Antwerp

So lets start with a bit of history and scene setting about this great beer town. Antwerpen is renowned as being the diamond capital of the world. It is the second largest city and municipality in Belgium as well as the capital of the province of Flanders. This cosmopolitan, down to earth city is full of fascinating architecture and historical institutions, complemented by a lively nightlife.

The city has always held an important place in the Benelux economic union. It is located on the banks of the river Scheldt and is bordered by the countries of The Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and France. Next to being the second largest city it is also the second largest port in Europe behind Rotterdam, Netherlands, and is one of the 10 largest ports in the world.

The people of Antwerp have always been known for their happy go lucky way of life. This could be because of their easy-going lifestyles and their liking of good food. Among all the European countries, Antwerpens are known to be the happiest people on earth. For this very reason many tourists are attracted to Antwerp, so that their trip turns out to be relaxing and enjoyable.

The metropolitan is known as the largest trader of diamonds with 70% of trading done in Antwerp. For centuries it has been known as the “diamond capital of the world”. Diamond cutting, polishing and trading is the crux of the city’s economy.

The trademark cobbled roads, historical heritage, excellent bars and restaurants, diamonds, and chic shopping centres are enough for any tourist to be drawn to Antwerp. Antwerp is a city of many facets like that of being a shopaholic’s heaven and a girl’s best friend for its diamonds. Beer lovers can have their own ‘heady’ time by trying all the typical Belgian flavours.

So lets start off to one of the worlds must visit beer bars Kulminator, Vleminckveld 32, Number of beers: 550; Closed on Sunday Open Monday from 20.00 till ? Tuesday to Fiday:12.00-00.30, Saturday from 17.00 till ?

Found on a stretch of street in Antwerpen that seems out of place, it's tucked away into the heart of Antwerp and from the outside it looks just like another old European pub. The inside has an old and rustic feel while out back is a small outdoor seating area flushed out by low hanging tree branches and about ten cats running around all over the place. The tome (beer menu) is mind bendingly huge with enough vintages to drown in. I also recommend taking a look in the back cellar window and kindly asking if anything you see is available to be had? Its quiet during the days, which is the best time to visit for a serious session.

Afspanning 't Waagstuk, Stadswaag 20.

Number of beers: 100

Open Fri: 10.00 - 04.00, Sat: 14.00 - 04.00 Sun: 14.00 - 02.00 Other days: 10.00 - 02.00
This place is not easy to find. It is quite a few turns from the central square in Antwerp, and sort of down a dead-end. It is in a little square, but appeared to be the only place in the square open on the Saturday afternoon?

't Waagstuk is located in a quaint and historic multi-roomed building -formerly a carriage house/inn dating from the mid-16th century. One enters the restaurant through a tiled open courtyard with a few tables; the bar area is to the immediate right of the main door, bypassing a couple small dining rooms. Yellowing plaster walls covered tastefully with artwork prints and some beer-related advertising, a red-orange tile floor with a number of wooden tables and chairs, and a rustic wood-beamed ceiling with hundreds of suspended ceramic mugs exude a comfortable, homey ambience.

Our server was excellent. He was an older gentleman, who spoke excellent English and had an encyclopaedic knowledge of beer. He did a great job making recommendations for us. In terms of beer-geek experiences in Antwerp, this was tops especially the Beer Cuisine; The chef and bartender are really cool and can always recommend fantastic meals and beer pairings.

Bier Central, De Keyserlei 25.

Number of beers: 300. Open Daily 10:00 - 02:00

Someone has spent a lot of money in setting this place up and it looks fantastic, really well done, a true olde worlde feel to it. Lots of beery bits, advertising boards and mirrors etc.... Upstairs their is a disco bar is all ‘60’s retro’ in design, with a smaller tap and bottle selection. So the thing here is if you want a quite drink go in the afternoon as it gets very busy and noisy in the evening. Beer wise a decent selection with some true gems, but a bit of a tourist trap so the beers tend to be way over price.

Paters Vaetje, Blauwmoezelstraat 1

Number of beers: 100.

Open Sun to Thu :11.00-03.00, Fri & Sat : 11.00 -05.00

Paters is in a very nice position just behind Der Kathedral. On the map it appears to be on a street, but in reality the outdoor seating is just a hop, skip and a jump from the Cathedral walls. The inside of the place is very small but there is an upstairs area which beckons from above the bar.

Run by an all female staff that has little idea of what they have available. Obviously the idea is more to cater to the needs of tourists than beer afficionados. The beer list appeared to only have 5 drafts, but was long with regard to the offerings. Paters does not take Credit Cards, but who cares; make sure you hit a cash machine before going there. Also a must is the WC, as in most Belgian bars be sure to leave your humility at home as you stand at the urinal and the world walks by!

't Antwaerps Bierhuiske, Hoogstraat 14

Number of beers: 100.

