Margate

It was nice to get a room with a view of the bay at the Margate Premier Inn for our first visit to the town (Thursday 28 April - Saturday 30 April). Situated near the railway station and with a free car park, the hotel is convenient for both rail travellers and motorists. We had driven from Hastings via Rye and Canterbury.

This visit was about culture as well as beer so the Turner Contemporary was our first destination.

Turner Contemporary & Visitor Information Centre

With free admission and located on the site where Joseph Mallord William Turner used to stay when he visited the town on a steamer from London, a visit to the world-class art gallery should not be missed. The gallery cafe overlooking the bay is also recommended.

 A walk along the elevated harbour walkway took us to the end where there are steps down to the access road running past the sheltered units looking back at the town.

The Harbour Arms

The Harbour Arms is located in one of these units and is open all day so we were able to find our first beer in the appropriately nautical surroundings.

Seating outside must get well used in summer months but we stayed inside on this occasion and enjoyed the variety of furnishings and decor.

Originally, two fishermen's sheds, the micropub was opened by Carole Lane in May 2013. We chatted with Tony at the bar who moved to Margate from Northumberland three years previously. He told us that it was the 25th micropub to open in the country and there is a music jam night on Mondays.

There is a flat rate pricing system with all ciders and ales at £3.20 pint. I enjoyed half pints of G2 Brewing (Ashford, Kent) Otava IPA 4.4% ABV and Caveman Brewery (Swanscombe, Kent) Shatkora 5.5% ABV with lime and ginger notes. 

There is a good view of the town from the harbour arm with the Turner Contemporary on the left (east) and Arlington House, an 18 storey tower block, on the right (west).

Lifeboat Ale and Cider House

Previously a winebar, the Lifeboat Ale and Cider House at 1 Market Street was established in May 2010.

Lifeboat Ale & Cider House is the corner building at far right of Market Place

We visited the small pub, perhaps a micropub, on a Thursday lunchtime. Sawdust on the wooden floorboards is one of the first things to notice on entering the Lifeboat.

There is a small bar in the front room with wooden stools for customers.

Beer orders are met by a visit to the cooled casks on a wooden stillage wall which separates the front room from an area behind where ciders are also kept.

This was a good opportunity to sample The Ramsgate Brewery Gadds' No 7, a Kentish pale bitter ale.

Some historical pictures and posters on the walls included one for Cobb & Co's Margate Ales. Whitbread acquired the brewery in 1968 and closed it the same year.
We would visit the Lifeboat's sister pub, the Chapel, in Broadstairs later in the day.

 

Fez

Philip Evans is the man behind the Fez micropub in Margate, which opened in December 2015. If you are lucky you will find him wearing a fez!

As soon as we walked inside I knew this would be my ideal local pub. Located at 40 High Street, it is just behind Marine Drive on the sea front and next to the Bay Restaurant & Bar of the Sands Hotel.

The golden Bass sign in the front side window caught Martin Taylor's eye after it was featured in a tweet but my fellow beer blogger was disappointed to discover that the micropub does not actually serve Bass.

However it does serve a fine selection of changing ales sourced from AVS Wines & Beers Ltd of Gravesend, Kent. Beers and Ciders were only £3 pint (April 2016).

I enjoyed a half pint of Tonbridge Brewery Golden Rule. Other beers were from Grafton Brewing Ltd (Worksop) and Acorn Brewery (Barnsley).

Some of the seating is at ground level. A stereogram is inside one bay window and Phil has a collection of LPs dating from the 1960s to play on it.

Phil reading 'Ullage' from a raised seat in the Fez

Storage space underneath is created by having platforms for raised seating on both sides of the room. This also has the advantage for conversations that people standing in the middle of the room are at a similar height to those seated on the sides.

View from raised seat at a high table

Candles are lit at dusk. There are also fairy lights and various illuminated signs.

You'll find the toilet behind the door with a 'Sprinkler Stop Valve' sign underneath the large Ansell's sign. A red or green light above the door indicates whether it is currently occupied or not.

The antique cash register atop the fairground style bar cannot process payment cards so bring cash to the Fez to avoid disappointment.

Permanent wave machine

Any lover of kitsch will enjoy the surroundings. As well as brewery paraphernalia and fez related items there are a number of unusual objects on display. Phil has a background in design and was happy to answer questions about these including a machine once used by hairdressers for giving a 'perm'.

Art by Angela Malone

Phil supports local artists and during our visit there were artworks by Angela Malone on display.
Meg didn't find it easy to get me out of the Fez but the promise of a return visit the next day did the trick.

The Friday visit was at lunchtime when there were fewer people in the micropub than on the  Thursday evening and we had a chance to chat with Phil and enjoy a personal demonstration of the stereogram in it's expanded glory.

After an afternon visit to Broadstairs we eventually returned to the Fez for a third and final visit on the Friday night when the subdued lighting transformed the look of the interior. It was a relief to find the micropub undamaged after worries about smoke, possibly from building work below, earlier in the day.

