The Coolest Bar in Bruges

Bruges is a perfectly preserved medieval city in West Flanders, near the western coast of Belgium. I think Bruges is one of the world’s most beautiful cities. And while there are a great many excellent places to drink beer in Bruges, my favorite is De Garre. Hidden down a long alley just off the main square and town hall, De Garre is a true gem. Its interior is two stories of exposed brick and wood with a very cool vibe.

The House Beer

There are a number of beers served at De Garre, but the star of the show is De Garre Triple Ale. Brewed by Brouwerij Van Steenberge, this deep golden Tripel with its big white head comes in at 11.0% alcohol. Van Steenberge reaches this strength by using twice as much malt as a standard Tripel. De Garre’s hefty chalice glass rests on a “doorknob” base and the beer is served on a doily with a small dish of cheese cubes. Its high alcohol is the reason they will limit you to no more than three per visit.

Closing Serenade

If you hang around until the pub closes (as we did several times on our last tour), the last song of the night is Ravel’s Boléro. It starts off at low volume and, as the music builds, they start raising the volume until it’s quite loud. This is our cue to drink up, pay tabs and leave so that the staff can close up and go home.

A Bruges Experience

Stopping in to De Garre for their amazing beer and the ambiance of a true Belgian pub is a Bruges experience not to be missed. If you’re not going to Bruges anytime soon, put it on your bucket list and see if you can score some bottles of De Garre Triple Ale. You can find them at some liquor stores and bottle shops and can also get it online. Sante!

Sharon Approves