‘t Waagstuck – Antwerp

Hidden away in a quiet corner of a leafy square in a historic area of the old town, ‘t Waagstuck or “The Venture” as I’m pretty sure it’s translated is a tricky place to find but is well worth the effort.

On our first visit, ‘t Waagstuck – (English translated website) provided a peaceful respite from the hustle and bustle of the MAS which is Antwerps iconic museum of sport which is also a short walk away.

A zoomed picture from the top of MAS of Yellow Submarine our B&B. t’ Waagstuck is half distance

The MAS itself is well worth a visit if you are in town if only for the wonderful panoramic views of the city and docklands.

The panorama visit is free and takes you on a winding journey round and round the internal structure, past brilliant photographic displays until you reach the roof top glass walled viewing area (it does have escalators up to the 9th floor and stairs to the final level).

Take in the views then wind your way back down to terra firma and set your sights firmly on a beer in the cool courtyard in summer or warm welcoming bar in colder months.

Crossing the tree-lined square and passing the many tables that seem to be shared by all of the bars in the area you enter ‘t Waagstuck through a squared arch (if there is such a thing), which takes you to a cool, open but enclosed courtyard decked out with tables chairs and benches. Here “normal” folk sat reading papers and drinking coffee in the sun, but as we were on a mission to explore Antwerps best bars and this was supposedly one of them we sensibly opted for a pre-noon beer or two.

Before perusing the menu in-depth which was around 100 beers strong I sensibly set my sights on a bottle of Saison Dupont, a perfect starter beer on a warm summers day methinks and set about soaking up the atmosphere.

This is one of those places that steeped in history, just make you want to sit and ponder all the things that have come and gone over the years and all the folks that have sat here and done the same.

Second beer up was the house special Zeppelin or Zeppelinbier, a rich, dark opulent brew with lashings of chocolate, coffee, dark fruits and molasses, at sprightly 9%abv not exactly summers day drinking but hey, what the hell..

Originally brewed by Proef Brouwerij but now I believe all brewing is done by Brouwerij Van Steenberge who seem to like brewing these exclusive to premises beers, De Garre Triple being another notable example worthy of a mention.

Inside there is plenty of room should the weather not suit alfresco drinking, with three large rooms including the bar area pictured here. Looking up you will see, nestled neatly between the massed ranks of hanging tankards, a stunning copper light fitting designed to resemble a growing hop-sprig, it snakes down the full length of the room like a branch of an old oak tree and looks stunning.

I’ve listed the address and currently advertised opening hours below, but it may be worth checking the website before you pay a visit in case this changes, but with long opening hours and a warm welcome it’s a must visit place for any beer lover visiting Antwerp.

Cheers

‘t Waagstuck

Stadswaag 20
2000 ANTWERP

OPENING HOURS

Weekdays from 10:00 to 02:00
Friday from 10.00 to 04.00
Saturday from 14.00 to 04.00
Sundays from 14.00 to 22.00
Holidays from 14:00 to 02:00
Between Christmas and New Year we are closed

De Garre – Bruges

Although it’s a couple of years old now, for some reason this post seems to be getting lots of hits at the moment, probably as folk plan Belgian beer expeditions. I like it as it brings back lots of fond memories, so I thought I’d post it again. Sorry for the self-indulgence if you’ve read it before…

To find this place you either stumble across it, or have to purposely search for it, for us thanks to the “Around Bruges in 80 Beers” guide-book and the map reading skills of “pathfinder Rachie” (the wife), it was the latter.

Although centrally located on the main tourist trail and only 100 yards from the main Bruges Markt square, De Garre remains discretely hidden from the less discerning beer tourist, tucked away down a tiny cobbled alley (De Garre) off Breidelstraat. Clientele ranged from the obviously regular local folk each having what seemed to be their own favourite chair, to beer enthusiasts and folk that were very probably lost…

The main room itself is quite small in cafe/bar terms, probably 18 feet by 18, with a small apertured high bar facing you as you venture up the ancient worn stone steps, a tiny winding staircase aside the bar leading to the upper drinking gallery.
Once inside the feeling is like stepping back in time. Being a fan of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, it reminded me of the scene in The Prancing Pony where the hobbits first met Strider, huge gnarled oak beams, stone floor, simple wooden tables clustered together all baring glasses of foaming ales.

Dating back to the 1700’s, De Garre is one of those places where the gentle atmosphere and ambience has your mind wondering how many people have sat here before you. What joys, tragedies, laughter, crimes or drunken buffoonery have these tine four walls witnessed in their lifetime?

Garre Tripel – 11%

Although they have a reasonable beer menu at De Garre, I was only after one in particular at the recommendation of Mark, co author of “real ale reviews” blog. This was the leg weakening De Garre house “Garre Tripel”, I was not alone as almost every table had at least one.

