Brussels

Where to start, when so much has been written before?

Brussels is the administrative capital of Flanders, Belgium and of Europe. It houses so many headquarters and institutions that if the beer supply was cut off, the world's safety could be under threat!  I would recommend a little research and a good map before you set off around Brussels as it is a large city with three distinct areas: North, Central, & South.  The train is good for getting quickly from one end of town to the other and there are 3 stations. But once in the centre, get a day pass (Carte d'un Jour) which allows you to use the Metro, bus and underground-over ground trams.

Any way, enough of that and on to the beer, as of March 2022 there are eight (8) local breweries:-

Brussels Beer Project Brewery, 188 Rue Antoine Dansaert

Hours: Thurs - Sun 14.00 - 22.00 Sun 13.00 - 18.00

A nice modern bar brewery taproom located in the western parts of the city centre, 15-20 minutes walk from Grand Place, or quicker by bus. There is seating in the bar area by the entrance, with some but lots of space to stand. Behind the bar, there's a brewery hall, with benches and more seating, also outside seating at the front. A bit industrial feel to it (but then, it is a working brewery). Swift and friendly service. There are 15-20 beers on tap, most from their own brewery, and some guest beers. Flights of four available, or you can order individual 5 oz pours of whatever you want. Two larger sizes generally available as well. A great friendly atmosphere. Well worth a visit.

OWA Brewery, Rue des Confédérés 52

A Japanese-Belgian Fusion brewery in Belgium. They brew authentic Belgian beers, and then add their personal touch to make it more Japanese! OWA beer was born in May 2006. It was born and designed for the best Belgium and Japanese fusion food experience. It is indeed a very good combination with SUSHI and YAKITORI (weet soy sauce). The brewery is located in the famous district of Uccle in Brussels, only 2kms from the Moeder Lambic in Saint Gilles. Leo Imai started to brew in December 2008 and in 2009 he made a kitchen laboratory in the brewery, and researched the best marriage with japanese food.

Brasserie de la Senne,  Gentsesteenweg 565.

Hours: Mon - Fri 11:00-18:00

Understated presence in west Brussels tucked down a narrow business driveway with little signage or promotion. A bare bones interior tap room with wooden tables and chairs, in the brewery (you can look at the hall with the brewing equipment though the windows). Four taps and more bottles to have on premises or for take away. The folks helping out in the taproom were courteous and polite.  The location is not walkable from central Brussels, but this place is all about the beer.

Nanobrasserie de l'Ermitage Taproom, 24-26 rue Lambert Crickx

Hours: Fri - Sat 14.00 - 22.00

A friendly vibrantly ambient taproom in the backstreets close to Lemonnier metro and not all that far from Brussels Midi/Zuid. A mostly young crowd gather here of an evening to sup the tasty range of beers which are served in a number of sizes down to taster volumes. Knowledgeable, friendly and enthusiastic staff with a great sense of humour. English spoken, not unexpectedly. Bar food/snacks include pizza and sausages. Well worth a visit, with plenty of time to enjoy the beers.

La Source Beer Co, Rue Dieudonné Lefèvre 4

Hours:Wed - Sun 16.00 - 23.00

There are places you like. There are places you always feel welcome and this brewpub with a special atmosphere is certainly one of those. This brewery has quickly become earned a great reputation in the city. They produce loads of really good double IPAs, sours and more. Inside it has a cool overall woody, warm atmosphere, with lots of recycled pallets in use, the bar is central with the brewing equipment behind that, and random barrels around the room, ageing beers. It's pretty cheap for what you get in return too! I just hope they stay as authentic as they are now.

Beerstorming, Chaussée d’Alsemberg 75

Hours: Wed - Sat 14.00 - 18.00

An easy and short walk from the nearest metro station, this place is clearly not a pub but a micro brewery, albeit one with an innovative and interesting concept, that is: the two young fellows running the place are keen on bringing something new to the Brussels beer scene and do so by inviting anyone to come and design a recipe for a beer which is then produced together with the owners. However you can just have a beer inside. The tasting room is pretty basic, but I guess that’s expected. They offer beer on tap and some bottles, styles depending on what people recently brewed. Quality of beers is solid, but nothing to write home about. The guys running the place are very friendly and informative. I wouldn’t call it essential place to visit (if you have no intention of brewing), but worth popping in for a couple of beers.

