NEWS |
THE BELGIAN BEER SHOP on the island of Malta |
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Here is our selection of the very best cafes in the Belgian cities of Brugge (Bruges), Brussels, and Gent (Ghent), Each has a wide selection of Belgian Beers and these will be detailed in the beer menu that you will find on each table.
You can also sample the delights brewed in Belgium in pubs, cafes and restaurants in many parts of the world. So here are some in England (Leeds, Stoke on Trent and York), France (Paris, St Omer, and Beaune), Ireland (Dublin, Bray and Kilarney), and Spain (Barcelona). And the best Belgian pub and restaurant outside of Belgium - Den Engel, Leek, England.
| Country or Island | Location | Name | Beers | Description | Last Visited | Belgium | Brugge | Staminee de Garre | Very good selection of Belgian beers including a house Tripel from Van Steenberge. | Up an alley next to a lace shop on Briedelstraat, quiet classical music, on two floors, good snacks, sheer relaxation. | Oct 2002 |
| Belgium | Brussels | Poechenellekelder | Good selection of Belgian beers including La Chouffe. | Has pavement drinking overlooking the Mannekin Pis. Relax and watch the tourists. Inside is like a museum. | May 2004 |
| Belgium | Gent | The Bridge | A good selection of the more common Belgian brews plus the De Konninck range. | In the square at the front of the cathedral. Tables outside. In the same family since at least 1983. Excellent bar food. | May 2008 |
| Belgium | Gent | Galgenhuis | A good selection of Belgian Brews including some less common ones. | The Gallows House in the Groenmarkt has only 4 tables in the bar plus one in a little snug upstairs plus tables outside in summer. | May 2006 |
| Belgium | Gent | Hopduvel | A huge range of Belgian beers including their own commissioned brews | Rokerelstraat is a cobbled sreet of terraced houses off the main tram route from St Peters Station towards the centre, but you will need a map to find it. The entrance is obvious but you have to be brave. The little sign does lead into a pub not a house. And it is like a tardis inside - several houses have been knocked together and there's a huge garden full of breweriana. There's an upstairs restaurant we havn't tried | May 2008 |
| Belgium | Gent | Trappistenhuis | big selection of Belgian beers particularly trappistes and abbey beers and their own Johannes bier . | In Brabantlaan. has in impreesive display of belgian beer bottles covering much of the walls. In an earlier life was the San Tropez | May 2008 |
| Belgium | Gent | Trollekelder | big selections of Belgian beer. | In St Jacobsplein. The trolls cellar offers classical music and exquisite beer on three separate floors. very knowledgable and a number of rare beers | May 2008 |
| Belgium | Gent | Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant | No Belgian draught lager (has Bitburger) but impressive selection of Belgian beers | By the canal opposite the Galgenhuis (above). Amusing beer menu, shares a waterside terrace with De Dreupelkot Jenever bar and Chez Lentine Eethuis, and you can use all three, whist sitting at the one table! The house beers are brewed by Van Steenberge | May 2008 |
| England | Harriseahead, Stoke on Trent | Royal Oak | Several real ales plus draught Draught Belgian Ale, and bottles from Belgium. | Village pub with surprising beer selection. | May 2006 |
| England | Kidsgrove, Stoke on Trent | Blue Bell | Ever changing real ales plus draught German and Czech Lager, Draught Belgian Ale, and bottles from Belgium. | Small canalside pub well worth searching out, for the superb beer range. | May 2010 |
| England | Leek | Den Engel | Large range of draught and bottled Belgian Ale plus British Ale too. |
