Brussels - June 2025

On Sunday 22 June, after three days in Antwerp, our group caught the same train from the distinguished Antwerpen Centraal station (high level) to Brussels but Keith was the only one with a first class ticket. Staying at different hotels, four got off at Brussels Central while Tim continued to Brussels Midi / Zuid before walking to Hotel Barry via Av. de Stalingrad passing Cafe Bebo.

Our planned afternoon rendezvous at GIST was changed to La Fleur en Papier Dore due to a delayed opening. We were fortunate to find a table in the historic front room of La Fleur en Papier Dore (Het Goudblommeke in Papier). Andrew had the most eventful walk from his hotel with a long detour due to a road closure and a thwarted attempt to steal his smartphone.

Andrew, Simon & Richard

The historic bar is now linked with Brasserie Verschueren and Tim was happy to order a beer he always enjoys at both venues - Verschueren Saison served in a 'Verschu' branded straight glass (€5.20 - 40cl). Drinks are ordered at the bar in the middle 'room'. We found amusement from the handwritten personal notes found in the drawer of our table. It's a picturesque space and occasionally someone would enter from the street to take a photograph.

The European Bar Guide rated La Fleur en Papier Dore as number one in a 2025 Top 100 bars survey.

The bar at GIST with 16 taps and blackboard above with details

A short walk back to GIST which had just opened and initially we sat inside, although the music choice eventually drove us outside to a table in the shade. The two handpumps at the far end were not in use today and it looks like current management is not interested in continuing with cask ale. While we were indoors, two English men came in and asked for a cask ale. One of them was somewhat upset to find that none was available and did not seem to have any interest in the alternative beers available. Although we are CAMRA members we were not sympathetic!

Richard, Keith, Simon & Andrew

The small outside tables have a view of the Jacques Brel statue, which is also a popular spot for a celebrity photo opportunity. It's also on the route for the battery powered open top carriages which have superseded horse drawn carriages for tourist trips with a guide. 

Tim's beer choices here were draught Bertinchamps Framboise (favourite), draught Fee Verte and bottled 'beer of the moment' Joker DIPA Mango both from Brasserie Valduc-Thor a cooperative brewery in Wallonia, near Perwez, between Brussels and Namur. The current tap list for GIST can be found on Untappd as it is a verified venue.

A short walk down Rue du Chene, closeed to most traffic, past a mural leads to Poechenellekelder, just before the Mannekin Pis water feature.

There was a queue at the entrance to the courtyard as all the tables were occupied. A menu was pinnned to the railings. We asked if we could find a table inside and were allowed through to find plenty of free tables including one near the bar. 

Keith, Andrew, Simon and Richard with a cabinet of Mannekin Pis figures behind Keith on the left

We hoped this position might assist with prompt service but this was not the case with most staff wearing t-shirts with Student in large letters on the back. Despite the hot weather we ordered lasagne (€15), except for Keith who ordered spaghetti allowing us his unwanted grated parmesan topping. It was served with bread and butter and needed several minutes to cool. Minutes were precious for Simon who had an evening Eurostar train to catch. Simon would leave first after making a generous contribution towards the total bill as it was only a few days in advance of his birthday.

Tim enjoyed two bottled honey beers on this visit, Barbar Blonde (Lefebvre, €5.80) and Biere de Miel Biologique (Dupont, €6.80). Beer prices are higher than in some places but other factors like the unique decor always make it good value overall. 

Breweriana (& Smurf!) viewed from foot of stairs to the toilets

A seated lifesize puppet figure with a cap monitors the top of the staircase to the toilets below. The student bar staff members may not have the confidence and expertise of the regular staff and like to chat amongst themselves but they do know the trick of pulling on a string behind the bar to make this puppet raise his arm when Andrew passed and touched his hand!

After two hours at Poechenellekelder we moved on to Le Lombard at the corner of Rue du Lombard and Rue du Marche au Charbon.

