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!
It has been a while since we’ve visited the very first smash burger restaurant in Brussels, and even Belgium… Many more have popped up since, but few qualified for our blog. The burger joint Smash in the Flagey area however, went the extra mile, and exclusively serves beers from Brussels breweries with their pressed patties.
A Syrian restaurant wouldn’t be the first place we’d look for beer. However, after spotting L’Ermitage branded parasols outside one of the restaurants of My Tannour, we had to put it on the list for a visit. When we then went for lunch in their Rue de la Brasserie outlet, a selection of their beers was indeed available to enjoy with our lamb wrap and falafel dish!
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?
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.
At first glance, MangiaSempre is a shop, or more specifically, an Italian ‘bottega’. The shelves and fridge counter are stacked with high quality products, everything you need to cook up an Italian meal at home, and yes, even some beers.
But then you’ll notice the beer taps and the menu with the daily specials and sandwiches, and you’ll quickly realise MangiaSempre is so much more than just a shop! Although the terrace with Brasserie de la Mule parasols probably was a bit of a giveaway already…
Surprises can be right around the corner, and sometimes quite literally, as was the case for Knees to Chin. We must have passed their Brussels center restaurant dozens of times, without thinking it would actually be a candidate for our blog. Then all of a sudden, we noticed people drinking some Dutch craft beer here! One might expect beers from a microbrewery like De Kromme Haring in a specialised bar—we actually attended a meet-the-brewer and tap takeover with these guys at GIST a while back—but not quite in a Vietnamese street food restaurant. Of course, now we had to check the place out!
After many months of anticipation, the pieces of the administrative puzzle fell into place, and Mazette could finally open its doors and beer taps. Mind you, having a brew kettle, a kitchen, a huge wood-fired oven, and a comfortable space for the customers, all in one open space, was never going to be simple. But since the fire department gave its final go-ahead a little over a month ago, we’re able to enjoy all the products this utterly loveable cooperative brewpub in the Marolles has to offer: freshly brewed beers, straight from the tank, homemade sourdough bread baked in the aforementioned oven, and seasonal food.
Update: Out of business…
Whenever I pass Bobbi Bao, I can’t help but think of the Blues Brothers‘ rendition of the song Rubber Biscuit, which includes the words “Bow bow bow” at some point… However, there’s nothing rubbery about the soft Chinese steamed buns served there, and the tasty filling make you quickly forget the sad lunches described in the song.
What lured us in—apart from the prospect of pulled pork and fried chicken—was the fact this restaurant had their own brewery!
Liesse is a bit of a strange place: you could be enjoying some Alsatian cuisine like flammekueche and bretzel one day, and returning some time later, only to find a completely different, undefinable, eclectic combination of dishes on the menu, like a lentil dahl, mayonnaise eggs, and crispy pork belly!
What does seem to be a constant through all menu changes, though, is a motivated team helping the chef in residence to get the food to the hungry customers, the high quality of said food, and a selection of incredible Cantillon bottles!