Open every day from:11.00 - 02.00

Bierhuiske is a rather small place located in the neighbourhood of Grote Markt and the Kathedraal. It is a long, narrow place, with the bar on the left as you enter. There are lots of mirrors, making the place look larger than it is. There are small tables near the door and along the right wall behind the bar stools and some tables in the rear. There was lots of breweriana on the walls. A long mirror on the wall opposite the bar, and glass behind the bar. It has got a wide range of interesting Belgian bottle beers that you can pick directly from the fridges at the rear end of the bar. There was also have a take-away service. We were nicely served by a friendly and smiling barmaid We enjoyed the beers, atmosphere, service and music from the 60s.

de Groote Witte Arend, Reyndersstraat 18

Number of beers: 80

Open from Sunday till Thursday from 10.30 till 24.00 then Friday till Saturday open from 10.30 till 02.00

Near the Grote Markt, Quite near the Kulminator. Located in courtyard, with a chapel inside the building (something like convent). In summer, there are about 15 massive wooden tables out in the yard. Inside, it’s on two floors looks like medieval church or train waiting room from the beginning of 20th century. Cosy and quiet atmosphere, excellent to relax from some places with loud music here you can hear just classical music. Very good beer selection, few rare beers, and also beer of the month in big bottles.

Oud Arsenaal, Maria Pijpelincxstraat 4.

Number of beers: 50. Open; Sat - Sun: 07.30 - 19.30, Other days: from 09.00

This is, of course, a must-visit café in Antwerpen. A wonderful cafe with an original inter-war interior. Despite its fame, still caters mainly for locals. This bar has a really great vibe, and sitting there felt like one of the 'proper' Belgian pub experiences. No beer list but bottles are displayed behind the bar and the latest offerings are written on blackboards. There is usually something interesting available, often unusual Lambics It is an one roomed, old fashioned and super relaxed café with enough beers on tap and bottle to choose from. The house beer on tap is called Arsenaaltje which is an amber bitter. Polite service. A must stop in my opinion. Come for the atmosphere, stay for the beer!

Quinten Matsijs, Moriaanstraat 17.

Number of beers: 35. Open; Tuesday till Saturday open from 12.00 till ?
Sundays open from 12.00 till 20.00. Closed on Mondays.

A classic bar in Antwerp, with a replica of a Pannepot. This is an uber-brown café. Quite cosy on a chilly, wet day with a old fireplace. Tucked away in a small alley but close enough to the cathedral to be an easy walk Very nice decor, well conserved, considering this establishment was created in the XVIth century. The food menu was full of local specialties, at decent price. A good stop for a Bolleke for sure, and an important part of Antwerp’s culture. It even has a Wikipedia entry: Quinten Matsijs, the oldest cafe in Holland and Belgium, lies in the heart of Antwerp. In earlier times, it was known as Cafe T’Gulick. Built in the 16th century, it was for centuries the gathering place for citizens from the principality of Gulick.

Huisbrouwerij ’t Pakhuis, Vlaamse Kaai 76

Beers: Antwerps Blond, Antwerps Bruin, Nen Bangelijke . Open: every day from 11 a.m.

Antwerpens only brewpub is located within walking distance from the city centre .A large converted warehouse type building and modern hall-like brew house, kettles at the front, fermenting vessels to the rear, all clearly visible from where ever you sit. With nothing else than three of their own beers on offer Beers were fine without being exceptional. The food is very tasty. Nothing fancy, but honest good pub food at reasonable prices. Nice to drop by in the afternoon and install yourself at one of the tables with your newspaper or paperback. Very friendly waiting staff!

They offer a guided tour of the brewery, including a tasting session of the 3 home brews ; duration approximately 45 minutes. Visitors have the option to order a selection of appetizers during/after the tour (meatballs with 't Pakhuis mustard, salami, 't Pakhuis cheese and olives) or can decide to combine a visit with a meal (lunch, dinner, à la carte/set menu, buffet,...) Well worth it.

Het Elfde Gebod, Torfbrug 10

Number of beers: 20. Open every day from 12.00 till ?

Het Elfde Gebod means "The Eleventh Commandment" The interior is large and airy, with brick walls and a red tile floor. The bar is made of brick as well, with no seating at the bar. There were 12 tables for seating, including one very large table, in the front room with more seating upstairs. The walls and ceiling are adorned with statues of Saints and other church figures, playing on the proximity to the Cathedral next door, giving the place a religious and perhaps somewhat somber feel. The prices are pretty high, a bit too high frankly. The beer list is not bad but not that big, there is nothing really amazing on it, pretty common craft beers overall. The food list looked a bit more impressive than the beer list, lot of people were eating. Seemed more like a restaurant with a pretty good choice of beers rather than a craft beer bar. If you are visiting Antwerp, may want to stop here to eat and have a beer and then move on.

Café Highlander, 2 Pieter Van Hobokenstraat.

The Café Highlander is actually an Anglo-Scottish Bar, opened in 1998 and close to the City Centre, this very beautiful corner brick building is really a conglomerate of 3 buildings, parts of which date from the 17th Century. The outside is always well presented, smart and festooned with well-cared for window boxes. De Koninck is the best of the bunch of the 6, or so, draft beers. A small but slightly adventurous range of about 30 bottled plus English and Scottish Bottled Ales are also available, including several offerings from the excellent Broughton Brewery. The beer range, whilst only limited set amongst the high standards of Antwerp, is still unique with its Anglo-Scots flavours and well worth the effort.A nice place to sit back, relax and drink some great beers in fantastic surroundings amidst friendly company. The Whisky range is much better than the beer, and can top 100 at times, and they regularly holds Whisky Tasting Nights in the downstairs portion of the Bar. Food is limited to Snacks, Burgers, Pasta and Salads. But these are good value for money and if you are Hungry, they will fill a hole.

So thats my take on Antwerp, I hope it will be of some use to you if you visit one day, and don't forget there are plenty more bars of intrest you just need to get out there and find them, (let me know if you find any hidden gems)

'A VOTRE SANTE' Otto

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