In De Groene Poort

Gooik is really one of the hidden treasures of Pajottenland. Maybe not for the village itself, which is quite uneventful, but for the magnificent surroundings. A hike through the rolling hills and fecund fields surrounding Gooik is one of the better ways to spend a sunny day. Tuscany on the banks of the Zenne...

An experience made even better by the knowledge that, at the end of the day, many well-deserved glasses of draught lambic or oude geuze await you. This is where In De Groene Poort, in the center of Gooik opposite the beautiful Roman church dedicated to Saint Nicolas, would be an excellent choice.

The façade is not the best feature. The white old farmhouse building is charming enough, but the green neon string "decoration" is not exactly matching. The owners probably think it cleverly crowns the green gate ("groene poort" = green gate).

The inside is much better, with a rustic, spacious and beautifully tiled main room and a smaller room to the side. When we go, however, it is for the very charming and comfortable outside seating area in the back, adjoined by a large lawn with children's playground stuff. Ideal for a weekend family outing.

The beer list holds much of interest, most notably lambic beers of course. Draught girardin lambic should be available throughout the year, of the young variety last time we were there (I estimate not older than a couple of months). The whole Girardin and Boon geuze ranges are available, including Boon Marriage Parfait and Girardin black label. In addition, a well thought-out beer list of 50+ beer lists leaves little to be desired (incl. the likes of Rodenbach Grand Cru and the entire Malheur range including the one-off Malheur Millenium).

The food selection is not the main focus, although there are some nice Belgian classics like stoofvlees (meat stew), pensen met appelmoes of krieken (a "white" and "black" pudding sausages with applesauce or cherries), and mussels in season.

The lady of the house is charming and succeeds well in giving a personal touch to the service.
p.s.: I give big bonusses for selection when draught lambics are available, because this in itself is "exceptional". Hence, the old rustic lambic cafés with only a couple of other beers will still quickly reach a "4.5" in my book. When paired with such a well-varied list of other beers as in the case of de Groene Poort, a "5" is in place IMHO.

Reviewed on: 08-04-2004 15:51:57

If you are in Gooik, it is for one of two reasons. You are either hopelessly lost, or have just been to the De Cam Geuzestekerij, the newest Gueuze blender in nearly 40 years. When I was here at Easter 2002, it was for the latter reason. After the tour and a few De Cam beers, together with a few friends, we all went for a wander to this Pub.

In de Groene Poort is centrally located in the small village of Gooik and it is only a minute’s walk from the De Cam Stekerij at the most. The “Green Door” is a low two-storey white painted rustic looking Brabant farm building with a red tiled roof, situated on one of the 2 roads that runs through Gooik. 3 Windows with flowerboxes, a plain red and white sign with the name of the bar and a plastic Maes Pils sign do not do much to promote the establishment as a BeerBar. However, this soon changes. As you enter this wonderful ‘olde worlde’ brown Café the bar is to your right, with a room in front and an overspill room to the side. At the far side of the bar is a door, usually open, that will take you through to the outside back of the bar. On warm days you can sit outside in the Courtyard at the back. This is where the Toilets are located as well, in a separate outhouse across the well kept lawn in case you wondered, I know I did.

There are 6 beers on Tap, including the rare and highly excellent 1 year old Girardin lambic, surely one of the best draft lambics of all time and a lovely beer that I always drink whenever I have the rare opportunity to do so. In addition, the beer list runs to a very decent 55+ beers, including most of the Malheur range, as well as the Black and White label Gueuze from Girardin, and their Kriek & rather sweetish Framboise. They also have the Gueuze & Kriek from Boon, so this Café has plenty more for lambic heads after your De Cam visit. Service was very prompt, personal and attentive.

A really nice quiet village local, in existence for over 80 years and a bit old-fashioned, but that coupled with the personal service is its rustic charm. Well worth the short walk if you ever get to the De Cam Geuzestekerij. This is how it used to be at one time.

Reviewed on: 12-30-2002 23:22:50