Bars / Cafes / Taverns., Brugge

WOW! I was taken by this place. If you like Belgian ales you need to come here. We tried to go to the 't Bruges Beertje on a Sunday afternoon but it was closed. We ended in here by chance and boy was I impressed. They have a selection of over 300 Belgian beers to include their own. Huge list with anything you can think of. Lambics, Trappist, Doubles, Triples etc... They even had the legendary "Westvleteren ", considered the world's greatest beer. A hard find since the monastery that brews it only sells it for personal consumption, they refuse to sell it commercially and only produce limited quantities. The setting is really warm and comfortable and the service ok. They are very busy so don’t expect lighting fast service. I think it's a must for any beer lover. Oh, they also sell food. Try the beer cheese croquettes.

Dress Code: casual

This bar is a small family establishment (the owners' little girl and dog were hanging out there). It's a little rundown and off of the tourist track. The draw is that from 5-6pm they sell Hoegaarden for 1 euro. It's not a bad place to drink the rest of the day because most of their beer list is a euro cheaper than anywhere else. They also have a reasonable snack list including the Croque Monsieur for 2,50 euros. They have a chess set and playing cards available so we spent a few very pleasant hours there.

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A splendid 16th century tavern that will have you wanting to wander around like at a museum but stay put if you don't want to look like a gawking tourist. It is worth a stop despite a boring beer list even if just to soak in the old world atmosphere. The toilets are through a lovely courtyard and somehow make you feel you are entering a stable! We left our VT contingent there and headed to The Bear without them. Some are more picky then others when it comes to beer choice. ;)

We only came to this place once (in the summer), but we're planning to go back next time when I'm in Bruges. We came here at the end of our walk (station - centre - beguinage - Minnewater - station). I do not know how it looks on the inside, but the terrass is the perfect place to relax for a while. We had a wok dish, that tasted extremely well, and we drank a couple of beers (see picture).

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No, that title was not the Bush beer talking, I simply don't remember the name of the area we were in for drinks at night. Perhaps someone will recognize it from the photos. We tried all kinds of beer. Types I had never heard of. Chocolate beer??? Only in Belgium. Though I was happy to report that I found Liefman's Kriek back at home in an international spirits store!

Dress Code: Seems casual everywhere.

We were enticed into De Kuppe for two rather prosaic and one rather fantastic reason! The first two being that it was very near to the hotel (Aragon) we were staying in and the window advertised over 100 beers. The latter reason being that as they walked past they were playing “Ain’t Nothing Gonna Break My Stride” by Matthew Wilder, which demanded to be danced to! Oh and with Leffe and Hoegaarden on tap add another two motives!
The bar itself is a long rectangular room with the bar down one side and tables and chairs on the other. Décor is – well to be honest it’s just bar-like! A plain-ish wall, wooden furniture - like a lot of good places to drink it’s the beer that’s the thing and the clientele that make the atmosphere (a mixture of different ages).
The 100 or so beers are listed on a menu card – just make your pick and the barman will take your order. At 6.00pm in the evening (we returned to the bar on our second trip to Bruges) the bar was sparsely populated (there are also tables and chairs outside for those balmy summer evenings) at 10.30pm with the music playing it was much busier.
Located near the Markt this is one of the – many – fine bars you can find in Bruges. Cheers!

Open: from about 5.00pm

Bruges Cafes
t Brugse Beertje: Kemelstraat 5 - 300 beers available, a small place with a big reputation as beer heaven.
Vlissinghe: The oldest café in Bruges, founded 1515 - Beer seminars held Saturdays in the back room, the "Academy".
Staminee de Garre: de Garre passage, off Breidelstraat - restored two storey bar with 130 beers including Tripel brewed for the bar.
De Zolder Cafe: Vlamingsstraat 53 - 60 well-chosen beers in this celler bar.

café Vlissinghe' is the oldest in town.
Since 1515 it is uninterrupted open.
of course you can enjoy the beers from Brugge
' straffe Hendrik' and 'Brugse tripel'.
Watch out trippel means that there is a 8/9
alcohol percentage.

Altough the interior has been undergoing
quit some changes since the place was founded
it think it is something special. In summertime
there is a very nice terrace...

You can also order a snack..farmers bread with
ham or cheese , croque monsieur...etc.

Watch out , it is closed on monday and tuesdays!