En Stoemelings, 37 rue Dieudonné Lefèvre

Hours: Mon - Fri 11.00 - 15.00

Basically a brewery that is open for off sales. The "shop" area is more the front of the Warehouse / brewery. Not that you need to make a place look pretty when the beer is this good. Founded and run in 2014 by two passionate young entrepreneurs. They brew unique and surprising authentic beers. Taste, authenticity and humour are at the rendezvous. There are places you like. There are places you always feel welcome and this brewpub with a special atmosphere is certainly one of those. This brewery has quickly become earned a great reputation in the city. They produce loads of really good double IPAs, sours and more. Inside it has a cool overall woody, warm atmosphere, with lots of recycled pallets in use, the bar is central with the brewing equipment behind that, and random barrels around the room, ageing beers. It's pretty cheap for what you get in return too! I just hope they stay as authentic as they are now. It's definitely one of the best breweries in the country (IMO).

There are hundreds of bars of note to visit whist in Brussels, so I will only mention the ones that we thought were the best:

La Fleur en Papier Doré, Rue des Alexiens 55

Hours: Tues - Sat 11.30 - 23.00

A lovely little bar and restaurant with a quantity interior that time forgot. Popular as one of the place where Magritte and friends hung out, but also that of Hergé, the genius comic-author of Belgium’s most famous hero, Tintin. While it’s famous customers is reason enough to pay it a visit, the authentic food doesn’t disappoint either. Far from. The typical Brussels stoemp (mashed potatoes with any type of seasonal veggie), which comes with pork sausage is heaven on a place. This place is a time warp in more than ways than one. Time just seems to vanish here. If you want to loose a few hours of your life drinking excellent beers in a fantastic place, this is one of them.

CHAFF, Pl. du Jeu de Balle 21/22

Hours: Mon 18.00 - 01.00 Tues - Sun 08.30 - 22.00 or later?

What an absolutely adorable place, definitely check it out for some light and unique tapas! The food is all homemade and delicious, quite innovative, and the staff are such a delight, friendly and funny. Located just across the Place du Jeu de Balle (Marolles flea market) from Brocante. They have 6 superb quality draft taps and around 40 bottles of top rank, classy beers. A great atmosphere, striking an odd balance between posh and punk rock scenes, a typical Brussels brown bar.

Chez Moeder Lambic Fontainas,  Place Fontainas 8.

Hours: 11am to 1am. daily; (Fri and Sat to 2am)

Cozy place that has a lot of seating for not being a very big place. Extremely knowledgeable and helpful staff. The beer menu is epic! There are a lot of cask ales that I bet are not available in more than five bars in Brussels. The food was average Belgian pub fare. Prices are good for Brussels. If in Brussels this is a must visit world class bar.

Chez Moeder Lambic Saint-Gilles, 68 rue de Savoie.

Hours: Open from 16:00 until 03:00am

Sister bar to the above and another world class bar. Smaller and with less modern decor than Fontainas and located in the nice area of St Gilles, this one doesn’t get the passing tourist trade, but is easily reachable with tram 3 or 4 to Albert station,and then a short 5 minutes walk. It has a far more relaxed local feel. The tap selection is very similar featuring local lambics and some interesting other brews.  Friendly and helpful service, and a nice small outside area for when the weather’s good. 

Dynamo - Bar de soif, Chaussée d'Alsemberg 130

Hours: Wed - Sun 16.00 - 00.00

Dynamo is located on one of the main roads in St Gilles, it's up the hill on the left and is close'ish' to Beerstorming. It's a small bar on the corner of Chaussée d'Alsemberg and Rue Antoine Breart. You can walk from the centre but it's quite a trek, however it appears that Tram 3 or 4 from Bourse in the centre would fetch you very close. It's got one of the most interesting beer menus in town. Unusual breweries and beer styles for Brussels (lots of dark beers like stouts and porters, which are still really hard to find in other bars). You should always find something you fancy on draft as most styles are covered with the 18 beer taps (Pale Ales & IPAs, Stouts, Sours, Tripels, Saisons, ...), but ask to see the bottle menu anyway as there are some real gems on that (especially if you like Imperial Stouts or Barley Wines)! Oh and the cheese (from Neal's Yard Dairy in London) is fantastic as well! Inside upon entering, you find drinking areas on both sides, with a bright interior, quite modern in style, with a great atmosphere, cool design. Friendly and knowledgeable staff.

Délirium Hoppy Loft, 4a, Impasse de la fidelite.

Hours: 18.00 to 04.00 , closed on Sundays?

On the top floor Delirium Village building. A Brown café kind of atmosphere, nicely decorated with old beer paraphernalia. Could be cozy, but its to crowded and noisy at weekends. Some good, some not so good beer on tap. A long bottle list as well. Service was good, we even got free samples. If you want a talk with the bartender, don’t go on the weekend days they are pretty busy and the place is always crowdy. We always had a nice relaxing time here, although it did feel weird to drink imported beer in Belgium! A must visit place.

