Pub entertainment in Brussels
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L’Estaminet
With its weighty dark-timber beams, low lighting, fabulous scratchy background jazz and convivial clatter, this neighbourhood café scarcely seems to have changed since it opened in 1900. It’s primarily a drinking spot but also serves time-honoured dishes like spaghetti bolognaise with a baked cheese crust. Summer sees its loyal following flow onto the front terrace.
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A
Pelgrom
From the street you’d never guess it was here. But heading past a flickering open fire and down a narrow flight of stairs brings you into this cavernous cross-vaulted medieval cellar spanning several rooms, with long candlelit tables. If you’re lucky you may catch the house magician; Pelgrom also serves ‘medieval’-style feasts (around €18 for a main).
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B
Wild Geese
During the week, Eurocrats party like it’s Paddy’s day at Brussels’ biggest Irish pub. It hosts regular live gigs, DJs and big-screen sports, and the kitchen turns out classic pub grub (loaded baked potatoes and juicy, thick-cut Irish steak), as well as a full Irish breakfast (OK, brunch – and with homemade soda bread!) from noon on weekends.
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Trollekelder
Wide-eyed furry trolls peep out from unlikely places throughout this old stone-walled watering hole, such as from behind iron-barred cells in the cave-like cellar. Trollekelder manages to be atmospheric without being contrived, as evidenced by the devoted following drinking its blonde and dark Trollebier (troll beer).
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C
Paeters Vaetje
On a bleak, rain-swept afternoon, there’s no cosier spot to hole up than this snug bruin eetcafé (‘brown eating café’), with glowing lamps illuminating its dark timber main room and upper-level mezzanine. Dishes are simple and inexpensive, and the beer selection excellent.
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D
Café Den Turk
This venerable place dates way back to 1228, making it easily Ghent’s oldest pub. But despite its 680-plus years, it remains true to its roots as a local gathering spot, and is the kind of place where you go in alone and come out knowing a dozen people.
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Le Greenwich
Legendary as the den where Bobby Fischer and countless other chess masters have traded pieces, this brown café is still dominated by chess. Sitting and watching the players battling it out is entertainment enough (which is to say there’s no music, of course).
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Café Vlissinghe
Luminaries have frequented Bruges’ oldest pub since it first opened its doors in 1515. The interior is gorgeously preserved, but in summer the best seats are in the shady garden where you can play boules in between sips.
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Monk
The Monk sprawls over two 17th-century rooms clad with timber and mirrors, and through not trying too hard, has become a regular hangout for with-it Bruxellois.
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Elfde Gebod
The eyes of dozens of statues of saints and other religious figures watch you while you drink beers at the shrine-like ‘Eleventh Commandment’.
reviewed
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James Joyce
The first Irish pub in Brussels. Sometimes rowdy, but it does have quieter moments and there's occasional live music.
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Café Beveren
This time-worn treasure is a favourite with sailors, students and retro fiends for its antique jukebox and organ.
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À la Bécasse
An elongated, time-worn interior and spirited regulars make this place perfect for a jug of lambic.
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À la Mort Subite
Floor-to-ceiling square columns with brass hat-racks, massive mirrors, varnished timber panelling and leather banquettes make this a sublime place to try the namesake Mort Subite (Sudden Death) gueuze. If this twice-fermented beer is too sour for your taste, order a kriek (cherry) or framboise (raspberry) version. Soak it up with old-school snacks like omelettes for under €10.
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