels

Chelon

Fantastiche, Greg many thanks, hope you left some beer for us!

Chelon

Did you come across any good restaurants? Thinking ethnic - the Dutch have their fantastic Indonesians, but does Belgium have anything similar?

MrGee

I didnt, i was only interested in the bars and i ate cheese and meats with my beers! ( and plenty of waffles too) i didnt visit any restaurants although there is lots of them just off the grand place in brussels. Near delerium cafe. Seems very seafood orientated.

Running Balance

MrGee wrote: »

Just back from Belgium a week ago, Ill give u my recomendations of good beer bars in Brussels, Brugge and Antwerp.
Antwerp
1. De Groote Witte Arend
2.Gollem ( my favourite in antwerp)
3.Kulminator
4.Oud Arsenaal

Brugge
1.Brugs Bertje ( great bar and staff)
2.Cafe Red Rose
3.Cambrinus
4.Huisbrouwerij de halveman(Brewery Tour and there tasting room)

Brussels
1.Au Bon Vieux Temps
2.Au Brasseur
3.Cantillon Brewery( interesting tour and nice tasting)
4.Delirium Village
5.La Becasse
6.Little Delirium cafe
7.Moeder Lambic
8.Poechenellekelder
9.A la mort Subite( love this place, nice food and lovely geuze)

Was in all of the above bars, all great places for beer fans to visit.

Greg

Cheers for the detail Greg,

Heading to Bruges at the end of November and at a loss what to..

Any tips things to do avoid..

Ta

MrGee

Running Balance wrote: »

Cheers for the detail Greg,

Heading to Bruges at the end of November and at a loss what to..

Any tips things to do avoid..

Ta

Ive been to brugge 3 times, only a place to go for a day trip imo.
First time i went did a few touristy things like a boat cruise on the canal and a horse and cart ride as well as wandering around stopping into churches etc.
The other 2 times it was all about beer, stopping into as many new bars as possible to try new beers. The brewery tour at the haave man is pretty decent if your interested in beer brewing. Belgium is a great place, dont think there has ever been anything to avoid.

Chelon

Recent Bruges and Brussels trip:-
Bruges:-

Beertjes Bar - very good place, don't ask for "Bertie's Bar", pronounce it properly and the locals will show you where it is.

http://www.brugsbeertje.be/index_en.htm

Boat trip round the canals - very nice and bit of a bargain at €7

Belfry - worth going up, not so much for the view, but to see the campanological (think that's right hic) mechanics at work. Quite something.

Devaney's Irish pub - bit meh, we heard the Cambrinus across the road was better especially for food, but didn't get to try it.

Basilica of the Holy Blood - even if you're not religious, go in to see the interior, it's stunning.

Brussels:-

Big thanks to Greg, Mort Subite and especially Moeder Lambic at Fontainas were superb. Best beer of the trip was enjoyed at Moeder, an Adelardus Bruin, absolutely delicious and am now on a search to see if it's available here.

Also one of our party jokingly asked for a Guinness one night at Le Cirio (next to the Bourse). The bottled "Special Export Stout" that arrived was quite wonderful, at 8% a completely different experience to the draught stuff here.

Micky Dolenz

MrGee wrote: »

Just back from Belgium a week ago, Ill give u my recomendations of good beer bars in Brussels, Brugge and Antwerp.
Antwerp
1. De Groote Witte Arend
2.Gollem ( my favourite in antwerp)
3.Kulminator
4.Oud Arsenaal

Brugge
1.Brugs Bertje ( great bar and staff)
2.Cafe Red Rose
3.Cambrinus
4.Huisbrouwerij de halveman(Brewery Tour and there tasting room)

Brussels
1.Au Bon Vieux Temps
2.Au Brasseur
3.Cantillon Brewery( interesting tour and nice tasting)
4.Delirium Village
5.La Becasse
6.Little Delirium cafe
7.Moeder Lambic
8.Poechenellekelder
9.A la mort Subite( love this place, nice food and lovely geuze)

Was in all of the above bars, all great places for beer fans to visit.

