In de Vrede

JimDH

Kentucky

4.4/5  rDev +5.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 3.5 | $$

Riding a bicycle from the train station in Poperinge, out the narrow Sint-Sixtusstraat through hop farms, built the anticipation nicely for my first visit--and first taste of Westvleteren.

The patio was closed for the season, but the cafe was reasonably crowded early on the weekday afternoon. The descriptions of the place as a cafeteria aren't terribly far off, though the atmosphere is more comfortable than that--a lunch cafe rather than a dinner cafe. Many apparently-local retirees were there for lunch with coffee or blonde beer.

I received reasonably prompt service and had no significant communication problems, given that I only speak English. I had a chicken aspic sandwich, which was okay. I've learned since that the cheese sandwich is the best dish (and that the ice cream is excellent too).

The gift shop offered gift boxes--two blondes, an 8, a 12 and a chalice for 23 Euro--but had no six packs available when I was there.

I'm not sure why there are minor complaints about the beer selection. The reason we travel to In de Vrede is for the outstanding Westvletern beers, and I enjoyed each of them.

03-09-2012 06:32:00 | More by JimDH

spoony

Colorado

4.24/5  rDev +1.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | $$$

A-In de Vrede is located in a lovely, large, modern building in (pretty much) the middle of nowhere. We arrived pretty early in the day (11 am) and the big space was mostly quiet and empty with the exception of a few other tourist groups of various sizes. Unlike many places in Belgian, this place reminded me of a commercially-oriented U.S. winery. It isn't cold or clinical feeling, but it does not have the warmth you might expect from an abbey. The small gift shop is located near the front of the large bar.

Q-The choices are limited, but what choices they are! Westy Blonde, VIII, or XII is all you get, but it might be all you need.

Ser-The servers are friendly and knowledgeable about the beer they are selling. We didn't order food, so I cannot comment on that aspect, but our beers were delivered promptly after ordering them and poured with skill.

Sel-The very limited selection is what it is....

V-The prices are higher than other bars/restaurants, but they were not eye-popping. The high prices here are merely a reflection that beer prices in Belgian are so good elsewhere and I did not feel like I was being gauged here.

06-09-2013 22:47:04 | More by spoony

kingjohnh

New Mexico

3.88/5  rDev -6.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 3.75 | $$

Overall, an amazing place and am blessed to have been able to visit. If you are looking to score a 6-pack b/c you didn't get through on the beer line, do NOT come on Saturday or Sunday. Our waiter told is that his boss rarely allowed them to sell beer through the gift shop on the weekend as the line gets so long and slows down things at the cafe. I wish I would have known this as I could have come during the week, but came on Saturday (today!!) out of convenience. Still got to have several of all 3 beers, but none to take home (not even the three pack from where people pick up their case). So, be sure to go, but Mon, Tues or Wed and preferably in the am.

06-01-2013 20:59:24 | More by kingjohnh

DoubleJ

California

4.2/5  rDev +1%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

Arriving here by rented bike was much fun despite the constant smell of manure. Riding in the countryside is so much different from riding in the city, and the scenery is simply gorgeous. You'll likely ride by some hop farms, putting you more in the mood for a beer. By the time you have arrived, you will definately have built a thirst. I suspect that's part of the plan.

The cafe's interior is spacious, modern, climate controlled, and filled with many tables. There's a large beer garden out back, which gives you a great view of the surrounding countryside. On a mostly sunny day, this was the place to be. There is table service, which makes the experience even more enjoyable; it would have killed the mood if I had to get out of my seat every time I had to order a beer.

Most of you have heard about In de Vrede, and a few have probably just heard of it for the first time. For the latter, this is the only legal home of the exclusive Westvleteren beer. All three are available, served and poured from the bottle, into their own branded chalice. It's tempting to order nothing but the 12, but I think sampling all three beers in order will give you the proper In de Vrede experience. Even the weakest Westvleten offering is better than at least 90% of the beers out there, which tells you how good the beer is. Beautiful pours of the beer in their glassware just adds texture to the experience.

Small snacks are available too. You won't find a much bigger food item than a croque monsieur, and it's a simple, but well made version that works with the beer.

In de Vrede was made for the beer geek. It's a little out of the way, but to me, it was worth the trip.

05-20-2013 23:13:51 | More by DoubleJ

FightingEntropy

Minnesota

4.71/5  rDev +13.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$

8/16/12

I had a bottle to Westvleteren 12 at the Locus Publicus in Delft in 2003 before I understood what I was drinking. Fast forward to Belgium 2012: a trip to In de Vrede to drink Westvleteren as close to the brewery as possible was a no brainer (no public tours of the abbey).

