Antwerp & Lillo by Waterbus 20 June 2025

View of Antwerp docks and Museum aan de Stroom from DeWaterbus

After arriving in Antwerp the previous day and with a day to enjoy before the opening evening of Bierpassie / Beer Passion Weekend 2025 on the evening of Friday 20 June, our group went in two directions. While long time festival goers Andrew, Keith, Richard and Simon would meet at Antwerpen Centraal for the train to Gent, Tim, a relative newcomer to the group, decided to take his first trip on De Waterbus from Het Steen on Antwerp's waterfront downstream to Lillo.

Hollandstraat - the shady side opposite my apartment

Tim's morning started with a walk from his holiday apartment on Hollandstraat to Lidl on van der Wervestraat. This walk involved crossing Sint-Jansplein with its busy market and discovering two interesting structures at opposing corners of the open space. 

There's a monument dedicated to Panamarenko, the Belgian inventor / artist who lived nearby and a colourful curved kiosk for community events. Lidl proved useful for breakfast foods and coffee pads that would fit the old Senseo espresso coffee machine in the apartment.

   University    -    'T Kleintje    -     Het Steen

After breakfast, keeping to the shade where possible, a walk down Paardenmarkt, Klapdorp, Zirkstraat and Zakstraat gave glimpses of the university and passed some interesting bars and shops and the inevitable roadworks.

A sign at the entrance to the Steenplein landing stage on the river Scheldt, near Het Steen, gives details of routes, times, rules and fares. These details are also available from the DeWaterbus website. Tickets can be purchased online or on board the ferry when staff check tickets and destinations. The Zone 3 (North) fares for Lillo are €4 / €6 return with reduced rates for 65+ years (€3.50 / €5 return).

The landing stage offers virtually no protection from the sun / rain but there are railings at the edges. Bicycles are parked in the rear open section which may not leave much room left for passengers preferring to travel in this section rather than the large enclosed cabin which has full length windows.

The route passes docks and industrial sites and possibly freight ships. It takes almost an hour to reach Lillo after three stops on the other bank of the river. Passengers are expected to know when to get off. Stops are not displayed on the cabin screen and may not be announced. Ask a crew member if you have arrived at Lillo if necessary.

There is a narrow pier from the landing stage at Lillo to dry land. A panoramic view towards the landing stage includes cooling towers of the Doel nuclear power station on the opposite bank.

Limited shelter is available for passengers to the right of an information board.

There's a board with a map of Lillo a little further inland. Sections of the moat remain and there is a yacht club harbour near the river. It was time to explore the settlement and find a bar for a lunchtime beer.

The main street leads to a square by a church with a corner bar Taverne 't Pleintje.

With De Koninck listed in the menu as one of the draught beers (€3.30), a Bolleke was the obvious choice for a first beer of the day, brewed nearby in Antwerp. All the customers were sat at tables in the square and table service was efficient.

Duly refreshed, an exploratory walk around Lillo and its raised perimeter was interesting and there was some welcome shade from trees in some parts. The square brick building behind a high wall in the central photo above is the Kruitmagazijn (gunpowder magazine). It was built in 1810 by order of Napoleon to store 50 tons of gunpowder. 

Returning to the central square, an attempt to enter the premises under the sign In de 7 Saeligheden with an exterior featuring beer signs, was refused with the explanation that it is now just an ice cream store with a counter for the street.

Instead I was invited to buy a home made ice cream but another beer had more appeal so apologies were made and a promise to recommend the establishment to friends - please tell them Tim sent you when you visit Marktje 7!

Returning to Taverne 't Pleintje an opportunity was taken to order another classic beer from  Antwerp - Seef bier brewed by Antwerpse Brouw Compagnie reasonably priced at €4.20 for a 33cl bottle. Bootje's bier (brewed with ginger and coriander) and Radio Minerva Tripel are also available.

A short walk back to the pier was timed to coincide with the 3pm departure of DeWaterbus back to Antwerp. Don't miss an opportunity to explore the river Scheldt and Lillo c/o DeWaterbus if you find yourself in Antwerp on a fine day.

R,A,K & S at Het Waterhuis (Photo Richard R) - A,K,S & R at Trollekelder (Photo Andrew B)

I could tell from WhatsApp messages that Andrew, Keith, Richard and Simon were having a good day out in Gent / Ghent visiting canalside Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant and two of my recommendations: Artevelde and Trollekelder. 

WORK IN PROGRESS - WATCH THIS SPACE!

