A night in Brussels

 

Grand Place

Which five bars would you choose for a first night in Brussels? My plan for our group of five beer enthusiasts from Newbury was to start at Gist and then visit La Fleur en Papier Dore / Het Goudblommeke in Papier and Poechenellekelder and include previously unvisited La Porte Noire and Goupil le Fol, if time permitted.

Thursday 6 March 2025 was a day when President Zelensky visited Brussels to meet with European leaders. This resulted in delays to the 95 bus from the 'Science' stop on Rue du Midi at Square de Meeus, near our Adagio Aparthotel Access Brussels Europe base, to it's destination near Grand Place. However our bus was allowed to pass through the police checkpoint in Place Royale and then downhill to the stop in Rue du Lombard.

A short 150 metre walk brought us to GIST and a sign pinned to the door advising of delayed opening until 7pm (just after 'Happy Hour' that had been part of the original plan). 

La Fleur en Papier Dore

However, it's only 200 metres further to La Fleur en Papier Dore / Het Goudblommeke in Papier and we soon had a well sited table having ordered 40cl glasses of Verschueren Saison (De Ranke) at the bar.

With an interesting heritage and ranked winner of the 2025 Top 100 bars in Europe for European Bar Guide, it was delightful in many ways and is a 'must visit' bar in Brussels. Rich picked it as his favourite of the 18 bars we would visit during this long weekend trip.

Before leaving we enjoyed another beer from the limited menu with Tripel Verschueren (de la Senne) as my choice.

La Porte Noire

Only a few metres further up Rue des Alexiens is the entrance to La Porte Noire. Beyond a red curtain are steps down to the vaulted cellar bar which was empty when we arrived.

Service and payment is at the bar.

A blackboard at the side and individual blackboards above the bar give details of all the draught beers available including Troubadour Magma (The Musketeers) and Noir de Dottignies (De Ranke). 

To simplify the order we ordered a round of Zinnebir (de la Senne) with a 25cl class costing €3.80. By this time another group of customers had arrived. The draught beer range offers a good mixture and also includes Kasteel Rouge and VI Wheat (Jandrain-Jandrenouille) as well as several Blonde and Pils options. 

After La Porte Noire's opening time (6pm) it makes sense to combine a visit with one to La Fleur en Papier Dore as they are so close to each other and to a bus stop, where the 95 back stops on its return journey to Wiener via Science on Rue du Luxembourg.

GIST

GIST was open after we retraced our steps. From a wide choice of free tables we chose one facing the bar. The blackboard above the bar listed available beers. Two handpumps are a feature here but no beer was being served from them today.

Jeff took advantage of the opportunity to try draught Westmalle Duo, a limited edition Trappist draught beer.

Tim chose L'Amoureux #01 (Brasserie l'Ermitage), a 5% ABV hazy Pale Ale brewed in Brussels with hops mainly from the southern hemisphere. A 25cl serving cost €4.50.

GIST - Rich, Pat, Jeff and Mike (+ Tim on right of mirror!)

Rich had chosen Rabarberlambiek (Oud Beersel). According to the Non Blondes quiz team tradition, it was Rich who supplied our table with three assorted packets of crisps, to accompany our beers. This tradition continues at The Lion, Newbury on Thursday (quiz) nights while Kieran marks the first three rounds.

The rhubarb Lambic was one of the six Oud Beersel Lambics available on tap, sourced from Beersel, 10kms south of Brussels.

Beer lovers can rely on GIST to serve an interesting range of local beers. Usually there is also some good music playing but regrettably this evening's music selection did not meet that standard.

Poechenellekelder

A short downhill walk brought us to Poechenellekelder, close to Mannekin Pis, where we found the small boy was not in a special costume for this evening.

The blackboard outside the entrance listed the draught beers as St Feuillien, Rock 'n' Carol and Taras Boulba. At tables inside, large format menus list all the beers and a limited range of snacks and pasta based meals.

As always, the puppet based decor, was of interest. This time our spaghetti and lasagne dishes were served without much delay. 

We each ended up drinking two beers here and these included Orval, Rochefort 6, VanderGhinste Roodbruin, Rock 'n' Carol (Janine Boulangerie-Brasserie brewed at L'Annexe using unsold bread) and Lindemans Faro. The bill came to €25.50 per head before any tip.

Goupil le Fol

We decided there was time to visit a fifth bar on our first night in Brussels and headed up Rue de l'Etuve for a view of the Grand Place illuminated at night (top photo) and then back to Goupil le Fol at Rue de la Violette 22, usually open daily from 4pm to 2am.

The small bar is situated just inside the entrance, and drinks are ordered and paid for, preferably with cash, before finding a free table inside the dimly lit room with various styles of furniture.

Our table in the main room looked towards the side of the bar and a spiral staircase of metal plates leading to another room on the first floor.

French chansons were playing on the impressive juke box giving the bar a nostalgic atmosphere.

