Visiting Brussels/Brugge without a car

Discussion in 'Belgium' started by psuKinger, Jul 15, 2013.

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  1. shnsajax

    shnsajax Initiate (0) Jul 2, 2013 Idaho

    I can't recommend enough staying at the B&B at St. Bernardus. You don't need a car, take a train to Poperinge and the people at the B&B will arrange a belbus to pick you up. They can arrange a belbus to take you anywhere including In De Verde. They will give you bikes to ride into Watou and back Poperinge which is also a really cool city.
     
    #21 shnsajax, Jul 27, 2013
  2. mrkrispy

    mrkrispy Initiate (0) Apr 5, 2006 California


    Had a fantastic dinner there, kind of like being in someone's house. St. Catherine area had tons of delicious restaurants (as well as the seafood counter in the middle of the square), I wish I would have spent more time there instead of looking for food around Grand Place.
     
    #22 mrkrispy, Jul 29, 2013
  3. Franch

    Franch Initiate (0) Mar 22, 2011 District of Columbia

    where are the DHVL and cambrinus recommendations?!
     
    #23 Franch, Jul 31, 2013
  4. atomeyes

    atomeyes Initiate (0) Jul 13, 2011 Canada (ON)

    i'd argue this.
    Brussels is a mix of Paris and Berlin. it has a hidden, dirty charm. not as polished as Antwerp, but hey, Brussels folks think the Antwerpites are a-holes.
     
    #24 atomeyes, Jul 31, 2013
    Tut likes this.
  5. shnsajax

    shnsajax Initiate (0) Jul 2, 2013 Idaho

    Either way you are getting out of the states and into an awesome country.
     
    #25 shnsajax, Jul 31, 2013
  6. Tut

    Tut Pundit (872) Sep 23, 2004 New York

    I agree, having spent more than three months in Brussels over the years.

    I've found the people here who don't like it typically only spent a few days there and didn't go anywhere beyond the downtown core and tourist bullshit. You need to be willing to explore with a detailed street map.
    The Ixelles area is a great place to start, with many cafes and restaurants.
     
    #26 Tut, Aug 1, 2013
  7. psuKinger

    psuKinger Pundit (850) Feb 2, 2005 Pennsylvania

    Thanks for all the feedback, everyone. My plan in Brussels is to visit Moeder Lambic after a brief stop at the Bier Temple bottle shop. If it's crowded, not to our liking for whatever reason, or we simply feel like setting out for another destination, Bier Circus will be in my back pocket as an alternative to close out the night.

    The next day I visit Cantillon, then it's off to Brugge...

    I've picked out 4 bottle shops:
    De Bier Tempel
    The Bottle Shop
    De Struise Brouwers Bruges Beer Shop
    Bacchus Cornelius

    And 5 pubs/bars:
    't Brugs Beertje
    Staminee De Garre
    Comptoir des Arts
    Bierbrasserie Cambrinus
    Cafe Rose Red


    Two final questions:
    1) Does anybody know, off hand, if you can have a pint/bottle at any of those 4 bottle shops? Or is it shopping only?

    2) Do any of those bars/pubs (or any other good beer bars, for that matter) have any sort of outdoor seating/outdoor area?

    Thanks again for all the feedback.
     
    #27 psuKinger, Aug 8, 2013
  8. Stevedore

    Stevedore Grand Pooh-Bah (5,096) Nov 16, 2012 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Visit Cantillon on both days. You won't regret it. Cheapest place to drink loons.

    Bier Temple is shopping only BTW.
     
    #28 Stevedore, Aug 8, 2013
  9. ManforallSaisons

    ManforallSaisons Pooh-Bah (1,554) Mar 20, 2008 Belgium
    Pooh-Bah

    By no means questioning your list, but for what it's worth as you won't be far away, Beer Mania has a cafe with a small courtyard open occasionally in good weather. Struisse brewery has tasting -- I know you won't have a car but I mention in case it gives any hope for the Bruges shop, which I don't know. My understanding from the guys at Verzekering is it's tricky to both serve and sell to go. Generally, you either have to sell at the same price (so higher than normal for unopened bottles to go) or you have to separate things with two licenses (which is why they had to set up the Huis van de Geuze site). So you don't see it very often. Unless you count people buying out of the coolers in the grocery and taking their goodies to a park bench. I meant that as a joke BUT a bit of discreet tipling over a picnic in the park is a well tolerated Belgian habit.
     
    #29 ManforallSaisons, Aug 8, 2013
  10. Spaceloaf

    Spaceloaf Initiate (0) Nov 27, 2008 Oregon

    Some of the Bruges places would have outdoor seating. I definitely remember Cafe Red Rose having a patio in the back. That place was really nice; Bruges is kind of a tourist trap but the Cafe is off the beaten path enough that it was quite relaxed and uncrowded.

    On the other hand, most bottle shops do not serve as well. However, the inverse may be possible. I was able to score some Black Damnation to take home at the restaurant by the windmilll in Poperinge. I just asked the lady if I could buy bottles to take home; she thought I was kind of weird, but she was fine with it.
     
    #30 Spaceloaf, Aug 19, 2013
  11. psuKinger

    psuKinger Pundit (850) Feb 2, 2005 Pennsylvania

    I just got home from my trip. I had a great time. We visited Moeder Lambic and Cantillon in Brussels, and t' Brugs Biertje, Staminee De Garre, Cambrinue, Cafe Rose Red, and Comptoir Des Arts while in Brugge. All of the recommendations were good ones.

    Moeder Lambic was VERY cool. And friendly. And enjoyable. Spot on, guys, many thanks for that.

    Cantillon's walking tour was great, and the short discussion with Jean Van Roy when we entered was awesome. It was only slightly disappointing regarding how few of their *offerings* were available, both for tastings and bottle purchases, and one of the staff members was a bit terse with me for reasons I still don't quite understand (maybe I just caught him on a bad day), but it was otherwise a positive visit. We did, however, cut it short and returned to Moeder Lambic on Day 2, because they had a better selection of Cantillon beers than Cantillon did.

    Cafe Rose Red was probably my favorite watering hole in Brugge. My only/biggest complaint was that they wouldn't take my credit card. As a result, I had to cut my first visit short because I was running low on Euro's. But a quick trip to an ATM corrected this issue, and I had a nice long visit on the following day. Comptoir Des Art was a great spot too... felt "off the beaten path" as well, and appeared to be managed but an energetic, humorous, English gentleman who attended to us a bit more like an American bartender would. Cambrinus had great selection (including Westvleteren), and the extensive food/meal offerings made it a big hit with the other three in my group. We ended up eating dinner their twice as a result.

    Visits to both Staminee De Garre and t' Brugs Biertje were worthwhile. De Garre was low on glasses, and couldn't sell me one of their famous "house-beer" glasses as a result. Biertje was out of seats in their front room, and had to sit us in the back, initially by ourselves, which I think may have detracted from the "experience", but the four of us do enjoy our own company, the beer list was extensive, the service was good, and as a result I'm glad I stopped out.


    Many thanks to everyone for all of the input/tips/thoughts. It made for a memorable experience.
     
    #31 psuKinger, Aug 20, 2013
    ManforallSaisons likes this.
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