I'm soon going to Belgium ( 2 days Gent, 2 days Antwerp, 1 day
Brussels).

I'll mostly be drinking draught: deKonnick, Leffe.
Any other draught beers in Gent, Antwerp to consider?
Note that I don't like Hoegarden/cloudy beers.

Thanks
Bruce

On 9 May 2005 03:41:04 -0700, bruce_phipps@my-deja.com wrote:


> I'm soon going to Belgium ( 2 days Gent, 2 days Antwerp, 1 day
> Brussels).


Can I have your job? :)


> 
> I'll mostly be drinking draught: deKonnick, Leffe.
> Any other draught beers in Gent, Antwerp to consider?
> Note that I don't like Hoegarden/cloudy beers.


Apologies in advance for the mistakes here: I'm sure I'll be corrected (and
will welcome the corrections).  We were in Gent recently.  I particularly
enjoyed Orval and something called Roedenback or somethnig - it's a "red"
beer, and the driest thing (apart from the "vinho seco" you get in bars in
Portugal) that I've ever tasted.  Bit of an acquired taste, but delicious
after the first couple.

-- 
Cliff Laine, The Old Lard Factory, Lancaster  http://www.loobynet.com
* remove any trace of rudeness before you reply *

---------------------------------------------------------
Best Eurovision Song Title So Far:

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  (Bulgaria)

>
> Apologies in advance for the mistakes here: I'm sure I'll be

corrected (and

> will welcome the corrections).  We were in Gent recently.  I
particularly
> enjoyed Orval and something called Roedenback or somethnig - it's a
"red"
> beer, and the driest thing (apart from the "vinho seco" you get in
bars in
> Portugal) that I've ever tasted.  Bit of an acquired taste, but
delicious
> after the first couple.
>


Thanks Cliff, I'll keep an eye open for those.

Where are the main drinking areas in Gent -- I assume there are lots of
tourist bars around the Cathedral/Town Square/Gravensteen. Anywhere
else to consider for bars frequented by the locals? My hotel is on
Vlaanderenstraat.

Bruce

In message ,
bruce_phipps@my-deja.com writes

>I'll mostly be drinking draught: deKonnick, Leffe. Any other draught
>beers in Gent, Antwerp to consider? Note that I don't like
>Hoegarden/cloudy beers.


By and large away from speciality bars you'll be stuck with various poor
Pils copies (Mais,Jupiler,Kronenbourg 1664 and if really unlucky Stella)
or a wit beer you don't want. Be prepared to switch to bottles in some
bars. That said:

Don't rely on DeKoninck outside Antwerp, few places keep it well.
La Chouffe beers are pretty reliable and getting easier to find.
Roedenback is a sour red beer worth trying though not the beer it was.

Otherwise just keep your eyes peeled and bear in mind there's often
little detectable difference between draught and bottled versions of
beers in Belgium (and the bottled is usually better).

Just a few starter suggestions - we've been too busy drinking at Belgian
beer festivals to get much search time in ;) They're all in various
guides you can check.

Gent:
 Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant usually have an interesting 'vat beer on
(Smisje Kerst last visit) and an interesting dry hopped housebeer. Handy
for a jenever a few doors down as well.

 Dulle Griet used to serve 'vat Delerium Tremens/La Guilottine, pricy
but worth visiting once.

 For Roedenback and a few others try the row of commuter bars behind the
train station. The one with railway murals (no idea of bar name) seemed
to have the best choice and prices - but beware the limited opening
times.

Brussels:
 Delerium has about a dozen 'vat beers on though most of them are dodgy
fruit beers I wouldn't touch with a bargepole. Worth a visit just to
handle the massive beer menu.

 Just about every half decent bar will have a 'vat lambic or gueuze,
invariably anonymous though it usually seems to be fruity mild beginners
version. If near Brussel Midi try Au Labourer for a jug of gueuze and
perhaps a bottle of Malheur 10 or 12 - one of the few truly hoppy
Belgian beers.

