Bierbrasserie Cambrinus

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

4.68/5  rDev +11.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$

So this place is awesome. A place that I would love to drink and watch a soccer game, but also nice enough to have a nice dinner. Some really cool murals on the walls as well. A great selection of beer, they advertise 400, but it was way over that. As for the food, I had a seafood stew, which was just a touch of creamy broth and a bunch of seafood in it. The service was really good, but again it was busy and we were a large group. I recommend this place highly. Great atmosphere, great selection of beer, and fantastic food.

09-29-2011 22:40:39 | More by OWSLEY069

spoony

Colorado

4.33/5  rDev +2.9%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.25 | $$

Reviewed from notes dated May 23, 2013.

A-Cambrinus is located in the centrum of Brugge within walking distance of the city's main attractions. The place is well-lit (a touch bright) and inviting. Tourist friendly, I would say, with a bit of TGI Fridays feel to it. The restaurant is good-sized for Europe with seating in one large room that is split into two levels and houses a 25-foot long bar with stools. A hefty mural of King Cambrinus stared down at us from the back wall.

Q-The beer list was, as you might expect, full of Belgians. The bottle list was well-curated with a high-quality selection that included some harder-to-find offerings, including Westvleteren. As is typical in the old world, the tap list was pretty limited.

Ser-The service was prompt, friendly, and food delivery was well-timed. However, the beer glasses delivered to our table were noticeably warm (perhaps from sitting under a lamp?) and the servers did not take the time to pour the beer.

Sel-As noted above, the bottle list is pretty impressive with a good bit of selection in each style of Belgian. I did not notice anything super-unusual, but they did have a few vintage offerings and some more off-the-beaten-path brews from the better-known Belgian breweries.

F-The menu is pretty heavy and leans toward traditional meat and potatoes style food. I had rabbit with a gravy and some buttery mashed spuds and the wife had chicken with with a gravy-like stew and croquettes. Both were tasty (and made with beer), but a touch traditional and uninspired.

V-Prices were on the better side of reasonable for a tourist-feeling establishment in a tourist town like Brugge.

06-05-2013 03:05:13 | More by spoony

eric5bellies

Australia

4.68/5  rDev +11.2%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.75 | food: 5 | $$

Visited Cambrinus around a dozen times whilst in Belgium. The Beer list is very impressive and the staff are very knowledgeable and friendly. They also have Westvleteren. The Garlic Scampi is exquisite to a point where we were having two serves each ! The atmosphere is good but a little background music would be good. A must try spot in Brugge or Belgium for that matter

01-24-2013 12:33:04 | More by eric5bellies

JimTeal

Nevada

4.23/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 5 | $$$

Visited Cambrinus in September 2012. Bruge is such a spectacular spot, full of nothing but ridiculous over the top 800 year old scenery, a Michaelangelo masterpiece on display, breathtaking doesn't do Bruge/Brugge, no matter how you spell it, the place surpasses the Rick Steves tourguide. I almost feel like a local after my second visit. If by chance you ever get a chance, GO TO BRUGE!, for a few wonderful days. That said, back to Cambrinus. Absolutely a splendid bar/restaurant. Not the warmest staff, but my belief is that is one of the special qualities of Cambrinus. This place is extremely confident and professional in its image, flounting a beyond belief beer selection, Westvletaren 12 readily available and my first Pannepot Fisherman's Ale. We didn't dine, focused on imbibing our butts off, and enjoying the fine ambience. Like I mentioned before, I have read that their service is not great, probably average, and probably true, but professional, and the staff's knowledge and recommendations are spot on. I hope next time in Bruge I will take time to dine, and next time I'm sure I'll be a local. But who cares, I read the BA top 100 list, and Cambrinus represents the best of the best without a doubt.

11-15-2012 01:32:59 | More by JimTeal

Lyke2Drink

North Carolina

1.5/5  rDev -64.4%
vibe: 1 | quality: 1 | service: 1 | selection: 3 | food: 1 | $$$$

I had to give Bierbrasserie Cambrinus one star because Beer Advocate does not have an option for zero stars.

I was on a beer tour of Belgium and spent a couple of nights in Brugge. On Sept. 12 our first choice for dinner was not open so we went to Cambrinus. As others have stated about this place, it was crowded and cramped. The service was not friendly. But what earns this place a spot on the "Beer Bar Hall of Shame" is that I broke a tooth on a fragment of a shell in my fish stew and the restaurant has done nothing.

When my party alerted the server, he acted like it was no big deal -- even after I showed him the large chunk of my tooth in my hand. We had to ask to speak to the manager twice, who said the owner was not around and she could do nothing. We asked her to call the manager, who told me over the phone that they would take care of the matter the next day and contact their insurance company.

Days went by without contact. After reaching back out to the restaurant, they said they had been delayed in contacting the insurance company. They did not explain why. Again weeks went by, only to get a form letter today from Rita Springael at AG Insurance that said: "We act as insurers TP Liability for brasserie CAMBRINUS. We took note of your complains and regret that you have dental problems. We believe that you in no way can prove that the liability of our insured is involved. We provide therefore no intervention."

I guess five witnesses at my table, the waiter, manager, owner, my dentist and the broken tooth does not count as evidence to AG Insurance.

So Cambrinus has decided they can avoid any responsibility by sending this to their insurance agent to dodge the issue. I have undergone two dental procedures to repair the one tooth and have at least one more trip to the dentist to repair a crack in the tooth next to the broken one caused by the shell. This painful injury was caused by negligence in the Cambrinus kitchen, but what is even worse is the response from the restaurant. They have calculated that I am an American tourist and they can avoid stepping up to the plate and dealing with the injury they caused.

