't Brugs Beertje

Xadoor

Texas

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

A stop in Bruges was not in our original travel plans, so I hadn't bothered checking for good beer places before we left. When my wife decided we should stop at Bruges on our way through Belgium, I checked my Lonely Planet Guidebook and thank God this place was listed! My wife practically pushed me through the door with instructions to enjoy myself as she and a friend hurried off to the Markt for an afternoon of shopping. That was one of her biggest mistakes. It was relatively full, but I found a stool at the bar and was promptly handed "the book". A one inch binder with all Belgium beers separated by area and style. I ordered one of the local beers to enjoy while I read through the thick menu. I decided to enlist the aide of one of the locals sitting next to me and asked if he spoke English and if he could suggest one of the local Gueze to try. He was more then enthusiastic to help me and turned out to be a good friend of the owner (Daisy who was working behind the bar). I was set from then on and with some guidance from my new friend Stephaan, Daisy and a couple of other locals, I drank some of the best beers that I have ever had. Unfortunately (particularly for my wife), we had to catch a train to Brussels that night.

Definitely make sure this is one of your stops if you're traveling anywhere near Bruges. Do not let the crowds or the heavy smoke keep you from stopping in. Also, not all the beer is listed in "the book", so make sure you ask if there is a particular beer you've been looking for. They also often had multiple vintages for various beers, allowing for vertical tastings.

11-26-2007 16:52:03 | More by Xadoor

rye726

Colorado

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

Stumbled upon this wonderfull secret one night after a six day race in Ghent. Tired of the over priced tourists traps covering Brugge, I began looking for the most secluded place in town. A white sign down the dark shadow covered kemelstraat. Since that night, I never visit Belgium without visiting the Bear.

I honestly beleive that this and 't Kroegske in Izegem are the two best bars in the world. The bear sports a classic Belgian design. Wooden bar and walls covered by antique signs and bottles. Classical music and local Flemish talk in the background.

Great beerlist, huge selection organized by region. Good service and a perfect pour every time. Reasonable prices and they aloow splitting bottles. Even with one friend, you can enjoy handfull's of different beers in one night. Never tried the food, but who goes there to eat.

What else can I, perfect.

01-23-2008 07:46:16 | More by rye726

GOGRANDE

Colorado

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

dThis is heavan for beer geeks... I have had the pleasure hanging out and driking a few beers with a friend here. I wish I could go back every day. This was one of our stops in our beer tour of Belgium and it was definitly one of my favorite.

The setting is amazing...its tucked off to the side in an alley. Great staff, great beer, great bar. The food there was awesome too! I had spagetti and meatballs. Definitly homestyle feel.

I also drank a St. B Xmas and there own 25th Aniversery beer which is a triple. The owner which was a lady (cant think of her name right this second) she told me she gave specific brewing instructions to the Smisje brew master. The beer was amazing...

So yea...OTHER THAN the smokers and the annoying American that was talking politics loudy in the corner...(almost as if he was trying to piss me off) OTHER THAN THAT...it was amazing.

04-01-2009 04:25:12 | More by GOGRANDE

HeyItsChili

South Carolina

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

I always had an image in my head of beer bars in Belgium, and 't Brugs Beertje absolutely fit that ideal image to a "t." It was like a sud filled dream. Small bar, ceiling bedecked in dried hops, walls covered with genuine old beer advertisements, not the dime-a-dozen reproductions used to spruce up some beer joints in the US who lack character, Delirium Tremens trinkets filled the windows, smoke filled the air. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. The beer list was delightfully extensive and reasonably priced. My only wish is that I could've spent more time there. Beauty in beer bar form.

11-20-2009 17:26:56 | More by HeyItsChili

AWolfAtTheDoor

California

4.94/5  rDev +8.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

Probably my all-time favorite beer bar to date. I definitely heard more English than Flemish while I was in there, but I still had an exceptional time none the less. Admittedly I was quite Belgian Beer Handicapped when I first got to Belgium, but the wait staff was more than willing to suggest, and their suggestions were excellent (this is the place where I discovered Pannepot).

On my visits the smokers stayed in the front room where the bar is, leaving the backroom relatively smokefree (or rather less smokey).

t' Brugs Beertje and Den Dyver are two absolute "can't misses" while in Bruges.