This time we sat outside with a view of a mural of Victor Sackville, a fictional spy for the UK during WWI, illustrated by Belgian artist Francis Carin.

Tim enjoyed a tall glass of Brugse Zot Blond (€5) here.

After an hour at Le Lombard we headed north east along Rue du Marche au Charbon towards 'Delirium Village', passing Brusaille the 'first comic strip mural, back in 1991' drawn by Frank Pé.

On reaching Impasse de la Fidélité we had a look around Delirium Taphouse which has 27 beers on tap and was not very busy.

The colourful wall of illuminated brewery signs at the back of the Taphouse is an impressive feature.

However, as Keith, Andrew and Richard wanted a change from beer, we headed to Delirium Monasterium with a wider range of drinks and sat at a table just outside, in the busy passageway.

While the others had Pastis and Absinthe, Tim enjoyed Delirium Red (left) and Deliria (right, a special brewed annually for International Women's Day). 

The sweet green beer with a lime flavour (Floris Cactus, 4.2% ABV) was a gift from Keith which the barman let him keep after pouring it for him by mistake. It was noticeable that the staff do a good job at both bars we visited here.

From Delirium Village we went by separate ways to our hotels. 

Tim called in at Cafe Bebo for coffee on Monday morning before his Eurostar train back to London. A good range of draught and bottled beers is also available. The terrace was busier than the high-ceilinged interior on Monday morning after the light rain shower had passed.

Three of these bars (Poechenellekelder, GIST and La Fleur en Papier Dore) were also visited by Tim and friends from the Non Blondes quiz team at The Lion, Newbury, in March 2025. More details and photos are included in the post - A Night in Brussels

Beer in Brussels - Sunday 3 July 2022

 

Simon and Tim travelled from Antwerp to Brussels Midi by train and then walked through a busy Sunday market and then along Avenue de Stalingrad to reach Cafe Bebo at its northern end, where it joins Place Rouppe.

While Tim checked into economical and nearby Hotel Barry, Simon enjoyed a glass of Duchesse De Bourgogne at a pavement table. (Simon's luggage had already been deposited at the station in readiness for his evening departure by Eurostar to London).

It is only a short walk from Place Rouppe to Place Fontainas.

Tim's first beer in Brussels would be served inside at Moeder Lambic (Fontainas) where it was not busy and the background music was mainly Europop.

While Simon (above) enjoyed a glass of Quetsche Tilquin, Tim enjoyed a glass of Troubadour Magma NEIPA. These were poured from two of the forty or so taps.

There are now two banks of taps at the back of the bar and two more banks on the bar itself. 

With so many taps for a wide choice there are few bottles listed on the daily beer menu.

It is now 'bar service' and it appears there are no longer any handpumps at Moeder Lambic for cask beer. Some seats near the entrance have been removed to make way for a raised and tiled space, perhaps intended as an open storage area? 

Moeder Lambic (Fontainas) must surely be an essential destination for any beer enthusiast's Brussels visit.

With an evening train to catch, Simon was keen to visit nearby Poechenellekelder and enjoy a lasagne meal in advance of our friends, who were catching a later train from Antwerp to meet up with us at Brasserie de la Mule.

Situated near the Mannekin Pis tourist hotspot, all the tables in the courtyard were taken so we sat inside, near the stairway leading up from the entrance, with music from a talented singer-guitarist just outside providing a good background.

From the extensive beer menu, Simon chose Brouwerij De Dolle Brouwers Oerbier and Tim chose Orval (after finding that V Cense from Brasserie de Jandrain-Jandrenouille was not available).

Our drinks were professionally poured and served with a small bowl of complimentary snacks. Simon could not finish his lasagne, served with a generous basket of bread so Tim also had something to eat before his evening meal! As usual, Poechenellekelder did not disappoint and is another essential Beer in Brussels destination.

On the way to the tram stop to take us to Schaerbeek, we walked up Rue du Chene and passed Gist and the statue of Jacques Brel at Place de la Vieille Halle au Bles. Tim would revisit Poechenellekelder and Gist in the evening. 

