# I'm Going To Belgium!



## wakkatoo (6/1/11)

We are headed to Ireland in late April for a wedding and got a phone call from the bride-to-be the other day to say the 'hen's night' will actually be in Brussels and will go for about 3 days. :beerbang: 

Sooo, that means whilst the wife is off with the Bride, I've got 3 days pretty much to myself to explore Brussels :super: 

Anyone been recently? Where should I start? 

Bit like a kid in a candy store at the moment!!!!


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## pbrosnan (6/1/11)

wakkatoo said:


> We are headed to Ireland in late April for a wedding and got a phone call from the bride-to-be the other day to say the 'hen's night' will actually be in Brussels and will go for about 3 days. :beerbang:
> 
> Sooo, that means whilst the wife is off with the Bride, I've got 3 days pretty much to myself to explore Brussels :super:
> 
> ...


Was there about 6 weeks ago. The best place is Delirum Tremens. It's somewhere off the Rue de Boucher, the main tourist restaurant area. It's a bit hard to find because the streets are a bit confusing. There's also a good restaurant in St Catherine (called Restaurant Ste. Catherine). The beer menu is limited (dark = Chimay Grand Reserve, blond = Duvel) but the food is very good. Mind you it's not a budget place. Anyway, just about any bar in Belgium is a delight from the Beer Hunter's perspective.


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## barls (6/1/11)

buy the book a good beer guide to belgium and have a read. 
its got all the good pubs listed and where is good to eat


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## pbrosnan (6/1/11)

barls said:


> buy the book a good beer guide to belgium and have a read.
> its got all the good pubs listed and where is good to eat


Yes, I used this extensively when I was there. Throughly recommended.


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## Housecat (6/1/11)

wakkatoo said:


> Bit like a kid in a candy store at the moment!!!!



I have absolutely nothing to add. I am jealous, VERY jealous. :beerbang: 

HC


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## The Scientist (6/1/11)

This is my Mecca:

Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtusabdij van Westvleteren)  

If you only try one beer make it a Trappist Westvleteren 12, oh and if you could please also bring home a bottle for me you would be my beer Jesus.

Cheers,

TS


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## Yob (6/1/11)

wakkatoo said:


> I've got 3 days pretty much to myself to explore Brussels :super:




Nice one Wakka... Brewery visits Planned I assume?

Dont froget the tasings and photo's for us!!

:beer:


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## Pennywise (6/1/11)

Yes photo's! Or it didn't happen


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## newguy (6/1/11)

I was doubled over with food poisoning while I was there so all I saw was a bathroom and a hospital emergency room. However, do try an authentic Belgian waffle - available on almost every block - you won't be disappointed. Buy this book for the trip. Borrowed it from a friend but because of the illness never got to try any beer.

It tends to rain a lot - bring an appropriate jacket/hat. And make sure you have a good camera. Way too much to see. If you haven't chosen a hotel yet, I can recommend the Hotel Chambord. A wee bit on the expensive side but a very very nice hotel, very close to the old town, the central train station, the palace, etc etc etc. The room we had was much, much bigger than in the other hotels we stayed at while we were there.

Last recommendation: learn at least a little French before you get there. Brussels seemed to be nearly 100% French speaking....

Last last recommendation: Hop a train to Amsterdam for a night. You really have to see that city - beautiful. We stayed at the Mozart Hotel and I can heartily recommend it. Very reasonable rates too.


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## cubbie (6/1/11)

You can visit Cantillion http://www.cantillon.be/


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## pbrosnan (6/1/11)

The Scientist said:


> This is my Mecca:
> 
> Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtusabdij van Westvleteren)
> 
> ...


err ... is that in Brussels?


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## wakkatoo (6/1/11)

iamozziyob said:


> Nice one Wakka... Brewery visits Planned I assume?
> 
> Dont forget the tastings and photo's for us!!
> 
> :beer:



That was pretty much the plan - moving from one brewery to another and taking the usual holiday snaps in between


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## peas_and_corn (6/1/11)

cubbie said:


> You can visit Cantillion http://www.cantillon.be/



Oh, yes. A fantastic sour beer, I certainly would love to go there.


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## pbrosnan (6/1/11)

wakkatoo said:


> That was pretty much the plan - moving from one brewery to another and taking the usual holiday snaps in between


So are you actually going to travel around Belgium or are you just restricted to Brussels? If you are able to visit the other cities then that changes things.