Saturday night in Saint Gilles, Brussels

Saint-Gilles lies south of Brussels Midi / Zuid station and the city's Petite Ceinture inner ring road. It's easy to reach by Premetro lines 4 and 10 with routes southwards via Gare du Nord and Gare du Midi.

There are many Art Nouveau buildings in the neighbourhood. Landmarks include Porte de Hal / Halle Gate in the south, Saint-Gilles church at the west end of a broad plaza 'Parvis Saint-Gilles', the Barriere roundabout with a central La Porteuse d'Eau statue where seven roads meet and the Town Hall 'Administration' building (photo below). 

Moeder Lambic Original

On Saturday 8 March 2025, after spending two nights within a half mile radius of the Grand Place, our group agreed to go further afield for the last night of a long weekend trip. Jeff wanted to visit the original Moeder Lambic bar and Tim suggested travelling to the Albert stop which is at a high point in this sloping neighbourhood.

Heading downhill from 'Albert' along Rue Arthur Diderich we reached Moeder Lambic, Rue de Savoie 68, at 7.30pm. Only one outside table was free but a group was leaving as we arrived, freeing up tables inside. The furniture is made from chunky pale wood in a distinctive style.

The draught beer and snacks menu on a blackboard above the bar offers a wide range of styles including six Lambics and Bieres Acides. Two 'Les Pintes du Mois' are keenly priced at €6.50 for 50cl.

Our choices included Harmony (Brasserie des Legendes 6% ABV, in foreground, from Bieres Douces section) and Berliner Bros (Brasserie de la Mule, in the straight glass). There is another Moeder Lambic bar at Place Fontainas 8 in Brussels. We could easily have spent longer at this original bar but the novelty of a different bar also appealed.

Brasserie Verschueren

A longer walk downhill, past the Town Hall (top photo) and then past the Barriere roundabout, continuing past Snack Murat on Chaus. de Waterloo, brought us to Brasserie Verschueren on Parvis Saint-Gilles near the church.

The many outside tables were busy but we found a good table near an open window and ordered beers at the bar before a queue developed at this busy bar where drinks are quickly served. A relatively short list on the blackboard above the bar makes the choice easier. Rich chose a bottle of Tripel Verschueren (Brasserie de la Senne) and Tim chose draught Verschueren Saison (Brasserie De Ranke) which was tasting especially good.

The football league table on the wall at the far end of the bar is one of the special features here. We could have spent longer here but we needed a meal at this point.

La Porteuse d'Eau

We had decided to try La Porteuse d'Eau with its broad menu that included Mussels and Frites. It is only 200 metres down Avenue Jean Volders and features Art Nouveau windows and an illuminated sign of the girl carrying water who is also featured in the central statue at the Barriere roundabout.

The good news was that a round table seating five was available on the first floor up a spiral staircase and underneath a colourful stained glass dome. The bad news was that mussels were off the menu tonight. 

Rich and Mike consulting the menu

We started with a drinks order and consulted our menus. While Tim chose Hopus, Rich chose Rodenbach Alexander, Mike chose a Trappistes Rochefort, Jeff chose Rodenbach Classic and Pat switched to red wine. There was general satisfaction with our meals when they arrived but Tim would have liked more gravy with his Stoemp and sausage! However, the art nouveau decor and surroundings were hard to fault.

Brasserie de l'Union

Leaving the restaurant just before 11pm, left us with time for a beer at Brasserie de l'Union, a short walk back to Parvis Saint-Gilles and then a left turn to the east end of the lively pedestrian plaza where it's located at the junction with Rue de Moscou.

Rich and Mike pour their Flanders Red beers

While Pat switched again to Pastis, Rich and Mike stuck with Flanders Red beers and Tim enjoyed a Tripel Karmeliet. Brasserie de l'Union has links with Royale Union Saint-Gilloise football club. 

The small board with the menu of the day included some good value options with payment in cash suggested.

A short walk down Rue de Moscou, then Rue de la Victoire and then west along Av. de la Porte de Hal would bring us to a Metro entrance after passing the floodlit Porte de Hal, set in gardens, around midnight. 

This had been Jeff, Mike, Pat and Rich's last night in Brussels but Tim stayed on for an extra day in Belgium, allowing for a visit to Ghent on a sunny Sunday and described in a Ghent on foot blog post. 

By Brussels Bourse

View of the Bourse from interior of Falstaff

The streets around Brussels neoclassical style Bourse are now pedestrianised. As well as Belle Epoque brasseries there are nearby alleyways leading to traditional bars. The Bourse itself is now the home of Belgian Beer World with a rooftop terrace and Beerlab bar which may require a ticket to access.