Don't eat at Cambrinus. Brugge has many great restaurants and even better spots to have Belgian beer. Please don't give your money to a place that has such low business ethics and displays such a total disregard for customers.

10-10-2012 17:55:33 | More by Lyke2Drink

BEERchitect

Kentucky

4.4/5  rDev +4.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$$

On a particularly rainy Brugge Wednesday, more rainy than most, a step inside the cozy entrance nook gives a welcome reprieve from the damp elements outside. What welcomed us is an earthy and elegant decor of fine French interior elements and gentlemanly English wood work. Brightly lit and somewhat shiny, the narrow procession between the bar stools and flanking high-top tables delivers us to our table tucked away in the back of the restaurant.

A peruse through the menu that housed both food items and beer items seems to take an etermity because of the enormity of the selections and because the hard-bound menu that rivited to a paddle board were hard to come by. Once I saw the Westvleteren offerings, my mind was made up. The Blue Cap (8) was the choice for me. Though the food menu was concise and dedicated, the beer selections were vast- likely ranging into the several hundreds- all based around Belgian offerings almost exclusively. Sour ales, trappist ales, blonde ales, strong golden and dark ales, and fruited ales are all well represented.

Although the menu ranged from entrees of scallops, duck, beef, fries, and pork- all seeminly exquisit; I settled instead on the entree salad of mixed greens, nuts, fruits and berries, goat cheese, and vinegarette. Although the pairing of the dark Belgian Beer was off, I didn't care this time around.

Once the food settled, a comfortable gaze across the room yeilded more dining tables on the other side of the room that was rather busy for a late mid-week lunch. Finely polished cabinets houses decorations that range from literature, glassware, and the random Belgian trinkets that remind us of their deeply rooted drinking culture.

As is usual for Belgium, we have so much to see and do on this one-day excursion that a quick in and out is all we have; but the relaxed demeanor of the waitstaff made getting timely drinks and tabs a little delayed.

Although an hour and a half was all that was spent here, I can see the charm and lasting impresions that Cambrinus left on me as it was a lunch that I'll never forget.

05-04-2012 17:32:34 | More by BEERchitect

shiner00747

Ohio

4.23/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$$

I have been twice.Once in 2010 and 2011.Both times I had the fish stew.The food was good both times.Seafood in a gravy like sauce.Very tasty.Lots of really good beers in bottles and some good on tap too.the first time a guy next to me suggested their house brune and I thought it was really good.The wife and I hung out with a British couple and many pints of the brune were consumed.The second time I was there tried a bunch of bottles of beers i had never had and a few
that I knew.Hendrick straffes are always a good choice in Bruges.Wish there was a Cambrinus here.

03-07-2012 18:36:32 | More by shiner00747

Bierman9

New Hampshire

4.58/5  rDev +8.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | $$$

I stopped into Cambrinus twice on my most recent European trip, on 28 and 30SEP11. Pahked myself at the bahr both times...

Cambrinus is found not far from the Burg square, on the ground floor of a corner building made of aged, light-colored bricks. Two large bay windows and a couple of old barrels frame the entrance. Entering Cambrinus, it is long from front to rear. As an earlier reviewer mentioned, it does have a TGIF sort of feel, not really being a rustic, old-school type pub. There are a few small tables at the windows on both sides, then the bar appears on the right, a short-L from that side heading back far to the rear. A few high tables are along the left on a divider, and there are numerous booths and tables further to the left and rear. The place is well-lit but warm, with lots of mahogany-colored wood and some brass here and there. Decorations consist of large bottles, old posters and pics, and other bier-related bric-a-brac. The bar itself is majestic, a large wooden edifice. Shelves hanging above the bar display numerous bottles of top-shelf Belgian biers. There are a few draft towers with about 4-taps each, though bottles far outnumber taps here. Behind the bar are many coolers housing said bottles. The bier-list is really a book, wooden-bound and about 3" thick. Damn!! I perused it for a good time, not knowing which direction I wanted to head in. When I finally felt I wanted a Quad, my bartender recommended a new offering, Prearis, a bier brewed by a Belgian brewery based on an award-winning homebrew recipe. Damn tasty, it was!! Unlike others here, I thought the service was quite good. They were readily available and helpful, in addition to being friendly. No gripes there... Prices are a bit up there, but it is Brugge, after all.... Anyhow, I'm here again whenever I return... This certainly is NOT a dildo bar (whatever that means), as some putz I know of has stated... Prosit!!

4.58 rDev +7.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | $$$

229

11-06-2011 20:57:27 | More by Bierman9

Cmack15

Massachusetts

4.14/5  rDev -1.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

This is probably the best bar I visited in Brugge. Located right off the main square so its easy to walk to. The Cambrinus was quite crowded when we arrived but the waitress was kind enough to get us an extra stool so we could sit at the bar. Nice selection of Belgian beers nothing to extensive or rare but a good selection. They did have westy 12 on their list so naturally I saw it fit to order that. When in Brugge I highly recommend this place. Did not try the food so i can not comment on that but it appeared that they had a full menu and I saw some peoples plates and they looked good.
Cheers

03-20-2011 15:44:16 | More by Cmack15

Chincino

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +6.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | $$

I went to the Cambrinus twice on a recent trip to Brugge, Belgium. I really enjoyed the atmosphere which very conducive to relaxing and drinking good beers. Immediately upon entering the place, you see rows upon rows of different styles of beer glasses and hundreds of bottles of beers in cases behind the bar. We were planning to go to this place anyway during our trip to Brugge, but we discovered that they sold bottles of Westvleteren 12 which was an excellent surprise. They also had the Westvleteren 8 which my friend tried and I had the 12. The beer list was extremely extensive and it will take you awhile just to read all the beers this place has to offer. I highly recommend going here if you are in Brugge.

03-15-2011 09:18:52 | More by Chincino