02-07-2008 15:15:24 | More by AWolfAtTheDoor

bernardus

Virginia

4.94/5  rDev +8.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

Visited this much hyped bar during our day in Bruges, 14JUL09. It's kind of tucked down a sidestreet off of a sqaure but all in all not as difficult to find as some of the other bars in Belgium we went to. We went on a Tuesday afternoon to find only four other people sitting at tables and maybe 4 people at the bar, although the place did extend back a little bit.

The atmosphere was great, very relaxed. A server promptly came over to our table once they saw we had made our decisions. I went with a de Dolle Arabier (first de Dolle I've tried), while my wife chose a de Ranke XX Bitter. Both were fantastic, even though the edge definitely went to the Arabier. While I would have stayed the rest of the day and night, we decided to get just one more. Flipping through the menu, you realize how difficult it is to settle on a beer, the selection is nearly unrivaled.

I finally ended up asking the server for a reccomendation as I couldn't decide. He steered me to the back page of the menu which I completely missed and proceeded to suggest de Struise Black Albert. What a good call, as the beer was easily one of the best I've ever had, incredibly complex. It wasn't until I got up to thank him and pay the bill that I realized it was 13% (I stood up way too fast).

If in Bruges, or even in West Flanders for that matter, 't Brugs Beertje is worth the trek into the city center for a few beers. The quality, selection, and helpfulness of the staff are very deserving of the high praise they receive on BA.

07-31-2009 19:42:42 | More by bernardus

berley31

New Brunswick (Canada)

4.94/5  rDev +8.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $

Bruges was our first stop in Belgium, and 't Brugs Beertje happened to be our first bar as well. I had read great things about this place, and wasn't disappointed in the least.

Atmosphere was terrific... very cozy, friendly, and lots of beer crap all over the place. Our server (I've forgotten his name) was excellent; he had several suggestions for beers to start off with, and was very friendly and spoke perfect english.

Selection was outstanding... great menu, very detailed... could stay there all day. And even better were the prices - 4 quality beers came to about 11 Euro.

Saw a lot of beer bars in Bruges, and this was by far the best of them all.

08-04-2009 20:03:18 | More by berley31

Scamboogery

Texas

4.93/5  rDev +8.1%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75 | $$

The only reason I'm not giving this place 5's across the board is because they didn't have Westvleteren. Besides that it is one of the best pubs I've ever been to.

01-10-2013 01:08:04 | More by Scamboogery

azorie

Florida

4.9/5  rDev +7.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4 | $$$

We visited this place 4 times in 8 days. Needless to say It was the best bar in Brugge and the most friendly and knowledge folks working there in our month long trip to Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. was really interesting to discuss and compare some of the best Belgium by ratings.
We had a quite interresting chat about the so called #1 beer Tappist Westvletern. I had gotten a case of the 12, and we had tasted some older stuff with some Belgium Friends, AKA we did some beer trading lol. Anyway silly story was more silly by drinking a few Rocheforts 6, 8 and 10's, but I found myself agreeing that for one thier is no #1 beer and If there is the current number has slightly dropped in quality. Anyway great place to learn aobut beer and drink beer and hang out, that said that 1.3789 dollars to EURO hurts LIKE hell. but we found this place to be reasonable price wise, allot of beer 2.5 Euro to 3.5 or 4 tops, much cheaper that most. Food was good, that they had. Great beer menu also, sadly we did see and experience a few UA's was very sad to see.

05-17-2007 12:35:39 | More by azorie

i13tony

Pennsylvania

4.9/5  rDev +7.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $$

This cozy bar is truly one of the finest places I've ever enjoyed a beer (many beers, actually). Daisy and her staff are a warm and friendly group, and their knowledge of beer is unsurpassed. These folks have an uncanny ability to generously respond to newbie after newbie requests for "what's your best beer?" or "what do you suggest?" It is a marvel to witness, as I did for 3 days straight while staying in Bruges. I enjoyed several DeRegenboog offerings, including the last of the Halloween brews, and they even introduced me to brewer Johan Brandt when he came in. The menu offers not only a list of beers available, but many stories and related articles as well. With the cozy confines, this is not a place to be shy. Don't be afraid to sit with a stranger! Hey, everyone's there enjoying some of the best beers in the world, so you've got that in common already. There are 2 rooms further back, so check them out for a seat if none are available up front. But, the traffic moves in and out pretty quickly, so with a little patience, you'll have a table of your own soon. This is a must visit. You will not be disappointed!

11-24-2008 22:13:19 | More by i13tony