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## wakkatoo (6/1/11)

pbrosnan said:


> So are you actually going to travel around Belgium or are you just restricted to Brussels? If you are able to visit the other cities then that changes things.



Pretty much going to be in Brussels at this stage although I do want to do a day travelling to a specific brewery - not sure which one though. Any help would be appreciated. 



> You can visit Cantillion http://www.cantillon.be/



Ta, I had that one pencilled in!


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## Alex T (6/1/11)

Hi,

I was done typing my response and I lost it.... so I start again....

Spent about 8months in Belgium living in Brussels. One of my favourite bar/cafes was "Ultime Atome" (play on words "- ultimatum") in Ixelles - just a short taxi (or a couple of metro stops) from the centre of town. Great (big) beer list, decent food, in a neighbourhood rather than a tourist area. Well worth a look I reckon.

The other place I like is called "Le Roi des Belges" - "the king of the belgians" - in the St Gery area - not far from the Grand Place. Not that it has a good beer list or anything (mind you, had La Chouffe on draught - but that was a few years ago). I like it for the slightly grungy/punk sort of atmosphere as you don't get that much in Brussels, and a good people watching spot. St Gery is a main nightspot so you'll probably walk past.

If you want to check out another town then head to Leuven - home of the massive Stella Artois brewery, not that you necessarily go there for that... Leuven has a big university (incl. a well known brewing school) and is a bit like the Oxford of Belgium. A couple of really beautiful old town squares - the Leuven town hall is probably one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever seen - but I digress... the reason to go there is about 300 bars/pubs. So plenty to entertain yourself.... and only a 20min train ride (intercity train, not the metro) from Brussels Central.

Cheers and have fun, I'll be there myself in April. Can't wait!

Alex


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## pbrosnan (6/1/11)

wakkatoo said:


> Pretty much going to be in Brussels at this stage although I do want to do a day travelling to a specific brewery - not sure which one though. Any help would be appreciated.
> 
> 
> 
> Ta, I had that one pencilled in!


Most of the important ones are a fair distance. Westmalle is north of Antwerp which is north of Brussels and Chimay is in the south. It really depends if you have a car or not. Although public transport is excellent there are the inevitable delays changing trains, buses etc. A lot of the breweries are in the countryside and so that makes getting there by public transport even harder. If you want my advice I'd travel from Brussels to one of the other large towns, Brugge for instance (about an hour by train) and do a pub crawl. I reckon you'g get more of a Belgian beer experience at the Little Brugge Bear than you would at any given brewery. It's all about choice, lots of choice.


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## Hughdawg (6/1/11)

pbrosnan said:


> Westmalle is north of Antwerp which is north of Brussels and Chimay is in the south.



Chimay brewery is not open to the public anymore, although they do have the monastery and a VERY good restaurant. They sell a special beer the monks make for themselves at the restaurant, and chimay cheese as well. It's all good stuff, but probably not worth the long drive, considering how much is in Brussels and the immediate area.

Not sure if this bar has been mentioned, or even what its name is, but we found a bar in the back allies of Brussels that had 2008 beers (in 2008) Not all of them were good beer (they had fosters), but it's still an amazing place, worth finding.

It's hard not to enjoy the Belgian experience. If you're at all interested in history, there are also heaps of WW1 and WW2 places to visit as well.


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## felon (6/1/11)

All this talk makes me want to book a holiday. :icon_drool2:


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## wakkatoo (6/1/11)

cheers everyone, certainly got a lot to go on. I was thinking of Brugge, so might look at that a bit more.

This will be my first trip overseas (sheltered, I know!), so I'm still trying to dumb down my Australian understanding of distance. I happily drive 3 hours to go wakeboarding, yet that distance is more than the trip I'll make from Dublin to the other end of Ireland.

But I digress! Belgium is where I'm focused!!


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## Mobbee007 (6/1/11)

Try A La Mort Subite it's the one spot I've told SWMBO I'd divorce her if I don't get there when we finally make our trip O/S


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## Yob (7/1/11)

wakkatoo said:


> moving from one brewery to another and taking the usual holiday snaps in between



ehem.. more lateral thinkers may say that those brewery shots will *BE* the holliday snaps!! the in between stuff is of little importance  

...except maybe one of you sporting a monster hangover trying to get a breakfast brew down :icon_chickcheers: 

seriously have a good trip


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## np1962 (7/1/11)

wakkatoo said:


> This will be my first trip overseas (sheltered, I know!), so I'm still trying to dumb down my Australian understanding of distance. I happily drive 3 hours to go wakeboarding, yet that distance is more than the trip I'll make from Dublin to the other end of Ireland.