We stayed at the Palace Hotel so that we could get an early start and be able to walk to bus stop. To get to In de Vrede, an intrepid beer drinker can take the De Lijn Belbus 69. A reservation can be made up to two weeks in advance, according to one website I read, but the official information said at least two hours in advance. The De Lijn representative, who spoke excellent English, said that it's a minimum two hour wait from the time a pick up call is made. When making a reservation to drink Westvleteren, the local name seems to simply be "the abbey." Saying anything else is superfluous.

In Poperinge, the bus stop is either at the train station or at the market downtown. We did the market downtown location that's just off the main square between the public bathrooms on one side of the road and a big church on the other. It showed up right on time. Several locals were on the bus and we were the only ones to get off at the abbey, which is conveniently the first stop. It's August now, so the hops are full and heavy on the vine as we see the town sign for the village of Westvleteren. The bus stop is right outside of the abbey itself. Head down the asphalt road beside the abbey, follow the large flags that say Westvleteren to the right, and stroll leisurely down a tree lined sidewalk to In de Vrede.

It is a beautiful day, so we sat in the bier garden in the back. Table service was fairly quick and it's whatever waiter is available. From what I can tell, it's pay as you go so no one has to keep a tab. We paid cash for the convenience, so never tried a credit card.

Gloria, naturally, started with the Bruin 12, and I got a Blonde 6 to taste up the ladder. Unfortunately, it's the height of summer corn and hop crops here, so my allergies are acting up and my senses are not at their best for this bucket list adventure. Imagining a visit to Westvleteren, I never considered that my hay fever that I tried to leave behind in Iowa would re-emerge in this very home-like part of Belgium. Since a non-summer visit isn't an option, I resolve to have a fine day drinking world class beer between sniffles.

The Blonde 6 is a hazy orange with an off white lace down the side of the glass. Slight yeasty nose and spice over a base of a light malt. Not an assertive nose, but pleasant, especially when sipped; the spice is strong in the mouth with a yeasty supplement.

The Bruin 8 is similar to the 12 at first blush. Very similar but lighter all around: color, body and taste. So, on to the 12. Incredible. The hints and tendencies of the 8 are in full bodied flavor for the 12. Exciting that it's so good. I had a secret fear that drinking on site might be disappointing but I should have known better. Thin brown head leaves an elegant lace, which has been light on pours of all three beers, that falls over an opaque, almost root beer colored body. Yeasty spice in the nose supported by fig, dark chocolate, overripe cherry and an almost sour earthiness that even our light summer breeze can't waft away. Taste has a slight yeast and carbonic bite. Sweet finish from a sugary center that balances the beer from front to back. Great beer that rightly deserves its reputation as one of the world's finest.

Lunch was very good but the only option for vegetarians is essentially a cheese sandwich with buttered bread. However, I'm pretty much happy with a big hunk of Gouda cheese. A very Belgian/Dutch lunch that was just fine to get us through the afternoon.

Finally being frustrated by the table service, I started getting 12s from the bar myself to make more of our drinking time. Being served on the patio, I didn't see any of our early glasses poured but confirmed later that everything is served from bottles and not on draft, something I hadn't thought about or seen in my research. When we got a waiter to get us a mid-afternoon dessert, he suggested the Coupe "In de Vrede," which is ice cream made with the bier (though I didn't understand which one but guessing a bruin). Too much whip cream on top for my taste but the sprinkled malt (like the inside of a malted milk ball) made it worthwhile; the beer clearly shows up in the ice cream near the bottom. Pricey but fun to order and probably worth the price of admission for most beer geeks.

Pictures of the cafe, the Belbus and more specific directions at http://pintsizedrevelations.blogspot.com/2013/03/in-de-vrende-near-abbey-st-sixtus.html

05-19-2013 19:46:50 | More by FightingEntropy

GRUUMSH

Belgium

3.86/5  rDev -7.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 3.25 | selection: 3 | food: 4 | $$$

Of course the choice in beers is very limited and prices may be a bit steep for Belgian Standards but what you get is very, very, very good:)
Most of the time the place is packed with people and some patience may be required.
The service is good and efficiënt. Nothing out of the ordinary there.
One thing is for sure: Those monks have a very good bussiness plan:)

05-15-2013 07:02:45 | More by GRUUMSH

kojevergas

California

4.08/5  rDev -1.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3 | food: 3.5 | $

Okay, yes, technically the selection is quite limited. But come on now.

