Staminee De Garre

Beermaninpa

Pennsylvania

5/5  rDev +14.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5

Atmosphere: Down this little alley way you will find one of my top bars in the world. I am not sure how old the building is, but it has to be at least 400 years old. Two levels, with seats for about 45 people and that's it. If there are no seats, you have to come back later. So it does not get to crowded. Wood Burning stove in the winter, brick and wood abound. Tastefully decorated, they even hang a Christmas tree between the two levels during the holiday season. Noise is at a minimum and if you get loud the owners ( Carl andCarla ) will ask you to keep it down.

Quality: Beers are served in the glass which it should be in, and the glasses are spotless. The beers are always top notch.

Service: Some of the best around, attentive, quick with suggestions and they know their beer inside and out. Very willing to recommend other places to go off the beaten path which are not overrun with tourists.

Selection: Over 120 beers in the bottle and 4 drafts, including their house beer De Garre Triple. Ask for recommendations, the staff knows the beer.

Many a day in Belgium I have lost here. Friendly staff will treat you like family, if you give them the proper respect ( Carl is a fan of IPA's, so bring him a bottle or two). On your first visit you should ask for the egg shot ( ? ) , it looks like imitation vanilla pudding and packs a little bit of a punch. This place makes me want to move to Brugge and just hang out there. Some people are there just having coffee reading the paper and chatting away. Go by your self and you may end up on a table with complete strangers and end up with some new friends.

05-13-2003 20:45:23 | More by Beermaninpa

hurfer

Indiana

5/5  rDev +14.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $

I visited de Garre 3 times in the 2 days that I spent in Bruges. First off it really is in the smallest alley ever. Even with GPS and a lot of looking we couldn't find it. The lady at the Bottle Shop around the corner helped us.

We arrived around 2 in the afternoon on a weekday and the place was packed. An older local couple waved us over to their table, which he had some great conversations about Belgium. So as far as atmosphere this couple & the old world vibe of the place made it an instant 5.

The house beer van de garre triple was amazing, my favorite beer I had in Belgium besides lambics & guezes. We had a couple of these wonderful 11% beers which they serve a small cup of cheese with, that was almost as good as the beer.

Prices are great too. Also had some Pannepot there.

So to find it, start in the Markt square facing the Belfy, turn left. You will find it on the short block between Markt & Burg Squares. on the right side there is a very narrow alley way between a yellow chocolate store & a red store. I believe there was a sign that says cookies over the alley.

02-13-2011 15:30:08 | More by hurfer

Kit_Darling

Illinois

4.97/5  rDev +13.5%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

The best beer in the world. Order the house tripel. I will travel back to Brugge just to drink this beer! This bar would have scored perfectly all the way around except that the bathroom downstairs smelled bad when people would open the door. I can forgive that though due to the place, people, and their amazing house tripel being so fantastic.

03-05-2013 01:50:26 | More by Kit_Darling

GCBrewingCo

North Carolina

4.86/5  rDev +11%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Garre was touted as being very difficult to find but a quick stop into De Bier Tempel on the way yeilded directions that said "you go like this, and like this, and like this." One of our group came to show us the way, but it really was not that difficult to find thanks to others having snapped pictures of the place and the entrance.

Once inside on the first we sat at at table and drank mostly off the draft menu. There were 4 taps of which we tried all of them and then 4 pages of beers on the beer menu. The drafts during our visit were the house Tripel, Celis White, Gouden Draak and Pecheresse. On the second trip, we came for the Tripel. A big mistake if you plan to make it the last beer of the night. It is a powerful beer. The coffee comes in a French Press and is highly recommended if you need a pick me up. The small cheeses that are served with the beer are nothing short of divine.

The interior was small with an upstairs area used for overflow and a downstairs area. Classical music was playing in the background and was extremely soothing and relaxing for a tired traveler. On the first visit we sat downstairs, on the second our boisterous crew took to the upstairs. Downstairs the place might seat 30, and upstairs it probably would seat another 25. It became crowded quickly, well full actually so seeking this out early in the journey could be a good suggestion.

The service was nothing short of phenomenal. From waiting on us with our first beers, to making dinner reservations for us at Erasmus, to allowing us to be patrons when we clearly were making far too much noise to be civil.

I highly suggest Garre and would go out of my way to give them my business time and again.

Visited on September 13 and 14, 2006.

10-16-2006 22:15:01 | More by GCBrewingCo

LarryKemp

Texas

4.8/5  rDev +9.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5

We just arrived home from Belgium today and had to review this place. As everyone has said, it is hard to find. Funny thing is that the locals don't seem to have a hard time getting there. It is a small place with recorded music playing in the background. Everyone is chatting and laughing. The times I went there, the upstairs was nonsmoking - a real find anywhere in Europe.