But it will likely take you twice as long :unsure: 
Nige


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## humulus (30/1/11)

The Scientist said:


> This is my Mecca:
> 
> Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtusabdij van Westvleteren)
> 
> ...


I agree Scientist had the honours of being in Antwerp last year and happened to find (after a lot of looking and asking,luckily the mrs speaks Flemish!!!!) the whole range of Westvleteren which totally lived up to their reputation!!!! Ive got 2 westvleteren 12 in my beer cupboard here just looking for an excuse to enjoy then!!!!!!!!!
Very jealous Wakkatoo


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## humulus (30/1/11)

wakkatoo said:


> We are headed to Ireland in late April for a wedding and got a phone call from the bride-to-be the other day to say the 'hen's night' will actually be in Brussels and will go for about 3 days. :beerbang:
> 
> Sooo, that means whilst the wife is off with the Bride, I've got 3 days pretty much to myself to explore Brussels :super:
> 
> ...





wakkatoo, try it if you can find it. You will not regret it! 
Humulus.


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## DanRayner (30/1/11)

Awesome resource

Belgian beer/brewery map database


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## wakkatoo (30/1/11)

humulus said:


> View attachment 43723
> 
> wakkatoo, try it if you can find it. You will not regret it!
> Humulus.


Thanks Humulus, will definately try to find it.



DanRayner said:


> Awesome resource
> 
> Belgian beer/brewery map database



Thats's awesome! Cheers!

Booked the accomodation the other day, not that far from De Bier Tempel which is nice! :beer: 

Gonna be a fun few days, followed by some 'drying out' with the sister in law before we spend a week in Northern Ireland at the wedding. We've booked a room in the pub where the reception is held and from what I can work out, this wedding is causing more talk in the town than the royal one happening the day before. Got a feeling its gonna be a social week!


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## wrath (30/1/11)

Should you get to Bruges, you have to track down 't Brugs Beertje.This place is not to be missed. Apparently the oldest pub in Bruges, 300+ Belgian Beers to peruse. 

http://www.brugsbeertje.be/English/our_beers_alfabetical.htm

Don't be put off by the website 








I can taste the Bruges Zot now. :icon_drool2:


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## humulus (30/1/11)

Cpt Suds said:


> Should you get to Bruges, you have to track down 't Brugs Beertje.This place is not to be missed. Apparently the oldest pub in Bruges, 300+ Belgian Beers to peruse.
> 
> http://www.brugsbeertje.be/English/our_beers_alfabetical.htm
> 
> ...


Cpt Spuds your bringing a tear to my eye!!!!! i love the place!!
humulus


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## wakkatoo (5/4/11)

digging this thread up as I head off Friday week :super: 
Taken a few notes and will try to chase up the book, although not liking my chances this close to leaving. I've promised to email my kids on a regular basis so if I get a chance I'll stick some pics up on here.


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## Charst (5/4/11)

Incredajealous. I personally Would be heading to Brasserie Dupont.


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## nate2g (6/4/11)

Drinking in Brussels is all about the lambic IMO and honestly you'd be mad to miss out on planet Earth's greatest beverage. My recommendations:-

Chez Moeder Lambic - If there's one beer bar you visit make it this one. Seriously. There's actually now two locations, the original at Saint-Gilles which has a classic 'local' feel pub, but it is a decent trek south of the city centre. The newer Fontainas location has a huge tap list - around 30 with an amazing beer range. Many Cantillon lambics on tap (FouFoune, Vigneronne, Iris, Zwanze, Lou Pepe etc) as well as their straight lambic and faro on cask. Too many guest beers to name and they change frequently anyway. Just Get Here.

Cantillon Brewery - The brewery opens around 9 in the morning so worth starting the day here (and then walk over to ML Fontainas). This will probably be the highlight of your visit. They also serve up the lambic and faro from a jug at the 'bar'. A must see.

A La Mort Subite - Beautiful building thats worth a look alone. It's worth checking in for the draught faro as it's not common to find this elsewhere.

