Aux Vieux Temps - Le Grand-Bornand

One of the coolest bars I've been to in Europe. This is a must in Brussels. It has exactly the vibe you think of with an older, wooden, hidden bar. I will be recommending this to everyone I know who's coming to Brussels.

AKA The Good Old Times . NOT to be mistaken for Laissez les bons temps rouler (Let the Good Times Roll , the catch phrase for Mardi Gras, though that can be accomplished here. This bar was the last stop on the beer and chocolate tour provided by The Brussels Journey. On that particular section of the tour we were introduced to the trappist beers: a Westmalle Double (on tap and Rochefort 10. My dad and I found out that we were particularly fond of trappist beers and for the next two visits we did a degustation of their trappist beer selection as due to the high ABV they served as a nightcap. Anna was our bartender during our visits. Though she was present at the tour she was much more helpful to us when we went here on our own. As the bar was empty because we arrived on a weeknight (who drinks on a Monday or Tuesday aside from tourists... she really did a good job describing their trappist beer collection. They offer five of the six Trappist abbey beers in Belgium, including the highly renowned Westvleteren 12, which is offered at a whopping €19/glass. For comparison, nearby De Biertempel sells it at €14/bottle. Like all Belgian bar, each beer is served in its own glass. It is here that I realized my fondness for Trappist beer and also to a certain extent Belgian quads. Westmalle Double and Chimay Red are offered on tap. Rochefort 10 is one of my top 10 favorite beers and I wouldn 't refuse this nor Chimay Red on any occasion. And it is this bar that I pulled the trigger and tried the Westvleteren 12, rated the best beer in the world according to Ratebeer. Due to limited production this beer is hard to find outside of Belgium and many people have gone here just to try *this* particular beer. I loved it but I can get a very similar feeling with Rochefort 10 and that beer is much more easily obtainable and cheaper. Still I don 't regret trying Westvleteren 12 in fact I got 2 bottles of it at De Biertempel! As a point of reference I tried St. Bernardus 12, a beer with the exact same recipe as Westvleteren 12. According to Anna the water is difference and you can taste this in the final product. Oh boy did it taste different! This beer wasn 't as smooth and the foam was a bit too much. Some notes: The location is a little hard to find. It 's tucked between an alley next to Rue du Marché aux Herbes , a main street. Use Google Maps. You 'll see a sign with the bar 's name hanging right below you as you 're about to enter the alley. The walls are brown as people used to smoke inside the bar, and the smoke gives the walls discoloration. Most importantly, CASH ONLY. This is my favorite bar in Belgium and one of my favorite bars in the world.

Very nice bar hidden down an alley in downtown Brussels. I really wish I had taken a picture of the beautiful decor, great chill atmosphere for a drink! Tip you need to be buzzed into the bathroom, so make sure to ask the staff to let you in!

I stumbled into this place by happy accident on more than one occasion. It is historic, gorgeous and maybe the most warm and welcoming bar in the world. Plus they serve the Trappist Westvleteren 12, the holy grail of beers.

I was told about this bar from a co worker. You would never think about walking down this dark hidden alley. Once inside it has a cozy garden level apartment feel to it. This Pub is perfect. Really love all the old history about it. I really just came to sample the Westvleteren 12 supposedly the best and rarest beer the world, though overrated at 15 Euros for a pint. Cash only and clean restrooms. I would say a must visit if you are in Brussels.