In a city famed for beer, you'll not find a friendlier bar than 't Brugs Beertje on Kemelstraat 5. Especially if you order a 'Kwak' and ask about its distinctive glass.

www.brugsbeertje.be/

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Great old-fashioned beer cafe with brown walls, beer posters and two dimly lit, smoky rooms. Friendly staff and not really a tourist trap place. There are over 200 bottled beers on the menu, plus five draught beers. Brugse Zot is a good one to try.

't Brugs Beertje
Kemelstraat 5
8000 Brugge
www.brugsbeertje.be/

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Two-storey pub/bar down a tiny cobbled side alley between the Markt and Burg squares (you'd be lucky to stumble across this if someone hadn't recommended it.) A medieval building with creaky, sloping floors, it actually feels like a place for locals rather than a tourist attraction. There are hundreds of beers on the menu, and tasty cubes of cheese to nibble on. Their housebeer is recommended, but watch the stairs after trying a few glasses of the 11% Brugse Tripel!

De Garre 1, Bruges

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A bar and brasserie on Markt with helpful waiters who are only too happy to make beer recommendations for you - I tried a number of trappist ales here. It's on the west side of the square, and the few metres between it and the tourist-heavy row of bars and restaurants on the north side seems to keep it reasonably popular with locals. An ideal place for a good, convivial night out.

Markt 16
www.craenenburg.be

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A tiny bar squeezed into an alley between Bruges's two main squares, Markt and Burg. Half a dozen tables downstairs and a few more in the equally cosy (non-smoking) upstairs bar - so don't be surprised if there's no room. The beer is excellent, including their own De Garre triple on tap and the tasty Brugse Zot local brew. Instead of the usual peanuts you get a small bowl of delicious cheese as a snack. The choice of beers is not as extensive as at the better-known Het Brugs Beertjes, but I preferred De Garre - it's friendlier, cleaner and feels more like a proper bar rather than a tourist attraction.

De Garre 1, on the right as you walk from Markt to Burg. Hard to spot until you are right on top of it.

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Yep, this fantastic bar serves over 300 types of beer. A bit daunting but the beer menu allows you to choose by region, brewing style etc ... and if you're still unsure the bar staff are happy to recommend one.

Given the bar's excellent reputation it can get busy so you may find yourself squeezing onto a table or into a small standing space. Make the squeeze though, the beer and the atmosphere (a great place to chat, gossip, discuss and put the world to rights - in a friendly way - all fuelled by the marvellous beer) is well worth it!

Kemelstraat 5

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We were enticed into De Kuppe for two rather prosaic and one rather fantastic reason! The first two being that it was very near to the hotel (Aragon) we were staying in and the window advertised over 100 beers. The latter reason being that as they walked past they were playing “Ain’t Nothing Gonna Break My Stride” by Matthew Wilder, which demanded to be danced to!

Oh and with Leffe and Hoegaarden on tap add another two motives!

The bar itself is a long rectangular room with the bar down one side and tables and chairs on the other. Decor is – well to be honest it’s just bar-like! A plain-ish wall, wooden furniture - like a lot of good places to drink it’s the beer that’s the thing and the clientele that make the atmosphere (a mixture of different ages).

The 100 or so beers are listed on a menu card – just make your pick and the barman will take your order. At 6.00pm in the evening (we returned to the bar on our second trip to Bruges) the bar was sparsely populated (there are also tables and chairs outside for those balmy summer evenings) at 10.30pm with the music playing it was much busier.

Located near the Markt this is one of the – many – fine bars you can find in Bruges. Cheers!

Open: from about 5.00pm

19 Kuipersstraat

+32 (0) 50 33 39 20

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