Antwerp:
 The Oud Arsenaal have a rapidly changing couple of more unusual 'vat
beers and its a great brown bar.

 Paters Vaetje is our favourite bar for De Koninck and general bar
propping. We always seem to end up in De Vagant after...

 De Pakhuis is a brewpub with 3 interesting 'vat beers.


Finally: a 7-Dagenpas Net (€10) gets you 7 days unlimited travel on
buses, trams and metro in the whole of Belgium - useful for getting
around all three places, its a long walk into Gent from the station or
to de Pakhuis in Antwerp from anywhere.
-- 
Paul Shirley: email unwelcome, reply by news

On 9 May 2005 07:29:04 -0700, bruce_phipps@my-deja.com wrote:


> Thanks Cliff, I'll keep an eye open for those.
> 
> Where are the main drinking areas in Gent -- I assume there are lots of
> tourist bars around the Cathedral/Town Square/Gravensteen. Anywhere
> else to consider for bars frequented by the locals? My hotel is on
> Vlaanderenstraat.
> 


I've got a map of Gent here but it hasn't got an index so I can find qwhere
you're staying Bruce, but I'm afraid that we were rather lazy.  We
discovered (after a recommendation on this ng) Dulle Griet on
Grootkanonplein and tended to stay in there.  Although it attracts some
tourists, it's obviously a place for the locals as well.  The beer range is
just unbelievable.

However, for the places you're interested in you could have a look round
the Patershol quarter, which (if you've got a map there) is the little
network of streets immediately to the northwest of Kraanlei.  Although
really, I think you could just wander around and you wouldn't have to go
far to find nice local-y places.

If you are arriving by train in Gent, you'll probably arrive at
Sint-Pietersplein a little to the south of the city centre.  That's a
completely untouristy area which is nonetheless a bit studenty and
scruffy/bohemian, so if you don't want to head into town straight away,
there are loads of good bars on the main road there.

-- 
Cliff Laine, The Old Lard Factory, Lancaster  http://www.loobynet.com
* remove any trace of rudeness before you reply *
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Libeskind takes metaphors from fractal mathematics, crystalline
geology and so on, and realises them with zigzags, skewed spaces 
and narrow slashes of glazing and industrial materials - even
though the most intense experience its users will ever confront 
will be someone's failure to top up the coffee machine.

    Keith Miller

>
> Finally: a 7-Dagenpas Net (€10) gets you 7 days unlimited travel on
> buses, trams and metro in the whole of Belgium - useful for getting
> around all three places, its a long walk into Gent from the station
or
> to de Pakhuis in Antwerp from anywhere.
> -


This sounds good value!

My itinerary is Brussels Aeroport -- Gent -- Antwerp -- Brussels --
Brussels Airport

Can I use the Dagenpas on Inter City trains Brussels-Gent-Antwerp ?

Bruce

In message , 
bruce_phipps@my-deja.com writes

>This sounds good value!
>
>My itinerary is Brussels Aeroport -- Gent -- Antwerp -- Brussels --
>Brussels Airport
>
>Can I use the Dagenpas on Inter City trains Brussels-Gent-Antwerp ?


No, just De Lijn services (bus,trams,metro). Do the arithmetic - 
€1/trip (€1.40 in Brussels) - if you're staying close to the pubs it 
may make no sense, we tend to stay near the stations and it works for 
us.

The rail rover ticket was withdrawn and you aren't really there for long 
enough for the alternatives. But the train fares aren't bad and there's 
no discount for returns (except at weekends...) so a 3 city round trip 
is pretty cheap anyway. About €5.60 Antwerp-Brussel. Or you could try 
the long distance buses.

