1762, it says on the facade of In ’t Spinnekopke, and it certainly looks the part! We can’t vouch for all of its history, but it has been there ever since we moved to Brussels. However, in 2022 it was taken over by a team of young people, passionate about Brussels and hospitality, and they definitely succeeded in breathing new life into the centuries old estaminet!
on draught
Silex Bar
For centre dwellers like us, it was quite a trek to get to Silex Bar… It was totally worth it though, and the inhabitants of the until recently beer bar deprived south-east of the Brussels capital region, can finally take delight in having a bar with an excellent and varied beer selection in their area. And, with a bit of luck, they’ll still be able to enjoy some glasses on the off-street terrace!
Le Pantin
Le Pantin is a strange bar. It certainly is a bar run by beer lovers, but it is definitely a student bar as well. On the one hand, there’s a beer menu that ranges from boring blondes, to the latest beers of local brewers. On the other hand, a beer is rarely served in the correct glass here…
Addict Bar
Addict Bar really was a lucky find. The Jupiler sign outside wouldn’t exactly lure us in, and a flickering gambling machine in the back usually is a warning to keep out… However, when one late night a friend dragged us to her neighbourhood bar, we discovered that these guys actually love beer! Local breweries on draught, and fridges full of beers from all kinds of independent breweries!
Fight Club
We’ve had our fair share of pizzas in Brussels already, but New York-style pizza as it is made at Fight Club, that was a first for us. Not only has this cosy corner restaurant something new and interesting to eat, it also exclusively serves Brussels beers! A tasty slice of pepperoni pizza and a glass of Brasserie de la Mule Lager from the tap, who could resist that?
Chez Lutgarde
With the name Chez Lutgarde, it is not surprising they mostly serve beers from the young Lasne brewery Abbaye d’Aywiers, better known by the name most of their beers carry: Lutgarde. You could even consider this bar the downtown taproom of the brewery. What drew us in, however, were the advertisements for some Brussels breweries you don’t see in that many other bars yet, like Brasserie Vandekelder! Once inside, we discovered that actually all the beers they serve, are from small, independent breweries, and quite a lot of them even from Brussels!
Beer Capital Brussels
When Beer Capital Brussels opened and we briefly peeked inside, we could only see ‘big beer’ on draught. Consequently, we dismissed it as ‘just a tourist bar’ and didn’t really consider it for our blog. However, when we ended up there some time later, we discovered it actually had quite a nice and extremely large selection (1464 different beers, last time we checked their Untappd menu) of canned and bottled beers in their cellar and fridges, and even local beers Zinnebir (from Brasserie de la Senne) and Delta (from Brussels Beer Project) on draught!
Le Wappers
Our visit to Le Wappers was long overdue, but we finally made it back to Schaerbeek for a visit to this tavern! Without even reading a word on the menu, its design by Jean Goovaerts immediately makes it quite clear: there will be plenty of De la Senne beers to enjoy!
Probably just as important as the beer, is the spaghetti served here in the evening, providing punters with a tasty and efficient way to line the stomach for a night of beers with friends.
BXLBeerFest 2023
A bit later than we were used to, but it’s almost time for the fifth edition of the biggest and best craft beer festival of Brussels: BXLBeerFest! On the 30th of September and the 1st of October in Tour & Taxis, you get once again the opportunity to try more than 400 beers—and some meads and ciders—from 60 smaller, artisanal breweries from Belgium, Europe and beyond. From a clean glass, of course!
Le Bar à Jeux
At every beer festival you’ll find them: groups of friends playing a card or board game, while sipping on the available beers. That means there’s clearly some overlap between gamers and craft beer lovers, and for them there is Le Bar à Jeux! An excellent selection of beers, combined with a huge library of games to play, makes it easy to spend quite a bit of time there without even noticing. And when the rumbling of the stomach draws attention to the passing of the hours, there is some food available as well to keep you going!