Le Poechenellekelder

Le PoechenellekelderLe Poechenellekelder
Le PoechenellekelderLe Poechenellekelder
Bar, Eatery

Rue du Chêne 5
Brussels, 1000
Belgium

+32 2 511 92 62 | map
poechenellekelder.be
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.14
Reviews:
64
Ratings:
99
pDev:
9.66%
View: Place Reviews
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Photo of moysauce
Reviewed by moysauce from Illinois

4.64/5  rDev +12.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4
Excellent place to enjoy nice bottles. This place is always packed and for good reason. Great location across the street from Mannekinpis. The waiter was top tier!
Thursday at 03:29 PM
Photo of Sabtos
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio

3.88/5  rDev -6.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3.75
This chachki-laden restaurant and beer bar, heavily focused on marionettes (hence the name), has quite the impressive list of Belgian beer, though it leans a little more heavily on the pedestrian side. The likely cause of this is its location, which we literally didn't realize was directly across the way from the Manneken Pis until we left. Depending on the time of day, as mentioned in other reviews, the simple proximity to that famous fountain will invite quite the crowd for a drink or a meal.

As with most of the causal joints we hit up throughout our time in Europe, simply seat yourself and a waiter will find you fairly quickly, to start. Afterwards, be sure to wave them down for anything further. We had a couple of lighter lambics to start before moving onto some slightly more assertive ones, like Beersel. They all, of course, were poured into their proper glassware via their proper serving vessels.

At that point we thought we'd order two different pastas from the menu, not realizing until they came out that these would be much closer to American-sized portions than expected. Boy were they huge and filling, and though basic, tastefully made. It definitely hit the spot and calmed the gut after all the sour beers we'd had. However, I don't recommend sitting down wind from the toilet, which would be right in the middle of the second floor next to the little nook of a bar there. Due to the way the wind flows through that part of the restaurant, though it may not be too offensive, you will certainly catch a whiff here or there. This enhances the old, worn nature of the space to a degree that will likely be unpleasant for the fussier kind in your party, so keep the very gauche atmosphere in mind before you plan a meal here.
Jul 10, 2023
Photo of Sludgeman
Reviewed by Sludgeman from District of Columbia

4.05/5  rDev -2.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25
Visited on a Saturday morning right after a Mannikin Pis ceremony. I was the first in the place at 11am but it filled up quickly afterwards with locals almost exclusively Mannikin Pis related.

A great selection of Belgium bottles. Not clear what beers were on tap, but they seem to have a few. All beers served in branded glasses.

Service was OK. Servers all spoke English. The owner was working the floor as he seemed no know manner of the patrons (regulars I assume).

The place supplied beer to the Mannikin ceremony.

I had the Orval fromage, which was served with bread and butter.

I would definitely come again.
Jan 21, 2023
Photo of cratez
Reviewed by cratez from Canada (ON)

4.21/5  rDev +1.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25
Visited with my wife on a recent trip to Brussels and Munich.

Tried the following:
Oud Beersel Oude Kriek Vieille (bottle)
Brasserie Lupulus Lupulus Hopera (draft)

Both beers were drinking fantastic and my wife liked her wine and Aperol Spritz. Tap and bottle menus comprised one of the stronger beer lineups that I came across in Brussels. The snack mix was tasty too. Service was efficient as we never had to wait long for drinks. Not much engagement from the waiter but that was okay with us. Loved the creepy puppets and quirky, ramshackle vibe in here. Our overall experience was fun, and we would certainly come back.
Apr 19, 2020
 
Rated: 4.58 by ckeegan04 from Texas

Feb 14, 2020
Photo of Suds
Reviewed by Suds from Missouri

4.38/5  rDev +5.8%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
On a beautiful late summer afternoon, I had the chance to re-visit this wonderful beer cafe. My first visit was many years ago, on a cold winter night. Then, I sat inside...this time, a colleague and I shared an outdoor table. This place has a wonderful Belgian beer list...countless options, many of which I have never seen. They are always served in the brewery's specific glass, at the proper temperature, and poured for you with great skill and care. The prices are incredibly reasonable, and the ambiance is pure Brussels The only downside is that the food menu is limited and fairly average. Still, it is absolutely worth a visit if you are in the area.
Jul 14, 2019
 
Rated: 3.97 by bierfonteintje from Belgium

Sep 29, 2018
 
Rated: 4.1 by REVZEB from Illinois

Aug 26, 2018
 
Rated: 4.49 by Nichols33 from Massachusetts

Jul 05, 2018
 
Rated: 3.79 by He_was_a_wise_man from California

May 04, 2018
Photo of Quafftastic
Reviewed by Quafftastic from Virginia

4.66/5  rDev +12.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5
A great beer bar near the Mannekin. Extremely knowledgeable staff, tell them what you like and they’ll find a Belgian beer along those lines for you. Great selection if you are looking for some harder to find beers, which keep getting harder to find with upsurge in popularity last several years. A visit is at least hour and a half for a couple beers to enjoy. Decor is wonderful to browse through. Good place after dark as inside is more interesting than outside.
Apr 18, 2018
 
Rated: 3.69 by Hayley_86 from Netherlands

Jun 02, 2017
 
Rated: 3.91 by tobelerone from New Jersey

May 07, 2017
 
Rated: 4.16 by MI_beerdrinker from Texas

Mar 20, 2017
Photo of Redrover
Reviewed by Redrover from Wisconsin

4.1/5  rDev -1%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4
This was our first stop in Brussels. Visited the nearly adjacent Mannekin Pis statue and after the obligatory photos went for a beer and some food.