The musical theme is also featured in the selection of records and record sleeves displayed overhead.

A limited range of beers was available and our choices included Lutgarde Blonde and Lutgarde Blanche served from the bottle. The brewery was formed in 2017 and based at Abbaye d'Aywiers, once the home of Sainte-Lutgarde (1182-1246).

Leaving the lively bar before midnight, we were able to catch a 95 bus from the Mannekin-Pis stop on Rue du Midi back up the hill to Rue du Luxembourg, to conclude a good first night out in Brussels.

Brussels Taprooms

Zennebar is the Brasserie de la Senne taproom near Tour & Taxis. Mike, Rich, Pat & Jeff in foreground.

There are plenty of Brussels taprooms to visit including Cantillon, L'Ermitage and Brussels Beer Project but note that many are only open for limited hours. While some have closed (En Stoemelings, No Science), there are also some recent additions (de la Mule - 2021, Surrealiste - 2021). To avoid disappointment, it makes sense to check that a taproom will be open before visiting.

During a long weekend visit to Brussels (Thursday 6 - Sunday 9 March 2025), five members of a pub quiz team, usually at the Lion in Newbury on a Thursday, visited three contrasting brewery taprooms, starting with Brasserie Surrealiste, early on the Friday evening, before a meal at In't Spinnekopke.

Brasserie Surrealiste

Setting a very high bar, the Brasserie Surrealiste taproom in the Dansaert district could easily be mistaken for an exclusive restaurant. The bar and restaurant at 22 Place du Nouveau Marche au Grains, faces an attractive tree lined square. The impressive Art Deco building from 1932 was once a banana warehouse. There's a glazed entrance area with seating and tables, for adults only. 

Inside, the higher main area is mainly restaurant tables but there are also stools at the bar and some tables for bar customers which do not need reservations. There are ornate chandeliers and a variety of candles provide additional light. 

Taproom customers order and pay at the long bar, towards the back of the space. During the daily happy hour (5pm - 7pm), house beers are served in 40cl measures for the 25cl price. The timing of our visit was superb!

Our order of draught house beers included Dance Rave Dance (Session IPA) and Surrealiste Pale Ale both priced at €4.50. The menu on a clipboard mentions that Flights of three 12.5cl draught house beers for €10 can be ordered before 7pm. The Happy Hour offer does not apply to the barrel aged beers e.g. Baltic Porter 8.5% ABV aged for 18 months in Pinot Noir barrels (25cl €7).

Congratulations go to Brasserie Surrealiste for offering their quality beers at affordable prices in such a special taproom.

La Source Beer Co.

After a Saturday visit to the Atomium, we broke the return Metro journey to Brussels at Pannenhuis and walked from there to the warehouse style building once used for Byrrh vermouth.

It has been repurposed as Be-Here and now houses a variety of small businesses, a roller skating circuit and La Source Beer Co..

We had timed our arrival at La Source Beer Co for soon after the 2pm Saturday opening time but there was a delay at the bar due to payment equipment issues. This allowed time to look at some of the other outlets including a Bio-market selling produce and beers from local breweries. xx

When the bar was operational we chose beers listed on strips of blackboard behind the bar.

This 25cl serving of La Meute (6.5% ABV) Tropical Hazy IPA, hopped with Mosaic Cryo, Eldorado and Sorachi Ace (BE) was refreshing and cost €4.30. 

The light and airy taproom features a mixture of seating options, green plants and a table football game. We might have stayed longer and tried some more La Source beers but the loud heavy metal soundtrack was not ideal and we could not find any suitable lunchtime meals.

Brasserie de la Senne - Zennebar

An interesting walk to Brasserie de la Senne included a stop at Boulangerie Patisserie Bockstael for freshly prepared half baguette 'sandwiches', eaten from a bench with a view of a sculpture of Alexander Pushkin by Georgy Frangulyan. The route was then over the Jubilee bridge, marked by twin towers at each end and then following a path along the route of an old railway line through Park Tour & Taxis and past an obelisk for the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Arriving at Zennebar, the Brasserie de la Senne Taproom, we found it busier in the garden on the north west side than inside, on a relatively warm day. The bar system relies on customers ordering and paying at one end of the bar and then collecting beers at the other end by the beer fonts.

We picked a table, made from a cable drum, placed conveniently underneath a beer menu on a blackboard.

This position looks back at the bar and up to a mezzanine floor with oak barrels. xx

Petit Boulba + Jambe-de-Bois

Eoghan Walsh described Petit Boulba as 'a properly pintable beer' in a blog post for Brussels Beer City. Although lower strength (2.8% ABV) than Taras Boulba (4.5%) it was more expensive here (€3.00 v €2.50 for 25cl). Nevertheless it was an ideal opportunity to try it and decide that my next beer would be Jambe-de-Bois, a Belgian Tripel with more strength and sweetness! (€4.30 for 33cl). 