Tram 92 runs from Palais to Pogge and we arrived at Brasserie de la Mule, 95 Rue Reubens, soon after 5pm.

The building was once a tram depot and stable for the horses that once pulled them. The courtyard furniture is made from wooden pallets and cable drums. Tim's first beer (above) was Straight Saison (6% ABV) served in a tall wheat beer style glass with good value at 5 euros for 50cl.

It was good to meet up again with the 'usual suspects' from Antwerp although Dave had travelled on to Amsterdam instead. Out of service trams are still stored behind the old tram depot - as visible in the photo.

Inside, the Bar de la Mule is a large space with a vaulted ceiling and seating areas at both ends. Table football can be played at the end which leads to the courtyard at the side.

Brewery vessels and the canning line can be seen before entering the bar area and when leaving. 

With a train to catch, Simon was the first to leave. Before the rest of us left at 7.30pm there was time for another tall beer (an amber coloured Hefe Weisse Naturtrüb for Tim).

There was also time to speak to Guillaume who had single-handedly managed the bar all day. Tim left a copy of West Berkshire CAMRA Ullage magazine with him for customers to read.

Note that live music and other events are often held at Brasserie de la Mule and event details are updated on Facebook.

A photo opportunity for Tim (Thomas) as the group of four reached Thomas tram stop, at the junction of Rue du Progres and Avenue Philippe Thomas.

Tram 3, south towards Churchill, would take us to Beurs. Esplanade is the northern terminus on this route. Presenting an enabled contactless bank card to the reader onboard charges 2.10 euros for an hour's travel on the STIB-MIVB network. 

We passed some Tintin street art in Rue de l'Etuve, just south of Rue du Lombard, as we approached Poechenellekelder.

Tim was happy to revisit Poechenellekelder and to sit outside this time.

He chose Moinette for his first evening beer. This time there was no complimentary bowl of snacks to nibble. This Brasserie Dupont 8.5% ABV flagship beer was created in 1955.

Here's a photo of Tim's lasagne at Poechenellekelder from a 2019 visit. Once again it was a popular meal choice. Unlike the afternoon visit, there was no basket of bread accompaniment on this occasion. It was generous of Richard to pay for all our meals. He was feeling rich after patting a different pocket while at Brasserie de la Mule and discovering that the wallet which he had thought had been pickpocketed, while on the tram to Schaerbeek earlier, had not been stolen after all!

With its collection of wooden puppets, there is always something unusual to photograph on the route to the toilets at Poechenellekelder. These are reached after negotiating stairs up from the entrance and then down to the basement from bar level. 

It was deja vu again for Tim as the group walked up Rue du Chene but this time we would find a table inside Gist which was dimly lit. It was good to see a handpump in action here even though not placed in the most ergonomic position on the bar!

There have been several changes since a previous visit to Gist in 2019 when it was run by Jenlain and Jody - see previous post. The loud music from vinyl records has been toned down and the decor has changed.

The new decor includes cymbals as shades for lighting fixtures.

Gist is now an Untappd verified venue and details of available beers can be checked online. 

Tim received a 'Gist Brussels Family' badge after checking in his first beer (Blanche Cassis by Drogenbos) on the Untappd app (as timofnewbury).

Despite its name, Urine a 7% ABV DIPA collaboration between Brasserie du Borinage and Bastard Brewers tasted good and was served in a can shaped branded glass.

Although Gist was not busy later on, the helpful staff kept the bar open until the advertised closing time of midnight on Sunday.

Note that a range of Brasserie de la Mule canned beers, with colourful labels by AMMO illustration, are available at Gist.

Gist has become another essential Beer in Brussels bar to visit, especially for craft beer enthusiasts!

The regularly updated Brussels Beer City blog by Eoghan Walsh has more news about beer in Brussels and is highly recommended.

Eoghan's latest book 'A History of Brussels Beer in 50 Objects' includes #49 Brasserie de la Mule Hefe Weisse.