Benelux Brewpub & Café

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.88/5  rDev -3.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

Up in Montreal for a weekend and hit this place up for brews and lunch after roaming around Olympic Park and the Biodome all morning. We sat in the outdoor seating immediately in front of the entrance, and the wait staff rounded through pretty regularly. Indoors was a little on the dark side, with lots of pop-art advertisements on all of the walls, a couple of flat screens that were showing the Euro Cup, and some chalkboards with the day's specials listed. The menu is short and sweet, but the food and tapas is very tasty. Good rotation of brews available in all kinds of different styles. From the ads, it looks like there is a ton of beer-centric events for special releases, too. The staff was helpful and did very well with the language barrier. Prices were not bad at all for both the beers and the grub. I would definitely go back again.

07-10-2012 03:21:46 | More by GarthDanielson

Jacobob10

New Jersey

4.36/5  rDev +8.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.25 | $$

We arrived at Benelux around 4pm on a Friday afternoon and the outdoor area was quite crowded. Regardless, they were able to seat a group of seven of us at one of the last available benches outside. The server was extremely helpful, explaining each of the beers as well as the food in detail. I started off with a saison - the name of which escapses me - and moved on to the Yakima, an American IPA. Both beers were excellent. I did not try any food but two of my friends had paninis and said they were good. Another three friends came to meet up with us and there was no longer room for us outside. I asked the server if she could move us inside and she kindly closed out our tab outside and moved us to a long table inside to the rear of the bar. We ordered a few more rounds and had a great time. I would happily go back anytime. Good beers and atmosphere. Grab a seat outside if possible and take in the surrounding city.

06-12-2013 17:52:47 | More by Jacobob10

nquigley16

Massachusetts

4.13/5  rDev +2.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$$

Benelux is one of my favorite Montreal beer spots. They always do a great job with their beer and there is always a good selection. I have yet to try an Benelux beer that disappointed me. The employees are, for the most part, great.They have very good food to go along with their great beer, and the food is not quite as pricey as the beer which is nice. The inside has a great environment, but if it is a nice day, the area they set up outside is also great.

Definitely a must-visit if your in Montreal.

09-23-2012 14:12:39 | More by nquigley16

Clara

2.91/5  rDev -27.6%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 1 | selection: 3.5 | $$

The beer good but the service was very bad. The blond waitress charged us three glasses of beer more than we actually had. I suggest people who go there to carefully check the bill.
The waitress first did not want to show us the details of the bill and her attitude was really bad. Of course my comment does not apply to the other waitresses, who seemed to be fine. The only bad thing about the place was really the service. The atmosphere of the place was really average. They did not offer us a menu nor mentioned the prices, probably because of that we did not eat anything. The prices were actually OK for beer in Canada. The taste option was interesting.

07-29-2012 04:04:02 | More by Clara

Beersignal

Quebec (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +1.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3 | $$

I am a fortunate person to be living so close to Montreal as so many brewpubs have come to life recently in this town. One of my favourites is Le Benelux.

First impression of the bar... feels laid back and cool. If you pay attention to the decor you will notice a sort of industrial vibe going on with a lot of rough edges, but comfortable. A sort of showpiece is the vault turned into a lounge... this place was once a bank branch. Being adjacent to McGill and UQAM universities you will always find a young and attractive crowd.

Can't say anything negative about the quality. Everything is always fresh and done to style with a lot of creativity. The bar staff is knowledgeable about the beers, but not necessarily beer in general and selection is always interesting, with cask offered every thursday. The menu for food is limited but this is not their mandate. What is offered is good quality snacks for those who are hungry but not looking for a complete meal.

Overall value is great. Great beers in a chill athmosphere with something to sink your teeth into and all at a very reasonable price per pint.

If you come to Montreal, you should stop here for a few pints at least.