Named after a bar in the centre of Antwerp, this is a lttle piece of Belgium without crossing the channel. It now has an excellent Belgian restaurant on the first floor. | Dec 2007 | England | Leeds | Arcadia | Several Yorkshire Ales on hand pump plus German Wheat Beers, German Lagers, Belgian Fruit Beers all on draught and a huge selection of mainly Belgian bottles. | What a find! 2 levelled bar in the Headingley Arndale Centre (Otley Road). | Summer 2005 | England | Leeds | The North Bar | 1 British Ale on hand pump (JHB on our visit) plus 3 German Wheat Beers, German Lagers, Belgian Fruit Beers all on draught and a huge selection of mainly Belgian bottles. | Long thin basic bar on Upper Briggate in Central Leeds. And they do samplers of the draught beers. | Summer 2005 |
| England | York | The Maltings | Black Sheep Bitter plus 3 or 4 guests plus Budvar Dark, Leffe Blond and Erdinger on Draught and Belgian bottles. | On Tanners Moat. The nearest real ale to the railway station. Good lunchtime food. Very small. The sign outside says " if you want swearing, singing, loud music and crap beer - you are at the wrong pub". | Apr 2011 |
| England | York | Yorkshire Terrier | York range plus guests on hand pump plus Belgian bottles. | On historic Stonegate. The pub is through the door to the left of the York Brewery souvenir shop. | March 2006 |
| France | Beaune | Route 66 |
A good range of bottled Belgian and French Ale. | Don't let the name or the signs put you off. Its situated in a square in the centre of this wine resort. There are lots of Wine Tasting Caves and an abundance of wine shops. Even the Ibis hotel sells wine by the case. So when you have had your fill of the wine relax with an Orval or a Pelforth Bruin. | Sept 2005 |
| France | Paris | Au Trappiste | Wide range of draught and bottled Belgians. | At 4 Rue St Denis. Expensive but excellent place to eat and drink. | Oct 2001 |
| France | St Omer | La Brasserie Audomaroise | Doesn't actually have Belgian beer as it only sells beer brewed on the premises. All are on draft and in bottles. On our last visit there was blond, honey, white, rhubarb, and chicory. There is no Lager. | At 6-8 Rue Louis Martel, just around the corner from the Queen Victoria. Large beer house with downstairs restaurant. The owner/brewer will happily talk about his brewery and offer tasters if you are not sure about the fruit/spiced beers. Try them you will be surprised. And the bottles are available to take away in 3 and 6 packs. | Sept 2005 |
| France | St Omer | Queen Victoria | Good range of draught and bottled Belgians (Moortgat and Chimay feature heavily, plus draught Leffe blond). | On the main square. Snacks available. Outside terrace on the square. Gets very very busy late at weekends. If there are several of you with the same choice in draft beer ask for a giraffe (a 2.5 Litre tube with a tap at the bottom). | Sept 2005 |
| Ireland | Bray | The Porterhouse | 3 stouts, 3 lagers, 3 bitters and a wieze bier brewed by Porterhouse in Dublin plus a huge selection of bottled beers from around the world - especially Belgium. |
The Porterhouse by the sea offers accomodation in ultra modern rooms overlooking Bray promenade and the Irish Sea. Traditional bar area plus modern separate night club. Food all day. |
Nov 2005 |
| Ireland | Dublin | The Porterhouse | No Guinness(!) or any international keg lagers. 3 stouts, 3 lagers, 3 bitters and a wieze bier brewed at their own brewery plus a huge selection of bottled beers from around the world - especially Belgium. | Purpose built home brew pub and live music venue on 4 levels which is very noisy and packed in the evening but pleasantly full during the day. To start with order a sample tray of 3 beers then sit and read the beer menu - it pulls no punches about some their larger competitors and suppliers. Between Dublin Castle and the river on Capel Street. Good pub food too. | March 2006 |
| Ireland | Killarney | Courtneys | Large selection of English, Belgian, German and East European bottles. |
At 24 Plunket Strre, enthusiastic Estonian barman. A real find. | Dec 2005 |
| Spain | Barcelona | Cafe Opera | Large range of Belgian bottled beer plus bottles from Germany and the UK. |
Near the Opera House on Las Ramblas - the tables are in the pedestrianised centre of the road. Excellent spot to relax after dinner (or at any time!!). | April 2003 |