Brasseries

Falstaff

Dating from 1903, Le Falstaff is situated south-west of the Bourse at Rue Henri Maus 19. The interior is laid with matching tables and chairs. 

There are many mirrors and art nouveau style features including the design of the front windows that overlook the Bourse.

At lunchtime on Monday 10 March, 2025, Falstaff was very quiet and a lone waiter eventually served a 33cl glass of Hoegaarden Blanche with an unrequested lemon slice together with a complimentary bowl of sweet popcorn (€5.50). 

Luckily my reply had been 'small' to his earlier question of normal or small! 

A full menu is served and the beer menu also includes draught Jupiler Pils, Leffe Blond & Brun and Belle-Vue Kriek Classique. All draught beers are available in 50cl and 1 litre measures as well as 'small'. Bottles of Trappist beer are competitively priced e.g Westmalle €4.50, Chimay Bleue €4.80 and Orval €4.80 (March 2025).

Natural light reaches the back of the large room through stained glass windows.

A visit to the toilets downstairs reveals three traditional full height white ceramic urinals and various posters for live music events.

Le Cirio

Founded in 1886, with redesigned decor from 1909, Le Cirio is situated north-east of the Bourse at Rue de la Bourse / Beursstraat 18.

Our group visited on a sunny Friday lunchtime - 7 March 2025. A reasonably priced full menu is available but as we were only visiting for a beer, our waiter directed us to a table in the back part of the large room. Curved mirrors line the walls above bench seating with high backed chairs to match the wooden tables.

Our beer order was mainly bottled Westmalle beers. Westmalle Dubbel, Tripel and Extra were all priced at €4.70 (March 2025). The draught beers include Maes Pils, Blanche du Bruges, Grimbergen Dubbel and Leffe Blonde.

A visit to the toilets will reveal a bank of three full height white ceramic urinals that have served male customers well over the years.

Although Le Falstaff and Le Cirio are very close, unless you are especially interested in comparing their styles immediately, there is an argument for visiting them on different days to gain a better overall experience as the beer range in both is rather limited.

A La Mort Subite

Galeries Royale Saint Hubert

Some distance from the Bourse and approachable via the pedestrianised Rue du Marche au Herbes and the covered arcades of Galeries Royale Saint Hubert, A La Mort Subite can be found at Rue Montagne aux Herbes Potageres 7. Theodore Vossen founded A La Mort Subite in 1928 and gave his brewery the same name.

With a more interesting beer range, a visit here combined well with our previous visit to Le Cirio that had been followed by an al fresco lunch of Belgian beer and frites from Friterie Patatak, Rue de la Bourse 34.

A narrower room than at Falstaff or Le Cirio, but just as deep and again featuring bench seating against the walls with mirrors above.

Memories of unsympathetic waiters were forgotten when our waiter approached in a friendly manner eager to advise us in our chosen language. The menu includes Gueuze sur Lie and Lambic Gueuze but my choice was draught Lambic Blanche (€6.30). Trappist bottles are expensive here e.g. Orval €7.50. As at other bars, the menu specifies that only a single bill will be issued for each table.

Alleyway bars

Sadly, two of the long established alleyway bars near the Bourse and just off Rue du Marche aux Herbes have closed. These traditional small bars: A l'Imaige Nostre-Dame and Au Bon Vieux Temps are found in Impasse des Cadeaux and Impasse Saint-Nicholas respectively. A 2024 blog post features Au Bon Vieux Temps.

A la Becasse

Near the Bourse and in an alley at Rue de Tabora 11, A la Becasse was visited by our group before Le Cirio. The date over the door is 1877. The bird with a long beak in the images is a woodcock.

We picked a table near the bar at the end of the room which has wood panelling on the walls, windows with stained glass, floor tiles, bench seating against walls, high backed chairs and attractive wooden tables with curved edges. The draught beers served in jugs are Timmermans Lambic Doux and Lambic Blanche. I enjoyed a bottle of Timmermans Kriek Lambicus.

Toone & Delirium Cafe etc

We passed (Theatre Royale de) Toone and Delirium Cafe while walking to / from the Bourse. 

Toone, established 1830, has regular puppet theatre shows and also has a bar. It can be approached from an alleyway off Pt Rue des Bouchers at Impasse Schuddeveld 6. 

Delirium Cafe and related bars are in Impasse de la Fidelite which is off Rue des Boucheurs, a pedestrian road with many restaurants that also crosses Galeries Royale Saint Hubert at its midpoint. 

Impasse de la Fidelite is also the location for Jeanneke Pis, a female version of the more famous Mannekin Pis water feature.

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.