Santé

SMD

01-14-2012 22:21:06 | More by Beersignal

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -7.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | $$$

It was absolutely packed when I went to this place, so I'm sure my experience is a little bit different. It added to the atmosphere, but took away from the service for sure. When I was there they had some guest beers on tap from the states as well as a bunch of their own. Everything I tried was fantastic and served in nice glassware. There was even a few people taking notes on the beers at the bar, and they mentioned they were on BeerAdvocate etc. Prices were a little on the high side - but it's quality stuff I guess. I didn't try any of the food so i can't comment on that. Definitely worth checking out when, but only after going to Dieu Du Ciel and drinking all 16 beers they have on tap.

09-16-2011 18:55:02 | More by spinrsx

Tut

New York

4.36/5  rDev +8.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Benelux is one of the best brewpubs in Montreal and has always been one of my favorite places to enjoy a quality beer. I heartily agree with krisklyne's detailed, spot-on review below. Like other brewpubs here, Benelux is quite small compared to American brewpubs. In good weather the large outdoor terrasse supplements the interior space. They only offer snack food - beer is the focus and you won't find families with kids running around. I prefer bars like this.

Benelux is well located on Rue Sherbrooke and can be included in a walking tour with two other great brewpubs over in the Latin Quarter, L' amere a boire and Le Cheval Blanc. Although they specialize in Belgian styles of beer, Benelux also features a good range of other styles. I enjoy some offerings more than others due to my style preferences but all are well made, interesting beers. Thursdays they put a fresh cask on the bar which tends to disappear quickly.
The staff is great and enjoy talking about their beer with any who show interest.

Benelux deserves to be a serious destination - not just an afterthought during a typical pilgrimage to Dieu du Ciel. Benelux's beers are every bit as good - they just don't get the hype, probably because they don't brew stuff like barrel aged, imperial, Double Chocolate/Juniper/Jalapeno ale for the trendy beer seekers. If beers like that excite you then you probably will want to drink all 16 of Dieu du Ciel's beers before going elsewhere. If you're tired of these type of concoctions, give Benelux a try.

09-07-2011 17:09:29 | More by Tut

karlfree

Massachusetts

3.86/5  rDev -4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | $$

Stayed at the university down the street off of urbain so this was a very easy walk from a pretty affordable and relatively comfortable "hotel." Nice brew pub with a large outdoor seating area. The waitstaff was a little slow but was also pretty knowledgeable about the beers. They had a cask option as well as a blended beer. Both were really interesting but not sure if they regularly have those types of options. Good option for a nice beer outside on a nice summer night. I strongly recommend the blended beer if available and the Belgian amber.

08-16-2011 00:25:08 | More by karlfree

Digimaika2

Ontario (Canada)

4.16/5  rDev +3.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

Fairly centrally located within walking distance to Place des Arts where alot of festivals are held, including Jazzfest. Atmosphere is very modern with an industrial, lofty, warehouse vibe going on. Clear and legible whiteboards all over the place to tell you what's on tap (big plus in my books) along with the food selection. Nice large patio outside that fills up fast after the workday ends.

Benelux brews some really good beers and also offers a 5-beer sampler. They have about 10 taps that are usually all their own product, although one time they were offering Dieu du Ciel's Penombre on cask but I think that might've been a rare event. Happy hour specials lets you save about a dollar per pint. Free Wi-Fi available inside and outside on the patio too.

Service has always been good when I'm there with bartenders courteous and prompt, and they seem knowledgable about different styles. Selection of their taps is quite varied, with usually a stout, pale ale, and a number of delicious belgian styles (try the Ergot!). Unfortunately, haven't had their food yet but from what I see it looks quite good. They offer simpler snack items like paninis, hot dogs, cheese plates, etc.

Overall I'd definitely recommend this as a destination, especially if you're in the downtown area looking for a good brewpub.

06-29-2011 00:00:48 | More by Digimaika2

Ynot2

California

4/5  rDev -0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Stopped in after going to the beer fest at Mondial. Enjoyed a sandwich and a couple of their beers before they cracked open the 10 casks and the Vermont beer. The food selection is not great but the food is tasty. I enjoyed the IPA they had on tap (forgot the name) before I met a couple of other BAs there. The service was slow and since it was a special event no tab allowed (probably a good thing for my wallet). Overall a nice place and good selection. The place was packed as was expected, will visit again before I head back to California.

06-13-2011 20:11:43 | More by Ynot2