I had each of their private beers. The Blond tripel is to die for. Their tripels have 11% alcohol and will ONLY sell you three a night. The beer is supurb and if you are lucking enough to be going there on July 13th, 2004 and for the following two weeks, they are celebrating 20 years in business and bottling their beers for sale.

The service was supurb. The waiters remember you and what you drink after the first evening. They publish a broad outline of their blond tripel's recipe in the menu. It is in Dutch. I barely speak English. The waitstaff got together to translate it for me. They knew I was a home brewer and wanted me to get it right.

The selection was great I guess. After I tried the blond tripel, that was all they needed to ever serve me. And as I said earlier, the place was full of locals so they must have what they like.

I could not imagine every going to Brugge and not stopping in De Garre's for a tripel.

07-04-2004 18:50:16 | More by LarryKemp

willseph

Illinois

4.8/5  rDev +9.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

If you're having a hard time finding this place, stop in the Bottle Shop and ask directions or look for the store with the orange awning, it's just to the right of it. Quaint, cozy, and very old-world feeling. Their bottle and draft list is quite impressive, but I was there for the Tripel. In fact, the waitress came over, pointed to it on the menu, and said "You want this."

Prices were pretty reasonable considering what you were getting. They sell magnums of the Tripel to take away, I believe it was 25e when I went, which I thought was pretty reasonable considering it's a gorgeous bottle with delicious inside.

12-07-2011 19:39:12 | More by willseph

dougnboston

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +8.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 3

You don't go here for the food, however, as a cheese lover, their cheese plate is a good thing!

It is a hard place to find. I'm good with maps and walked right past the street, the smallest (really) street in Bruges.

Being American, I don't just sit at tables with others ... and the place was packed, people at every table. As I was leaving with no place to sit, a gentleman waved me over to his table. He didn't speak english and I didn't speak whatever he was speaking. I figured out he was a 65 y/o retired postal worker ... nice guy, gave me a Belgium cigar and bought me a beer before leaving for the evening.

The bartender was exceptional. Very nice and offerd great suggestions.

The beer is A++, an excellent beer brewed for the bar.

The have a very good selection of other beer as well.

If in Bruges, go here! You won't be let down.

08-05-2004 02:37:40 | More by dougnboston

hamletmachine72

California

4.72/5  rDev +7.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | $$

This was the first beer bar I went to in Belgium, in fact my first exposure to belgian beer. It remains probably my favorite bar in the world. The atmosphere is warm and upscale, the crowd always friendly. Get there early and take a big table, I do this every time and always end up with new friends from all over. It would be nice if they had a larger selection on tap, but hard to go wrong with the Gulden Draak. The Flemish menu is fairly easy to decipher, but just get friendly with your server; the staff is friendly, helpful, and really know their beers. If you are in Bruge, this one is a must.

02-28-2006 01:21:02 | More by hamletmachine72

CBA

British Indian Ocean Territory

4.72/5  rDev +7.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $

While the smallest, smokiest, least demanding beer list and the hardest to find of all the bars we drank at, this was by far the best. It truly defined the flemish term "gezellig" to me. I could sit at one of those tables for eons. Service was very much to the point, but more then helpful when prompted (again something that I prefer). Excellent cheese served with the beer, if possible, it seemed to go with everything I drank - from the Guldenberg to the N'Ice Chouffe. This place was so inviting that it even convinced my devout non beer drinking wife to try a Kriek (which she enjoyed, and continued to drink throughout the trip)

If I return to Brugge in the future, I'd spend every evening here.

01-13-2008 13:23:34 | More by CBA

Popsinc

Ontario (Canada)

4.71/5  rDev +7.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5

Another bar that would have simply been IMPOSSIBLE to find without a good beer guide. We actually walked right passed the tiny alley twice while looking for Staminee de Garre.

A 2 level bar with a small homey kind of feel to it. The main floor was packed on this particular day so we headed up the old curling, wooden staircase to the second floor. This is where we met our bartender Frederick who is also the owners brother. What an interesting character frderick was. In fact, our stay extended for several hours b/c of the fact that Frederick was constantly encouraging us to try new beers. Or as he would put it, "my suprise for you".

The bartender did everthing he possibly could to make sure we tried new and excellent beers. He really did go out of his way. Great service...ummmm...and i think Frederick was a little tipsy as he had been drinking bacardi & coke on the job, LMAO.

The highlights were Triple Van De Garre (the house brew made by Van Steenberghe) and Gulden Drak, both of which were on tap. Frederick went so far as to bring us a round "on him" just in case we didn't approve. At one point i almost thought i was on hidden camera b/c Frederick decided he would help us sample the beers that were on our table. In any other place i might have sucker-punched the waiter but this guy was SO nice and friendly that we all had a good laugh over it.

In the end, Frederick decided that we deserved to pay for only half our bill...which meant a big tip for the good man!!!

A great place. Excellent selection. Even better service. Find the alley and get there...and then hope Frederick is serving you!

10-29-2003 18:18:14 | More by Popsinc