The Tripel arrived in two large goldfish bowl like glasses, with the thick white creamy head massively outweighing the liquid content by about three parts to one, there being only about three-quarters of an inch of beer sitting at the base. Either by sensing our unconscious looks of disappointment or by the daily experiences of newcomers to his bar, the barman softly whispered “wait, it will come”.

Each tray of beer is served with a small portion of chopped cheese, which I’m led to believe is a compatible match for most Belgian beer, it was soft, creamy and when finally, patience rewarded we got to taste the Garre Tripel went perfectly with the beer

The beer itself has aromas of yeast and biscuits with slightly grassy hoppy notes. Once through that thick long lingering head, the first thing that hits you is the smooth malty flavour that disguises the alcoholic strength better than some half the same ABV. Garre is quite sweet for a Tripel which I suspect is due to the heavy alcohol, it has a smooth full-bodied creaminess in the mouth which perfectly compliments the peach and light citrus flavours. The finish is easy-going with evidence of hop bitterness but lightly so.

Garre Tripel is only available on the premises so you really need to make an effort and find it if ever you visit Bruges, all in all a fantastic experience and one we repeated whilst in the city. The beer can be purchased in 1.5 litre bottles to take away but we refrained from buying one preferring to keep the memory of the visit alive.

A final word of warning, at De Garre I’m told they will only ever serve you three house Tripel beers in one sitting, I didn’t test the theory but probably suggest that it’s a wise move..

@Filrd fab fab pub. But to be honest one of many in Brugge! Hope you went T'Beertje Brugge 😉

— wiltshirewench (@historynvintage) May 7, 2011

De Garre – Bruges

To find this place you either stumble across it, or have to purposely search for it, for us thanks to the “Around Bruges in 80 Beers” guide book and the map reading skills of “pathfinder Rachie” (the wife), it was the latter.

Although centrally located on the main tourist trail and only 100 yards from the main Bruges Markt square, De Garre remains discretely hidden from the less discerning beer tourist, tucked away down a tiny cobbled alley (De Garre) off Breidelstraat. Clientele ranged from the obviously regular local folk each having what seemed to be their own favourite chair, to beer enthusiasts and folk that were very probably lost…

The main room itself is quite small in cafe/bar terms, probably 18 feet by 18, with a small apertured high bar facing you as you venture up the ancient worn stone steps, a tiny winding staircase aside the bar leading to the upper drinking gallery.
Once inside the feeling is like stepping back in time. Being a fan of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, it reminded me of the scene in The Prancing Pony where the hobbits first met Strider, huge gnarled oak beams, stone floor, simple wooden tables clustered together all baring glasses of foaming ales.

Dating back to the 1700’s, De Garre is one of those places where the gentle atmosphere and ambience has your mind wondering how many people have sat here before you. What joys, tragedies, laughter, crimes or drunken buffoonery have these tine four walls witnessed in their lifetime?

Garre Tripel – 11%

Although they have a reasonable beer menu at De Garre, I was only after one in particular at the recommendation of Mark, co author of “real ale reviews” blog. This was the leg weakening De Garre house “Garre Tripel”, I was not alone as almost every table had at least one.

The Tripel arrived in two large goldfish bowl like glasses, with the thick white creamy head massively outweighing the liquid content by about three parts to one, there being only approximately three quarters of an inch of beer sitting at the base. Either by sensing our unconscious looks of disappointment or by the daily experiences of newcomers to his bar, the barman softly whispered “wait, it will come”.

Each tray of beer is served with a small portion of chopped cheese, which I’m led to believe is a compatible match for most Belgian beer, it was soft, creamy and when finally, patience rewarded we got to taste the Garre Tripel went perfectly with the beer

The beer itself has aromas of yeast and biscuits with slightly grassy hoppy notes. Once through that thick long lingering head, the first thing that hits you is the smooth malty flavour that disguises the alcoholic strength better than some half the same ABV. Garre is quite sweet for a Tripel which I suspect is due to the heavy alcohol, it has a smooth full bodied creaminess in the mouth which perfectly compliments the peach and light citrus flavours. The finish is easy going with evidence of hop bitterness but lightly so.

Garre Tripel is only available on the premises so you really need to make an effort and find it if ever you visit Bruges, all in all a fantastic experience and one we repeated whilst in the city. The beer can be purchased in 1.5 litre bottles to take away but  we refrained from buying one preferring to keep the memory of the visit alive.

A final word of warning, at De Garre I’m told they will only ever serve you three house Tripel beers in one sitting, I didn’t test the theory but probably suggest that it’s a wise move..

 

@Filrd fab fab pub. But to be honest one of many in Brugge! Hope you went T'Beertje Brugge 😉

— wiltshirewench (@historynvintage) May 7, 2011

https://www.otterstears.beer/shop/