The weather was cooler so we went by the attractive terrace and went in to the bar. It has a several rooms on the main floor and a cozy overflow room on the lower floor.

It is bright and airy and decorated with a strange mix of Medieval crossbows, old marionettes, beer memorabilia, some costumes for the Mannekin Pis statue, etc.

The beer selection was impressive. Yes they have several Cantillions but they offer so much more. While we were there, they were just rolling out the selection of Christmas beers. As expected, everything is served in the correct and marked glassware.

The food was very good. We had the onion soup and a great sausage and cheese sampler platter that went great with the beer.

Service was friendly but a bit slow. However, they did have a good crowd and we were in no real hurry.

I would have no problem going back for a repeat visit!
Nov 29, 2016
 
Rated: 4.31 by epyon396 from Pennsylvania

Oct 14, 2016
Photo of tbeq00
Reviewed by tbeq00 from California

4.41/5  rDev +6.5%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 5 | food: 3
Stumbled on to this place after being underwhelmed by the Mannekin Pis statue. Beware- this little cafe is adjacent to one of the most touristy spots in Brussels. But, the patio was great even if the service was slow (par for the course in Brussels).

I was shocked by the beer selection - they had a better selection of Cantillon and 3F than any other bar I visited in Brussels and Bruges, and I hit nearly every one reviewed on BA. There were several that weren't available on-site at either brewery. I enjoyed a bottle of St. Lam and LP Kriek along with a snack of sausage and gouda, which was all that was available for food. It wasn't clear if they normally have a wider menu or if we came at an off-time.

Great shaded patio, good people-watching, great beer. Recommended.
Sep 22, 2016
 
Rated: 4.4 by mothman from Minnesota

Apr 17, 2016
 
Rated: 4.64 by beerdeer from Belgium

Mar 16, 2016
 
Rated: 4.93 by aRedLetterLife from New Jersey

Oct 18, 2015
 
Rated: 4.7 by barleywin from Missouri

Oct 10, 2015
 
Rated: 3.43 by Zerric14 from New Jersey

Jun 12, 2015
 
Rated: 3.97 by SCW from New York

Jun 01, 2015
 
Rated: 3.72 by Taillon75 from Colorado

May 18, 2015
 
Rated: 4.06 by RickyS from Germany

May 03, 2015
 
Rated: 4.38 by HopBelT from Belgium

Apr 29, 2015
 
Rated: 4.59 by rodzm14 from Washington

Apr 21, 2015
Photo of Graeme24
Reviewed by Graeme24 from Ireland

4.14/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4
Located right across from Manneken Pis, Le Poechenellekelder is a quirky little spot very worthy of a visit for the decor alone! Beer enthusiasts will not be disappointed either as it boasts a modest bottle list (60-80) along with a few on draft.

You will be seated on entering and it is actually a little bigger than you might suspect when entering. There is a spacious enough area downstairs also when upstairs is full. I would agree with earlier reviews that it isn't a pub for the beer ticker or those seeking out rarities but the bottle list is not to be scoffed at. I found the selection well put together with the usual classics: Cantillon, dupont, trappists, etc but also some good contemporary beers from breweries such as De La Senne.

Service was very good. Our server was extremely pleasant and attentive and she made some good recommendations. Prices by and large reasonable enough(€3.50-€5.00) for the most part. Of course their are exceptions when it comes to large bottles and lambics but you do come to expect this.

Food menu is focused on small dishes /snacks which all looked quite good. For around €6.00 you can get a nice big chunk of chimay cheese with bread which I found to be good value not to mention really delicious. Overall I think it's a must visit when in Brussels and I'll certainly be back.
Mar 02, 2015
 
Rated: 4.39 by ninkasibrew from Lebanon

Feb 19, 2015
Photo of djhowell
Reviewed by djhowell from Wisconsin

4/5  rDev -3.4%
Adjacent to the famous peeing boy, this is certainly a unique place. The decorations are odd, and everywhere (a weird mannequin was practically holding my hand at our table). The service was prompt, there were plenty of choices (40-50 bottles, a few drafts), they had free snack mix delivered to the table, and everything was properly served. It was a pretty lively crowd for late afternoon but nothing too crazy.
Nov 19, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by reduction from Lebanon

Oct 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Brushkanna from New Jersey

Oct 16, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by cbnz from Canada (BC)

Oct 04, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by srletend from Texas

Aug 31, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by cmrillo from North Carolina

Aug 12, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Slatetank from Pennsylvania

Aug 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by RedDon from Oregon

Aug 06, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by kirbsicles from Massachusetts

Jul 24, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by MattSweatshirt from Texas

Jul 22, 2014
Photo of byronic
Reviewed by byronic from Canada (ON)

4.09/5  rDev -1.2%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.25
Forget Manneke Piss... you can see him when you make your way to this café. The selection here is great and you should definitely stay for a brew or two. The atmosphere is the reason to go here. Having been multiple times I believe the winter or damp cold days are the best. The place is generally quite packed and has a good combination of locals and tourist as clientele.
Jul 03, 2014
Le Poechenellekelder in Brussels, Belgium
Place rating: 4.14 out of 5 with 99 ratings