The graphic below from Brasserie de la Senne website includes the beers mentioned above.

Ghent on foot

Gravensteen by the river Leie / Lys

Ghent is a sizeable city crossed by the River Leie / Lys and canals. Main line trains from Brussels stop at Gent-Sint-Pieters but this is a long hike from the historic centre. Tickets to Gent-Dampoort are the same price and changing trains will save extra walking or tram fares.

There will often be a train, stopping at Dampoort, ready for boarding in one of the many platforms at Sint-Pieters. This was the case on an unseasonably warm and sunny early Spring Sunday (9 March 2025). After passing hundreds of bicycles in Dampoort station's parking area, head west from Dampoort station. One possible route follows the north bank of the canal along Hagelandkaai to reach Sint-Jorisbrug over the river. 

Following Steendam west will lead to Gentse Gruut Brouwerij. The brewery uses gruit, a mixture of herbs, as an alternative to hops. The brewery taproom opens at 2pm and the doors were closed but a 2017 visit, after a hike from St-Pieters, had been worthwhile and it is unlikely to have changed a great deal since then - refer 2017 post.

St James' church is just across the roundabout at the western end of Steendam. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday there are stalls for the Prondelmarkt in the shadow of the church at Bij Sint-Jacobs. This is also a good area for cafes and antique shops.

De Dulle Griet

It's also a good area for bars and De Dulle Griet can be found overlooking nearby Vrijdagmarkt, a square where a market is held every Friday.

There's an extensive range of draught beers but no service at the bar. De Dulle Griet was reasonably busy inside but a low table near the entrance was available and table service soon followed.

With a uniform and the responsibility of delivering tall 1.2 litre 'Max' glasses of Blond or Dunkel (€14.40) to customers, the bar staff expect respect from customers.

Prices for normal measures are on the high side with my 33cl glass of Gentse Strop (Brouwerij Roman) costing €6.60. A QR code on the table can be used to see the extensive menu. 

There's lots of bric-a-brac to look at and the 'shoe hoist' with a bell underneath (right photo above) was raised after an order of a 'Max van 't huis'. Definitely a bar to visit once but it may well be missed out on a future visit.

On a mission to see Gravensteen castle further west, the walking route led near two bars earmarked for a visit, Barrazza (right photo above) and Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant (left photo above). They both overlook the river Leie / Lys and were very busy on a sunny day so were merely noted for a future visit.

Artevelde

The streets from Vleeshuisbrug south towards Saint Nicholas' church / Sint-Niklaaskerk were also very busy and it was a relief to see a massive sign on the side of Artevelde Brouwerij and go inside for shade and a comfortable seat.

A table near the foot of an impressive staircase gave views of the bar and the inner courtyard.

From the limited beer range in the bound menu on the table, Artevelde Leute (6.2% ABV) was chosen (33cl / €5) and served with a complimentary bowl of nuts.

Before leaving there was an opportunity to use the traditional staircase to reach the superior toilet facilities. The first floor has a further spacious interior space and an external balcony overlooking the courtyard below. I look forward to a future visit and a chance to drink the other Artevelde beers brewed here: Pils (5.2% ABV, €4.2 / 33cl); Grand Cru (7.2% ABV, €5.5 / 33cl) and Wijs (8.2% ABV, €6.2 33cl). Hopefully the choice of music will have improved by then from a selection that included ABC by the Jackson Five.

Trollekelder

It's a simple walk in a north easterly direction, up Belfortstraat, back towards St James' church to find Trollekelder at Sint-Jacobs 17.

It was nice to be able to go to the bar, look at the draught beers, choose, order and pay before returning to a table with the beer.

As a local option, the only real choice was Ouwen Duiker (33cl / €5.80).

There was a large painting on the wall near my table but I didn't recognise any of the people featured!

The online menu included some unusual bottled beers: Gentse Tripel (8% ABV, 33cl / €5.50); Weer een Tripel Minder (Dok, 8.4% ABV, 33cl /  €5.80); Theoreme de l'Empereur (l'Ermitage, 6.4% ABV, 33cl / €6.80); Westvleteren 8,12 & Blond (8%, 10.2% & 5.8% ABV, 33cl / €15) & Saison Hof ten Dormaal (5.8% ABV, 33cl / €6.30). The music playing on the featured radio station included I Wish by Skee-Lo.

On a visit to the graffiti marked and stickered toilet facilities upstairs, returning by a different route, it was possible to appreciate the extent of Trollekelder which offers a lot more seating upstairs as well as at cellar level. This was my favourite bar of the afternoon in Ghent and definitely one to return to!

Sint-Jorisbrug with canoe rolling action!

From here it is simple to return to Dampoort station via Steendam and Sint-Jorisbrug then either Dampoortstraat for shops or Hagelandkaai for views.

N.B. There are direct SNCB trains from Dampoort to Antwerp and Ostend (via Bruges) so you may not need to change at Sint-Pieters.