Greg

Au Bon Vieux Temps was a local of mine, liked it a lot in there.

Would like to add The Beer Circus to the Brussels list. Great selection of beers and was never overly busy in all the times I was there. Does food too.

MrGee

Micky Dolenz wrote: »

Au Bon Vieux Temps was a local of mine, liked it a lot in there.

Would like to add The Beer Circus to the Brussels list. Great selection of beers and was never overly busy in all the times I was there. Does food too.

I heard great things about the beer circus!, its closed on mondays i think, it was when we were there anyway. I will defo visit there my next belgium trip.

pdebarra

BeerNut wrote: »

My missus went to Brussels for a work thing about ten years ago and came back with a tale of the disgusting local sour beer one of her colleagues had dared her to drink.

Had a similar experience with the Mort Subite geuze: the vilest form of beer imaginable, closer to vinegar, could barely get it down me neck. But now I love it! Well, not so much the Mort Subite one. My favourite is the Boon Oude Geuze Mariage Parfait, but there may well be better ones out there that I have yet to try.

Next month, I shall embark once more on a voyage of discovery to that Promised Land, and see what I can find!

MrGee

pdebarra wrote: »

Had a similar experience with the Mort Subite geuze: the vilest form of beer imaginable, closer to vinegar, could barely get it down me neck. But now I love it! Well, not so much the Mort Subite one. My favourite is the Boon Oude Geuze Mariage Parfait, but there may well be better ones out there that I have yet to try.

Next month, I shall embark once more on a voyage of discovery to that Promised Land, and see what I can find!

Lol, When i got back from brussels recently i was getting craves for a morte subite geuze. I only drank one geuze per visit and only in morte subite. It wouldnt be a style i would seek out but i found myself really looking forward and enjoying it.
You have me wanting one now!!

Il have to plan a quick 2 nighter trip to brussels early next year!!

Chelon

MrGee wrote: »

Lol, When i got back from brussels recently i was getting craves for a morte subite geuze. I only drank one geuze per visit and only in morte subite. It wouldnt be a style i would seek out but i found myself really looking forward and enjoying it.
You have me wanting one now!!

Il have to plan a quick 2 nighter trip to brussels early next year!!

Can't say I enjoyed the Mort Subite gueze - would you have to be a wheat beer fan to get it? I'm not. Wondering how many glasses you'd have to try before it got you :P

I didn't like the kriek either. My favourites were the ale and stout styles, like De Koninck and top of the list for me, Adelardus Bruin.

Isn't it amazing that whatever bar you are in, the beer is always served perfectly chilled (not overly though) and presented. Love to go back soon...

Chelon

Quick one - can anyone recommend a website for ordering some of the rarer Belgian beers?

MrGee

Not necessarily a wheat thing, i enjoy trying all beers, with a preferance for darker coloured ones.
I guess i found it refreshing, was a change from the 10%+ bombs that id been drinking before and afterward.
And one is enough!, in belgium i never drank the same beer twice in a day.

Geuze

pdebarra wrote: »

Had a similar experience with the Mort Subite geuze: the vilest form of beer imaginable, closer to vinegar, could barely get it down me neck. But now I love it! Well, not so much the Mort Subite one. My favourite is the Boon Oude Geuze Mariage Parfait, but there may well be better ones out there that I have yet to try.

Next month, I shall embark once more on a voyage of discovery to that Promised Land, and see what I can find!

I think that Mort Subite make a geuze and a Oude Geuze

Here is a review of the geuze, scoring 56:

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/mort-subite-gueuze-lambic/5965/




Here is the Oude Geuze, scoring 95:
http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/mort-subite-oude-gueuze-formerly-fond/10814/

Geuze

pdebarra wrote: »

My favourite is the Boon Oude Geuze Mariage Parfait, but there may well be better ones out there that I have yet to try.

Lovely, lovely beer. I'd say it's made with pride.

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/boon-oude-geuze-mariage-parfait/12027/


Available in a few off-licences in Ireland.

sarkozy

I prefer Mort Subite to Boon, which you can get in the Porterhouse.