This post is primarily beer spots with a couple of around the city pictures thrown in for fun-see we didn’t spend the whole time on a bar stool 🙂 To see part one of our Brussels tour click here.
If you are going to Brussels and into beer than you pretty much have to go here. Overall, not an overly unique menu but neat to see and hey, we got our second free beer of the trip there (win!). I would highly recommend going in the afternoon. We were going to go after dinner, since it was near our hotel, but it had basically turned into something resembling a frat party.
This is a family owned brewery, that has been operating since the 1900s. It is basically half museum/half operating brewery. Cantillon specializes in Lambic, Gueze, Faro and Kriek, which is very different than most brewing methods. They use wild yeast and the fermentation takes place in open air (see the picture of the big flat cooper basin). There is a small tasting room and tours that are for the most part self-guided though you do receive an introduction and directions. Like with most breweries, this one is not in the very best part of town so aim for an early afternoon visit.
Very nice bar, great menu, nice outdoor seating. Really, the main thing I remember about it is that P lost his ring here and a nice English gentleman kindly helped us find it. I had told P repeatedly to stop “playing’ with his ring and he did not listen and it rolled under the table and wedged itself in a non obvious spot. Their floor was very clean for a bar 🙂
A La Mort Subite: Beautiful art deco bar, very lovely. Service however was lacking, but good selection of beers. I did not get any pictures 🙁
A la Folie: small restaurant with a limited menu executed well by only one chef. I tried kangaroo here…a bit like venison.
Other Views:
We were not exactly seeking out the Manneken Pis when we ventured over to this part of Brussels. Frankly, the commotion caused by the Duval advertisement depicting the Manneken Pis off a street near our hotel was enough for me…tourists were literally blocking the whole street trying to get pictures…hello it’s an ad, not even the real thing. Well, Poechenellekelder was a great destination because it was right near the square but we were out of the commotion. There was also some parade going on and the statue was dressed in a suit that day.
