I’ll be in Belgium (Brugges and Brussels) and Amsterdam from November 26th – December 6th (rough itinerary below) with my girlfriend – we are both visiting the area for the first time – and would love to meet up with anyone for a beer or set up an IP trade. I feel like I’ve read every thread in this forum so I have a decent idea of where we want to go (maybe some new dinner recommendations would be great?), though, with a few exceptions (Cantillon and various bars), the majority of the places we end up visiting won’t be figured out until we are there. November 27th – November 30th – Brussels November 30th – December 3rd – Brugges (possible day trip out of the city, though I’m not sure I want to rent a car) December 3rd – December 6th – Amsterdam Thanks so far to everyone that has posted suggestions in the Benelux forum; it has been super helpful!
Hey OP I'm from California and will also be in AMS 12/5/-12/7 Would you mind sharing the places bars and bottle shops you've found so far? I'd love to get some loons and other awesome brews while I'm out there. Cheers!
You've already read lots of dinner recs... given when you're coming timing, keep an eye out for game menus, "gibier" or "wild." Les Brigitinnes would be the kind of places that would have something seasonal and freshly shot for you, probably prepared and paired with an excellent beer. Possibly also Vincent, one of the places around the rues des Bouchers worth eating. L'Ogenblik also has a game menu, if you have an expense account or sold a small landholding before your trip. But the beauty in some way is how it just pops up on lots of menus. La Villette might also do some game, has a good beer list, and is one of the best for reasonable, traditional and very correct cuisine belge. ... Holy smokes, if I'd thought about this before dinner, I would've abandoned what I was cooking and wandered out in search of a hunk of boar 'r something.
If you like good Italian food, one adress: La Tana. A very small cosy place where two Italian guys make fabulous food. And they're specialized in food pairing with Italian craft beer. Try the tiramisu with Italian Imperial Stout or the chocolate cake with black IPA.
In the Netherlands you must take time to enjoy a meal and great beers at DeMolen in Bodegraven. The brewpub is in the base of a working windmill.
Thanks again to everyone for their suggestions. Upping this one last time before I take off just in case there is any new interest in sharing bottles / trading / or just having a beer in Brussels, Bruges, or Amsterdam. Will be at Cantillon when it opens on 11/28 as a starting point.
that's a shitload of time in Bruges. it's a lovely city, but you'll lose your mind. mind you, you have 2 good bars off the beaten path plus the Struise store. you don't need a car when you're in Bruges. Belgians use trains. Ghent's a great city but not for beer. go to Antwerp for the day. great city and, um, this little place called Kulminator. Dinner: in Amsterdam, there's Balthazar's Kukhen. loved it. otherwise, the food there isn't so hot. Good luck eating in Bruges. also, drink at Arendsnest in Amsterdam. one final bit of advice: go buy the best 6 bottles of California stouts that you can find. like, near-whales. once you get them, send me a msg and, if he doesn't come on here first to give you his 2 cents, I'll connect you to a gentleman on here that will possibly trade a few things with you.
If you want a good place to eat with some good beers, check out one of my fav places: Ribs 'n Beer http://www.ribsnbeer.com/index.php/en/ Reviews: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura...ibs_n_Beer-Bruges_West_Flanders_Province.html
But yeah, that is a lot of time to spend in Bruges - get a car and visit the WWI sites around Ypres, Mons, etc. The Battle of Waterloo battlefield is not far either. A lot to see around Bruges once you do all the touristy stuff in the city.
We stayed outside Amsterdam in the town of Haarlam this weekend. The hotel was cheaper and located right next to the main train/bus station so getting into Amsterdam was easy enough.