<http://www.delijn.be/> for bus/tram/metro
<http://www.b-rail.be/main/index.html> for trains - hope you can read 
Dutch or French ;)

Another tip: you won't easily get bulky luggage onto the Brussels metro 
and some of the street trams, the doors are too narrow.
-- 
Paul Shirley: email unwelcome, reply by news

loobyloo a crit :


>We were in Gent recently.  I particularly
>enjoyed Orval and something called Roedenback 
>

Rodenbach, a classic amoug sour flemish reds


>or somethnig - it's a "red"
>beer, and the driest thing (apart from the "vinho seco" you get in bars in
>Portugal) that I've ever tasted.  
>

The bottled "Grand Cru" is very dry indeed, but the standard version, as 
found on drought, is still pretty gentle and balanced enough to make a 
fine session beer.


>Bit of an acquired taste, but delicious
>after the first couple.
>

Besides, it works wonders with seafood ! :o)

Cheers !

Laurent

-- 
Warning : you may encounter French language beyond this point.

a devient catastrophique : on a pendu seulement deux touristes cette quinzaine... 
(F'murrr)

Laurent Mousson, Berne, Switzerland

Paul Shirley a crit :


> Another tip: you won't easily get bulky luggage onto the Brussels 
> metro and some of the street trams, the doors are too narrow.


Yup, actually most trams... and that's pretty annoying when you're 
lugging around a large backpack...

-- 
Warning : you may encounter French language beyond this point.

a devient catastrophique : on a pendu seulement deux touristes cette quinzaine... 
(F'murrr)

Laurent Mousson, Berne, Switzerland

bruce_phipps@my-deja.com wrote:

> I'm soon going to Belgium ( 2 days Gent, 2 days Antwerp, 1 day
> Brussels).
>
> I'll mostly be drinking draught: deKonnick, Leffe.


Why ? In Belgium, bottled beer is better, and many more varieties are
available. Only Konninck is better on draught.


> Any other draught beers in Gent, Antwerp to consider?


"Palm" (pronounced "pollom")
is a nice session-ish beer.



> Note that I don't like Hoegarden/cloudy beers.
> 
> Thanks
> Bruce

loobyloo wrote:


> If you are arriving by train in Gent, you'll probably arrive at
> Sint-Pietersplein a little to the south of the city centre.  That's a
> completely untouristy area which is nonetheless a bit studenty and
> scruffy/bohemian, so if you don't want to head into town straight
away,
> there are loads of good bars on the main road there.


The Hop Duvel, possibly the best Beer Cafe in town, is in the back
streets between the
station and town centrre. May I recoomend Tim Webb's beer guide ?

http://www.belgianstyle.com/mmguide/book/

On 12 May 2005 07:37:00 -0700, Uncle Dunkel wrote:


> loobyloo wrote:
> 
> The Hop Duvel, possibly the best Beer Cafe in town, is in the back
> streets between the
> station and town centrre. May I recoomend Tim Webb's beer guide ?
> 
> http://www.belgianstyle.com/mmguide/book/


You certainly may - and thanks for the tip about teh Hop Duvel.
-- 
Cliff Laine, The Old Lard Factory, Lancaster  http://www.loobynet.com
* remove any trace of rudeness before you reply *
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Libeskind takes metaphors from fractal mathematics, crystalline
geology and so on, and realises them with zigzags, skewed spaces 
and narrow slashes of glazing and industrial materials - even
though the most intense experience its users will ever confront 
will be someone's failure to top up the coffee machine.

    Keith Miller

In message , 
Uncle Dunkel  writes

>The Hop Duvel, possibly the best Beer Cafe in town, is in the back
>streets between the
>station and town centrre. May I recoomend Tim Webb's beer guide ?


Not sure I'd agree its 'between' the station and centre but it is 
conveniently close to a 21/22 tram stop between Sint-Pieters and the 
town centre, just keep an eye on the street names and its easy to find.

This was the first year we got there when it was actually open, unlike 
the UK Belgian bar owners tend to close the bar for their holidays or 
open late/close early on slow days. You should be OK this time of year 
though.

-- 
Paul Shirley: email unwelcome, reply by news