The beer range had changed and Rooster's Brewing Co (Knaresborough) Buckeye and Pig & Porter (Tunbridge Wells) Dance First Stout were now listed. Both beers were sampled and found to be in superb condition.

After the closing bell was rung at 10.30pm it was sadly time to leave Fez for the third and last time.
I look forward to a return visit to the Fez, in my opinion a good enough reason on its own to visit Margate.

The Tudor House, Margate

There are further reasons to visit Margate though, including Vortigern Gallery, the Shell Grotto and the Tudor House. There are also other good pubs and micropubs to visit in Margate and neighbouring Westgate-on-Sea so a return visit will be made sooner rather than later.

Hastings Old Town

Hastings Pier view east towards West Hill and East Hill

Hastings Old Town, just east of Hastings, is distinctive but in a different way than St Leonards-on-Sea, just west of Hastings. Hastings Old Town and St Leonards on Sea both have indistinct borders to separate them and are within easy walking distance along the seafront.

East Hill Lift, Hastings Old Town

Walking east from Hastings, after passing the amusement arcades and the West Hill lift (for Hastings Castle) on George Street, but before reaching the East Hill lift (for Hastings Country Park) you reach the narrow High Street which is the setting for both the Jenny Lind and the First In Last Out (FILO).

St Clement's Church

The Jenny Lind Inn

After passing St Clement's Church, set back from the High Street on Swan Terrace, you reach the Jenny Lind on the left as you walk further up the High Street.

Jenny Lind Inn 'Famously Hastings' Hastings Old Town

Named after a Swedish opera singer, the Jenny Line free house and hotel has a brick frontage with large windows and two entrances. The front bar has wooden floorboards, both low and high tables and some quirky decor including an old petrol pump topped with an illuminated sign.

The Jenny Lind

Ten cask ales on handpump are mainly sourced nationally, eg Courage, Theakston, Wadworth, JW Lees, Caledonian, Butcombe, McMullen with typically two local beers. Traditional ciders are supplied by Orchard Pig.

On our visit in April 2016, Long Man Long Blonde and Franklins Mama Knows Best were the East Sussex ales. Franklins Brewing Co are based about five miles away near Bexhill and other Franklins beers include English Garden.

Blackboards above and behind the bar give details of music events at the pub including Sea Shanties on Thursdays (9pm) and live music on Fridays (8.30pm) and Sundays (4pm).


 

The First In Last Out

Further up the High Street, after passing near St Clement's church, you will find the First In Last Out (FILO) on the right. It has been a free house since 1976 and the building dates back to the sixteenth century.

Café de Paris at the First In Last Out

There may be a fire burning in an open grate giving the pub a cosy feel. When we turned up on Tuesday 26 April, Café de Paris had just started playing delightful 1930's Parisian Café Jazz and Swing Musette.

Cask ales from the FILO Brewery including Crofters (3.8% ABV Best Bitter), Gold (4.8% Premium Ale) and Cardinal (4.6% ABV Sussex Porter) are among six avalable from the bar. The St Clements Brewery was originally situated at the back of the pub. In 2000 the brewery was overhauled and renamed the FILO brewery and in 2011 the brewery moved up the road to Torfield Cottage.
Regular music events are held at the FILO. Tuesday and Thursday events start at 9pm and when there is jazz on Sundays it starts at 6.30pm. 

The Crown

The Crown

The Crown lies two streets east of the High Street on All Saints' Street and can be easily approached from the Jenny Lind along Courthouse Street. Instead of a traditional pub sign, it can be recognised by the crown over the corner doorway. We visited the pub / restaurant on a Tuesday and a Wednesday and no tables were free on either evening.

With good beer, food and service it is easy to understand the popularity of the pub. The efficient staff keep track of customers waiting for tables and we could sit at the bar knowing that we would be informed when a table became available.

At the Crown, four cask ales are supplemented by craft beers and Rothaus Pils from Germany's Black Forest. On our visit cask ales were from Franklins (Bexhill, Sussex), Caveman Brewery (Swanscombe, Kent) and Three Legs Brewery (Broad Oak / Brede, East Sussex).

Cabin by Josh Ross at The Crown

There are changing art exhibitions at the pub with artworks available for sale. Art by illustrator Josh Ross was on display during our visit. Special events like book launches also take place at the Crown. Emmanuel Hadjiandreou launched his book 'How to make Sourdough' there in April. There is a monthly quiz, capably hosted by Jim on the last Wednesday of the month. There are also music events especially during Hastings Folk Festival in early May.

Good food lovers will appreciate the changing 'simple, honest, tasty' menu that includes bar snacks, smaller plates, bigger plates, sweets and cheeseboard sections.

One more thing to like about the Crown is finding simple fresh flowers on the bar, tables and windowsills.

The Albion

The Albion, is situated on George Street at the junction with Albion Lane and almost opposite the West Hill lift entrance. It was once a hotel and named the Royal Albion. We had noticed a sign outside previously.