Het Warm Water - This is a really good find. It's basically a homely cafe but the clincher is they serve Giardin lambic and kriekenlambic on cask - the only place in Brussels to do so. The Kriek is really good and food is decent. Opens early. Lambic & Crepes for breakfast is a win on every level (especially after a boozy night!).

Le Poechenellekelder - Quirky pub opposite Mannekin Pis. To be honest it is pretty touristy and gets packed every night, but it is a characterful pub. Try and come earlier in the day. Decent bottle range of Belgian ales. If you haven't had De Dolle before then try the arabier and oerbier here. Great beers.

Food is generally good in most places. If your after something special don't miss Int Spinnekopke. The best restaurant for fine food and beer. The mussels are probably the best I've had in Brussels (they have Maredsous beer sauce for eg.) and the clincher is they serve 3 Fonteinen lambic on draught here. Service is memorable in itself for abrupt, bordering rude staff, which I kinda like, but yeah the food and beer is top notch.

Netnigenough is another beery restaurant you can check out. I had a fantastic meal there last year but on my visit a few weeks back the quality had declined. I'm hoping it was just a bad night. The beers list is solid though.

Bier Circus is another decent restaurant/beer bar. 

Hope this gives you more insight into the better places to drink beer in brussels.


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## petesbrew (6/4/11)

Lucky Bugger.
Definitely jump on a train to Brugges for a day if your schedule has room. Wander round, get lost, have a beer or three.


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## vykuza (6/4/11)

If you're in Brussells for long, track down the Delirium Cafe. I went in 2005 and they guaranteed more than 2000 beers in stock. The place is a bit cheesy, and it's definitely a tourist joint - but the choice is second to none. Good place if you want to find specific beers and don't have time to go to the brewery etc.

Here's a picture of the beer menu.


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## wakkatoo (6/4/11)

nate2g said:


> Drinking in Brussels is all about the lambic IMO and honestly you'd be mad to miss out on planet Earth's greatest beverage. My recommendations.......
> 
> .....Hope this gives you more insight into the better places to drink beer in brussels.



Nate, that's awesome! Appreciate the effort you went to there. Have taken notes and added them to 'the list'



petesbrew said:


> Lucky Bugger.
> Definitely jump on a train to Brugges for a day if your schedule has room. Wander round, get lost, have a beer or three.



I definately want to get to Brugges, but time is going to be the issue. Will see how I go but I've got a feeling this won't be my only trip there :icon_cheers: 



Nick R said:


> If you're in Brussells for long, track down the Delirium Cafe. I went in 2005 and they guaranteed more than 2000 beers in stock. The place is a bit cheesy, and it's definitely a tourist joint - but the choice is second to none. Good place if you want to find specific beers and don't have time to go to the brewery etc.



Ta Nick. Yup, had Delirium written down. I've seen somewhere the 2000 beers so figured it was a good spot to get to for the exact reasons youe mentioned.


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## Golani51 (6/4/11)

wakkatoo said:


> Thanks Humulus, will definately try to find it.
> 
> 
> 
> ...




That will be one hell of a bender: 3 days Belgium and a week in Ireland. You won't remember the trip home!


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## wakkatoo (20/4/11)

Hi all, as i type this i'm in my hotel foyer in central Brussels :beerbang: 

What a brilliant place this is for the beer lover!! every shop seems to sell beer and at dirt cheap prices! Picked up a 750ml bottle of Leffe Blond for about 4AUD from the local supermarket. 



The Scientist said:


> This is my Mecca:
> 
> Brouwerij Westvleteren (Sint-Sixtusabdij van Westvleteren)
> 
> If you only try one beer make it a Trappist Westvleteren 12, oh and if you could please also bring home a bottle for me you would be my beer Jesus.



I managed to track down a bottle today (for me mind you!). Cost a pretty penny too, and the barman at Delirium Tremens was impressed I had one, recommended I put this particular bottle down for the next 12 months before opening, so that's what will be done.



RexBanner said:


> Try A La Mort Subite it's the one spot I've told SWMBO I'd divorce her if I don't get there when we finally make our trip O/S



OMG! My favourite bar so far! The guerze is simply perfect! Mind you, their framboise has turned my wife into a beer drinker :icon_cheers: 

Off to Cantillon Brewery tomorrow as well as a few other spots before my Belgian tour ends and I'm in Switzerland.

Seriously, save your cash and get here - awesome!!!

Wakkatoo


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