Delirium Café, Impasse de la Fidelite 4.                            

Hours: Mon to Sunday til 10.00 - 04.00 (Sun 02.00)

This place is a little hard to find, but it’s right down the allery from the Jaennekin Pis (the squatting female counterpart to the Mannekin Pis). Very large bar that gets packed to the rafters, especially at the weekends. Massive selection of beers the phone book sized list just gets bigger and bigger. They also have about 30 taps. Staff are helpful, though over run at times. A must visit even if it is only once?

Le Poechenellekelder, Rue Du Chene 5.    

Hours: Tues - Sun 11.00 - 01.00 or later? Closed: Mon

Nice atmosphere in this must do bar. A very international crowd not surprisingly, being opposite to Manneken Pis its a tourist trap. Plenty of atmosphere inside the baroquely decorated parlous, cave, old fashioned interior, very eclectic, with lots of dolls and other things one might expect also an outside terrace.  Friendly staff. Very decent selection of beer, although not aimed at the beer ticker but a solid selection of lambic beers and interesting Belgian brews. Nice place and the sandwiches with pottekeis and Brussels cheese were quite good. Recommended for a visit.

The Bier Circus, Rue De L’enseignement 57 Onderrichtsstraat.

Hours: Tue-Fri 11:00-01:00; Sat 18:00-01:00

Has a range of over 200 beers making it one the best café bar in the city!  A must visit as they also have excellent food.  It is a modern airy 3 room café, near the Cirque Royal concert hall. You could be here for hours just trying to sample all the small, regional Lambics they have to offer. It's a good idea to go with a group and share lots of different beers.

Nüetnigenough, Rue du Lombard 25.           

Hours: Mon-Fri 17.00 - late; Sat-Sun 12.00 - late

Located in the busy Lombardstraat, (around 5 mins walk from Moeder Lambic and near the Mannequin Pis) this restaurant is a living proof of the fact that size doesn’t matter. It is tiny (less than 10 tables) but it is excellent, with regard to food and beer alike. The selection may be lower than in a number of other places in the city but it includes some superior lambics and many more great Belgian beers. The staff are very friendly and they are passionate about the beer and so happy to help. Fair prices. Booking recommended to avoid disapointment.

La Tana a Bruxelles, 10 Rue de L’Enseignement.                         

Hours: Daily 12:00-16:00 then 17:30-22:00.

A new great place in the center of Brussels with a difference? Here you can taste some really good Italian appetizers and pasta dishes. Everything is accompanied by a good selection of excellent Italian craft beers, together with some beers brewed in Brussels. Some dishes are prepared with beer and they taste extremely good. If you speak with the owner you’ll discover an authentic beer lover that will give you dozens of hints and suggestions about the beers he’s serving. If you are in Brussels and you would like to discover the world of Italian craft beers you should definitely come here.

L’Atelier, 77 Rue Elise.   

Hours :Sun-Mon-Tues-Wed: 16;00-03.00/ Game: 16.00-4.00 / Fri: 16.00-05.00

This is an absolute gem of a place. It is not right in the center but it is worth the trek there. Located between the VUB and the ULB (the Dutch and French speaking universities of Brussels) there is an obvious college crowd. This place really heats up after 10pm. Can be a bit smokey and loud, but what great vibe it has. The beer list is proudly displayed as a huge billboard on the wall. Good taps and a great bottle selection! Unless you don’t like people and are allergic to smoke, you have to make it out to this place.

La Porteuse d´Eau, 48 av. Jean Volders.                

Hours: Daily 10.00-01.00

This place is just great, beautiful architecture in this bar/restaurant.  The beer list only goes to about 60 or so, but there are some nice ones. Several I hadn’t had. Get there in the late afternoon, and get a table on the sidewalk. See the real world go by. Go upstairs to the WC and see some fantastic art nouveau glass. The prices are very reasonable for a nice place in Brussels. Main plates, includes carbonnade or sausage and stoemp. Also several steak or seafood dishes. But even if you can’t eat, definitely stop in for a beer and a look around.

Les Brigittines, Place de la Chapelle 5.     

Hours: Mo-Fr 12.00-14.30 & 19.00-22.30, Sa 19.00-23.00, Sunday closed.

