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, starting with the two local breweries:- Brussels has two breweries. The outstanding Cantillion is a traditional Lambic Brewery situated in the Anderlecht district, not far from the train station. There are guided tours or after the initial meet and greet you are allowed to wander around the brewery at leisure, from the open vats in the attic to the decades old fermenting barrels in the cellar. Then you get to taste these wonderfully different Cantillon beers which are intensely sour and complex with marvellous aromas and flavours. Then if you are felling a little peckish it’s off to the Les Brasseurs Du Brouwers, Central Brussels' first brewpub, just off the Grand Place,. They usually have 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. |    |
    | 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. First off is the Mort Subite (Sudden Death) on Rue Montagnes aux Herbes Potageres which takes its name from a card game played there many years ago. It is one of the best examples still surviving of a fin de selecle—long bar. The Mort is a famous art deco pub with a great interior, where you are served by uniformed waiters. There is a range of 30 beers and the unfiltered lambic beers are a treat. A limited number of bar snacks are available, but the Kip-kap & tartines with a Gueuze are a must. The Bier Circus on Rue de l'Enseignement has a range of over 200 beers making it 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, which is open Monday noon to 3 pm, Tuesday to Friday noon to 3 pm and 5 pm to midnight and on Saturday 6 pm to midnight. 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.One of our favourite haunts, where we got to know the bar staff quite well, is the Porte Noire on Rue des Alexiens, about 5 minutes walk up hill from the Mannekin Pis, which is a statue of a little boy urinating into a fountain. The Mannekin is a national treasure and a very popular tourist destination. The Porte Noire is a brick-lined 16th century wine cellar, with candlelight, basic furniture and a "Lord of the Rings" feel. They have on offer 130 beers with the excellent Ellezelloise Van Ecke range including the must have 8.4% stout. Please note it only opens at around 6pm in the evening. The Porte offers a light snack menu and excellent rock music. |
Other café bars of note include: Falstaff, 17 Rue Henri Maus. A beautiful art deco bar offering a range of interesting beers, mostly from the In-Bev range. Imaige de Nostre Dame, 3 Impasse de Cadeaux. A very tiny but cosy bar near the Grand Place with quite a good beer list. La Becasse, off no. 11 Rue de Tabora. Again a very attractive café dating from the 19th century, with Timmerman's Lambic served in stone pitchers. Laboureur, 3 Place de la Constitution. A very personable pub just outside of downtown that has great prices. Poechenellekelder, 5 Rue du Chene, opposite the Mannekin Pis statue, is a bar with lots of puppets, but it is quite expensive. Spinnekopke, (Little spiders head) 1 Place du Jardin aux Fleurs. If you are feeling hungry then the best food in the city, which is made with beer, is served here. It also commands a list of over 90 beers, including Cantillion on draught. Booking is advised in the evenings. Toone, 6 Impasse Schuddevelde, is an all wooden traditional brown café which ha s about 40 beers on its list and there are puppet shows in the theatre done in the Bruxellos dialect, so most Belgians wont understand then either! The Lunette, Place de la Monnaie, is a typically modern long bar, quite busy at lunch time with a limited beer range of 30 - 40. You can, however, get a glass called a "lunette" for a very reasonable 10 Euro, I had it filled with Duval! Finally the White Rose, Grand Place With excellent food and a good beer selection with a stunning view of the Grand Place, however, it is quite expensive. |    |