The food is simple but refreshing and good, and pairs nicely with their beers.

Obviously, the quality is brilliant. Why else would you come here? It's in the middle of nowhere.

Prices are unbeatable. World class beers for hardly anything.

Great craic to be had here with other visitors. People here are in the know; you don't just stumble in here by accident.

Great service. I've never been when they didn't have gift packs for sale. Every time I've gone, Westvleteren 12 has been available. The servers usually speak at least three languages.

Lots of beer pilgrims show up, and sometimes the Americans can be really annoying with their ignorance and volume, but other than that the environment is fine.

Rarely gets crowded except on release dates.

Definitely somewhere every beer advocate needs to go.

11-06-2012 19:51:21 | More by kojevergas

Thorpe429

Illinois

4.6/5  rDev +10.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | $$

This is one of the places that I most anticipated going when we went to Belgium. While I had previously had all three of the Westvleteren offerings, I was beyond excited to be able to try them at the source.

The atmosphere wasnt quite what I was expecting. The cafe has very modern decor and appears to be a bit of a tourist trap. That aspect of this place is not terribly appealing. However, that has to be balanced again the fact that this is the Westvleteren cafe and there is indeed something magical about having the abbey's beers at one of the cafe's tables.

The selection is exactly as you would expect -- you have a choice between all three Westvleteren beers. I started with the Blonde and Amy had a 12. We later each had an 8, of course taking sips from each other's choices along the way.

The service was quite good. The server was attentive and had no problem communicating with us in English.

I only had the Westy-infused ice cream and a small sandwich, so I can't comment too much on the food, but the ice cream was quite enjoyable. The menu is fairly limited.

All in all, this is a great place to visit. Aside from the cafe, there is also the small shop where you can by glassware ad up to six bottles to go, mixing and matching among whichever of the three beers are available to go at the time.

02-27-2012 12:40:44 | More by Thorpe429

thepeter

United Kingdom (England)

3.68/5  rDev -11.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3 | $$

Wide open outside both in front and in the back. inside and out it was more modern than I was expecting, looked like a nice cafeteria with lot's of peopl efrom the comunity having lunch or a snack alongside a world class beer. Just pretty cool to see a pair of grandma's splitting a soup and sandwich each with their own full glass of Westvleteren (no sharing there!) Service was OK, as we only spooke English and our server did not she seemed to try and avoid us, had to get up to get extra napkins and mustard myself. As far as selection, they had 3 beers, be it three of the best beers, still 3 beers means I cannot go scoring this place a 4 or 5 (any othe rplace would get way lower. that being said, quality is way up there. Food was okay, we just got a cheese plate and a sausage . . . the sandwiches looked good, my bad for not getting one. Value was very good as the Westy's were not overpriced like they are everywhere else in the world. The fresh 12 is a bit young but I had to have one (and so do you!), the 8 was very good but the fresh Blonde blew them all away, FANTASTIC!!! If I ever end up there again I will just drink a few of those and be very happy.

01-10-2012 23:58:08 | More by thepeter

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

4.2/5  rDev +1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5 | $

I've been here twice. Both times during the drive (kindly provided by weissbierdrinker...you're the best!) the anticipation is something you don't experience often. The hype and culmination of something coming together is a feeling you don't get alot.

The drive is quite nice, going past hop fields and coming up to the abbey where you always see a monk outside. The two times I was there, construction was taking place, so as per the usual sights in Europe, it was covered in scaffolding and cranes, etc.

We stopped to return bottles and a crate and were told we could buy some beer as well. Maximum of two packs of three beers including the blonde, 8, and 12. Naturally we both took two packs of the three beers and chatted with the beer pick-up monky dude next to skids of westvleteren 12 stacked higher than I stand.

Now to the bar. It's a weird, modern styled place, like a conference centre restaurant with a nice patio that we sat at both times. The service is a little slow but the place gets really busy sometimes and the wait staff work their hardest.

The beers are dirt cheap. How the world allows 'the best beer in the world' to be sold for under five euro is beyond me. The food menu is limited but the cheese sandwich is tasty and comes with some little pickles. You can buy beer when you're leaving the cafe if you're lucky, but only in gift packs, as well as cheese, etc.

The pilgrimage here is definately part of the experience. It's isolation takes effort to get to, but it's worth the trip to try these beers. Doesn't even come close to some of the other great selections in Belgium or the Netherlands, but hell, for some of the best regarded beers in the world, it's a good spot.

11-20-2011 18:05:51 | More by tbeckett