The opportunity to see a string quarted performing in a decent pub was not to be missed so we ended up here on 27 April after a meal at the Crown.

After getting beers from the bar which has six handpumps, we found seats with a clear view of the Albion String Quartet and enjoyed hearing them perform some popular classical music.

The furnishings of the pub included solid oak tables that may have been there for as long as the wooden panelling on the walls featuring various tartans from the days when the pub served beers brewed by William Younger & Co..
The Albion regularly hosts live music and DJ events catering for all musical interests.

We were particularly impressed to find a high quality of free music events in Hastings Old Town pubs on a Tuesday and a Wednesday night when in most towns you would be lucky to find anything going on at all. Based on our experience, Hastings Old Town can definitely be recommended for a midweek visit for music loving beer drinkers!

NB There are other good pubs in Hastings Old Town, Hastings and St Leonards-on-Sea not featured in this post.

For further details of all the pubs featured follow the links in the text above.

Brussels Beer Project and Café Walvis

From the centre of Brussels or Place Saint-Géry, find Rue Antoine Dansaert and head north west to find Brussels Beer Project and Café Walvis just before reaching the canal and the Molenbeek neighbourhood beyond.

Place Saint-Géry

Although less than half a mile from Place Saint-Géry and Place de la Bourse, you will notice the change in style from smart bars and exclusive fashion shops towards unimpressive fast food outlets as you head towards Molenbeek.

Café Walvis

On Thursday 17 March 2016, we stopped for lunch and a beer at Café Walvis after noticing the colourful Brussels Beer Project posters in the windows. 

Inside the cafe / bar has an airy feel from windows on both sides. There are tables by the windows and bar stools provide seating at the angled central bar counter. Some good indie music was playing on the sound system including Herman Dune. This may reflect the fact that regular DJ and live music events are held here.

I chose Vedett Extra White, brewed by Duvel Moortgat, from a choice of six draught beers that also included La Chouffe and De Koninck.

A waitress took our lunch order for soup of the day and a portion of cheese which would be served wrapped in striped paper. The vegetable soup (of the day) was served in large bowls with bread and butter and was good value.
With the advantage of a situation near Porte de Flandre tram (#51) stop and opposite Brussels Beer Project, Café Walvis is well worth a visit.

Brussels Beer Project

 

It was now after 2pm and across the street at 188 Rue Antoine Dansaert, Brussels Beer Project had opened.

The limited opening hours are shown in the window.

A multi level stainless steel bar is the first thing you notice on entry. The beer fonts are located behind the bar counter. Further inside the building is the tasting room and brewery.

Between the bar and the tasting room a boldly decorated area states 'We are who we are' and provides background material on the Project.

 The list of draught and bottled beers is projected onto a wall at the end of the bar.

To start, I ordered two 12.5 cl glasses of Grosse Bertha and I like it Bitter costing 1.6 & 1.9 euros respectively and we found a table in the tasting room. Glasses on the table had malted barley grains and hop pellets.

Grosse Bertha, a 7% ABV Belgian Hefeweizen was my favourite beer here and I would later buy two bottles to take home (at a bargain price).

My slightly lower score on Untappd for I like it Bitter, a 8.1% ABV Double IPA probably reflects that I don't like it very bitter (70 IBU)!

It was great to be drinking good beers at the source and to have a chance to see the brewery itself. There was a lively atmosphere as we had turned up during a visit to the brewery by a group from Goose Island Beer Company of Chicago on a 'Migration Week' tour of Europe.
The founders of Brussels Beer Project, who raised finance by crowdfunding, Olivier de Brauwere and Sébastien Morvan as well as the head brewer, Yves Leboeuf, were all on hand to answer questions.

Simon and I kept out of everyone's way and enjoyed our beers from a table at the far end of the spacious and stylish tasting room which also has storage for crates of bottled beer and room for parking bikes!

For our next beers, Simon and I shared bottles of Smells like Hops Spirit, a hoppy session beer, and Princess Jasmine, and Oriental Witbier, but found these 'Limited Edition' beers less impressive than the draught beers we had enjoyed previously. The unusual styles and titles reflect one of the project's taglines 'Leave the Abbey, Join the Playground!'.

Head Brewer - Yves Leboeuf

Before leaving, I was able to have a quick chat with Yves and give him a copy of Ullage, the West Berkshire CAMRA magazine which I edit.

Now it was time to leave and catch a tram to Brussels Midi station in time for our Eurostar train to London St Pancras International.

Brussels Beer Project - Brewery and Taproom
Rue Antoine Dansaert, 188
1000 Brussels
Website: www.beerproject.be

Taproom Open
Thursday, Friday and Saturday
from 14h to 22h / 2pm to 10pm
 
NB Check details above in case of changes after publication (April 2016).

Café Walvis
Rue Antoine Dansaert, 209
1000 Brussels
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cafewalvis 

Brussels Map

Brussels Beer Project is the orange marker in the top left of the map above. 
Map link for an interactive map with notes and photos that can be displayed by clicking on the markers:  www.google.com/maps