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Belgium is a fantastic beer country filled with a rich brewing tradition. This tradition is so strong that there are entire styles that Belgium does far better than anyone else. The tiny country is filled with great breweries and beer bars, including in the picturesque city of Bruges.

Here are my favorite places to drink craft beer in Bruges, Belgium, including beer bars, breweries, and bottle shops.

Bierbrasserie Cambrinus

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Bierbrasserie Cambrinus is one of the greatest beer bars in the world, never mind Bruges. The bar has an amazing lineup of Belgian beers, with fantastic food to match. I had a few beers and for 10 Euros, what I thought was going to be a small platter of beer cheese, pate, salami, and bacon, but ended up being a massive feast that I ended up sharing with several people around me. Some of the dishes at Cambrinus are pricier, but their assortment of cold “snacks” is a steal.

On my second visit, I had what they call the “Menu of the Brewers”. At 30 Euros, it’s not cheap, but with my long trip winding down, I decided to splurge. Once again, the food was not disappointing. The three courses consisted of Trappist Cheese Croquettes, Flemish Carbonades prepared with “Gulden Draak” Beer, served with Applesauce, and Crème Brûlée perfumed with the dark Abbey beer of Ename. Plus, of course, beer. Whatever your desire, you’ll find the beer you want here.

De Kelk

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De Kelk is another great beer bar in Bruges. Again, the bar was next to empty, which was nice. I talked with the bartender about Belgian beer, and he made some good recommendations about where else I should visit when I was in town.

Book your hotel in Bruges now!

We talked about one of the most famously tough-to-find beers in the world, the highly-rated Trappist Westvleteren 12. Theoretically, it is only available for purchase at the Trappist abbey where it is brewed, but some bottles find their way into a grey market of bars and bottle shops around Belgium. The guy at De Kelk said he had some in stock, but that it was very young. He recommended that it’s better once it’s been aged for a couple of years, so he advised me against buying from him. He earned major respect from me, as it’s not often that someone would be honest like that. Instead, he told me about a local bottle shop that would probably have it. Unfortunately, that bottleshop (De Biertemple) is no longer open.

Following a complete refurbishing, De Kelk reopened in 2017.

Since I visited Bruges in January, a few places I had wanted to visit were closed, plus new spots have opened. ‘t Brugs Beertje, De Garre, De Zandloper Taphouse, and Brouwerij De Halve Maan all have great reviews, so if you’re visiting, check them out.

The tiny, dense old town of Bruges is a great place to wander from beer bar to beer bar. From old bars that serve beers that have been brewed for hundreds of years to new breweries that are making more modern styles, you’ll be sure to find something you’ll love to drink.

Do you love craft beer? Check out more of my recommendations for the best craft beer around the world!

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3 Comments

  1. I visited the Bruges Christmas Fair this year. I drank a glass of blond beer from a bar inside the fair, which seemed like the best drink I’ve ever had. I got into other things and forgot to ask the bartender what this beer is called. I ask someone who knows anything about this beer to tell me the name of this exceptional beer. Thank you in advance from the bottom of my heart.

  2. There are lots of possibilities of what this beer could be, but I’m guessing that since it was at the Christmas Fair, it was likely something fairly mainstream. Brugse Zot is brewed locally in Bruges by De Halve Maan, so perhaps it was that? Leffe Blonde is another blonde Belgian beer with widespread distribution. Those are both guesses though, hopefully someone may have more specific insight from having been there. Is there any chance you took a photo inside the bar where there might be a menu visible?