Fun hole-in-the-wall bar down an alley with a fake church vibe and excellent Belgian beer, although more excellent in bottles than on tap. Seems to be on some kind of tour schedule though. Still the beer selection and general vibe of the place keep it being five stars over four. If you want genuinely good (although not stunning) Belgian beer selection and a very cool walk down a weird alley into a bar that feels like it could be a medieval wooden church, this is your stop. read more

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Easy 5 stars. What a cool bar! Stained glass is amazing! Been here so long. Not as crowded because it's semi hidden. Delicious Trappist beers. Friendly service. read more

Incredible beer, including the very famous and very hard to find Westvleteren 12, which was about 17 euros for a large glass. Very low key on a rainy Thursday evening in June. read more

Au Bon Vieux Temps - The great Westvleteren 12!!!! Was 17 euros and worth it. - Cafes Near Me - Brussels, BRU

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We stopped by this little bar at the end of our evening after dinner + cocktails. It was a tiny little pub (cash only) servicing only beer and limited wine. The beers were good and they even had hard to find beers on the menu from Trappist Brewery. It was a wonderful cozy pub to end the evening. I would recommend stopping here for a beer while out in Brussels! read more

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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. read more

Au Bon Vieux Temps - Cafes Near Me - Brussels, BRU

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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. read more

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. read more

Au Bon Vieux Temps - Having a Trappist ale in the coolest bar in Brussels. - Cafes Near Me - Brussels, BRU

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. read more

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'To a Good Old Time', and this bar certainly gave me a really good time. In fact it was probably close to being one of the best bars that I went to in Brussels. First of all the staff were awesome, and secondly the patrons were really friendly and welcoming, and made little old me, and outsider, not only feel comfortable, but also a part of the furniture. Another thing that stood out about this place was that the neighbours are those typical lets move in next door to a pub and then incessently complain about the noise type of neighbours because we found outsides on the receiving end of a couple of glasses of water. Oh, and the other thing about this bar is that it is one of those bars that are hidden down the end of an alleyway, and it you aren't looking out for it you are likely to miss it, which means that you don't get any old person wandering in here. read more

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This was part of our beer and chocolate tour. Glad this was a stop as it was a fun bar, where you took a step back into time. It's definitely an oldie, but felt like you were hanging out in the original Belgium bar scene of yesteryear. Had a couple great brews :) would venture back and recommend to folks wanting to try a local feeling spot! read more

Really lovely bar with gorgeous 1920s detail. Prices were a bit more expensive than other local bars. One reason to go check this place out is because they do serve Trappist Westveleteren, which is one of the best beers in the world and very difficult to obtain. I was told by a local that to get this beer, you have to go to the abbey and they will only sell you two cases. You can't buy less than two cases and you can't buy more than two cases! So even though the Trappist Westveleteren is 12 euros, it's worth coming here! read more

Au Bon Vieux Temps - Beautiful 1920s decor - Cafes Near Me - Brussels, BRU

Cute bar with a good bottle selection. I mainly came here to get a bottle of Westvleteren 12, which they did have, although it may be a little cheaper elsewhere. Still the atmosphere is pretty good. read more

Au Bon Vieux Temps - Cafes Near Me - Brussels, BRU

Our dear friends took us here for drinks. Lovely old pub-like atmosphere. Although it is a beer bar, I could get decent generic red wine. Pricey in comparison to Germany, even to the US. But cozy and gemuetlich. read more

Tucked down a tiny alleyway (or more like a hallway) lies a very unique establishment. Its gothic decor makes it appear as if it was a former church, but there's a bit of a dive bar vibe from the locals and the female bartenders. Pop music plays off a boombox. Key to note is that this is one of the few places to find the illusive Westvleteren, consistently ranked one of the top beers in the world read more

This is an experience that should do. It is a bit hard to find and it is a bit small, but it is a cool place that is friendly. That being said, to be honest, the primary reason I go there is to get one of the best, most difficult beers to find in the world (now at €15). read more

Au Bon Vieux Temps - The one and only Westy 12 - Cafes Near Me - Brussels, BRU

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! read more

Terrible service from the rudest bartender and waitress I've ever met in my life (check trip advisor as well - all bad reviews are about her in relation to this bar). Shoulder length blonde hair talking to the other rude waitress who ignored us. They were mad when we interrupted their conversation (as seen above) to order drinks. They also ignored that the bathrooms were clogged and toilets had poop in them when told. They told me to "go on top of it, it's fine." They strike as discriminatory and should be fired immediately. Sad a quaint bar can be ruined by two of the rudest people I've ever met. read more

Au Bon Vieux Temps - Rude staff - Cafes Near Me - Brussels, BRU

Hidden in a dark alley, with a cozy garden-level apartment feel to it, this is almost the perfect pub. Of course the dominant occasion for the visit is to sample the Westvleteren 12 -- supposedly the best and rarest beer the world, though overrated at 15 Euros for a pint. Cash only. read more

Au Bon Vieux Temps - Cafes Near Me - Brussels, BRU

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Super charming little place hidden in a passageway off a super touristy street. The interior is cozy with wood paneling and mismatched furniture along with knick knacks on the walls. It is tiny, so don't expect to have lots of seating. They have a lovely beer selection. Only downer was the service. The bartender/waitress was chatting away for about 10 minutes after I sat down, so I had to eventually go to the bar and ask them for a drink. read more

Great bar that feels like it hasn't changed in fifty years. Beers were excellent. Don't bring a crowd - it's best experienced by yourself or with a friend. It's tiny! read more

Translates to The good old times, it's a very old bar that I came across when I was lost studying abroad. Best Bar Ever!!!

Cozy, lovely little bar. And they had Westvleteren trappist beer, which was very good.