Nice restaurant, but do not go there as a beer geek. They make two of the dishes with lambic beer, but that’s the only beer link they have. When asked to recommend a beer for the food, they totally missed. People going there for wine seemed to have a good time and they seemed to know their wines. It was even decanted at the table. Nice place for a good quiet dinner

GIST, Oud Korenhuis 30

Hours: Tues - Sun 16.00 - 00.00

A small bar at the top of the city just above the touristy bit. Well worth a visit because it has a great vibe. Anyway, there’s a great tap list (18) in here. Lots of obscure brewers to tick, alongside some more familiar. Tables and chairs outside are set on a nice little square. Proper glassware throughout, plus decent prices. The service is friendly and very professional, you always lot's of info on what you've ordered.

La Tana a Bruxelles, 10 Rue de L’Enseignement

Hours: Mon - Tues 12–2pm, 7–9pm Wed - Fri 12.00 - 14.00 & 19.00 - 21.00

An Italian trattoria lunch place, which happens to carry a lot of Italian craft beer. Perfectly executed simple hearty pasta dishes and quite unknown Italian craft beer. Easily two dozen ticks here if you count the 75cl bottles. Quite reasonable prices too. The owner and server are truly passionate about their products, and so they should. Getting lots of local businessmen, which is fine but go show your beer love and they brighten up. Go here! Tasty food and passion.

Le Barboteur - Bièrothèque, Avenue Louis Bertrand 23

Hours: Tues - Sat 11.00 - 01.00

Located directly next to the Schaarbeek Beer Museum, this is a fairly modern beer boutique that has 4 taps and some bottles in the fridge to keep you happy while you browse the shelves of the bottle shop. You can get there to by bus 30 minutes or tram. Friendly staff. Some chairs outside make for a good place to people watch. Good range of bottles to take away, too. Recommended.

Other café bars of note include; 

Falstaff, 17 Rue Henri Maus.

Hours: Daily 10.00 - 00.00

A beautiful art deco bar with wonderful beer and great food not very interesting beers mostly from the In-Bev range.

La Fleur en Papier Doré, Rue des Alexiens 55

Hours: Tues - Sun 11.30 - 11.30

A cosy cafe-bar with framed pictures and wall lamps, serving a wide selection of beer and regional dishes. An unmatched eclectic interior that has been preserved by the city as a cultural landmark. Sadly InBev has taken over the taps of this place!

L'Imaige de Nostre Dame, 3 Impasse de Cadeaux

Hours: Daily 11.00 - 01.00

A very cosy, tiny bar very near the Grand Place quite a good beer list. 

À la Bécasse, off no. 11 Rue de Tabora

Hours: Daily 11.00 - 12.00

Again a very attractive café dating from the 19th century, with Timmerman's Lambic in stone pitchers. A 3-min walk from the Grand Place

Wolf {Sharing Food Market}, Rue du Fossé aux Loups 50

Open: Daily 12.00 - 22.00

A contemporary, cavernous food market with vendors serving global street eats, plus tap brews and wine. The atmosphere here is pretty cool and all the shops are great. Lots of choice from beers to samosas, pizza, Thai, etc, fresh, and flavourful. Place is kept clean despite how busy it is.

In't Spinnekopke, (Little spiders head) 1 Place du Jardin aux Fleurs

Hours: Mon & Sat 18:30–23.00 Tues - Fri 12.00–14:30 & 18:30–23.00

If you are feeling hungry the best food made with beer in the city is served here.  With a list of over 90 beers, Including Cantillion on draught. Booking is advised in the evenings.

Toone, Impasse Schuddeveld 6.

Located in the Royal Gallery of Saint Hubert. An all wooden traditional brown café, 40 beers on the lsit, and there are puppet shows in the theatre done in the Bruxellos dialect, so most Belgians wont understand then either!

La Rose Blanche, Grand Place

Hours: Daily 11.00 - 23.00

The White Rose  is a traditional Belgian cafe-restaurant with a stucco ceiling rose, wood beams and gilt-framed paintings. With excellent  food and good beer selection with a stunning view of the Grand it's quite exspensive. 

We I hope this a been of some use to you if you are planing a beer-vacation?

For the complete low down on the Belgian beer scene why not buy Tim Webb & Joe Stange's book Good Beer Guide Belgium, now in its 8th edition. Avilable from CAMRA books or at any good shop/online store.

Cheers to Beers Otto

R.I.P.

Les Brasseurs Du Brouwers, Grand Place (CLOSED)

Central Brussels' first brewpub. Sadley now closed it was a great bar that usually had 3 beers on at any one time, we were lucky and they had 5 available.  Not only do they serve their own beers but their food is good and served until 11p.m.