Wine bars of Ixelles – Brussels

Brussels as a city immediately conjures up images of bustling beer houses. Long narrow rooms decorated with the guilded decadence of the art nouveau epoch, with multiple beer choices scrawled on the walls and burly waiters to take your order. Strong, hoppy and served in giant glasses you’re lucky to still be standing after knocking back a few of these.

However, there is more to the city than this. Upmarket restaurants and cute wine bars lie tucked down cobbled streets, and the trendy neighbourhood of Ixelles just off the Avenue Louise has them in abundance. A vast neighbourhood with a distinctly French feel, the main hub centres around the Church Sainte-Trinité and Place Châtelain, which is home to an atmospheric market every Wednesday, perfect for a wee tipple and snack on a sunny evening. However, cold and dark evenings are plentiful here, and the wine bars can offer both the chance to shelter in the warmth, as well as try some top quality wine.

 

The quirkily named ‘Tarzan’ wine bar (Rue Washington 59, 1050 Ixelles Open daily 5-11pm, Sat/Sun 10pm) is one of my favourites, and it offers a great selection of organic and biodynamic wines. Fresh, modern decor with some small tables at the back the service is friendly and the quality high. My Chenin Blanc from the Loire was creamy and delicious and my  friend’s Chardonnay fresh and crisp. A small menu of light bites adds a delicious accompaniment to the wines on offer; our hummus and bread complete with carrots and purple broccoli went down a treat. The aptly named neighbouring wine shop, `Jane’, displays its great selection of wines in a modernistic manner. Funky wine labels and cool lighting strike you as you walk around followed by the resident basset hound. An interesting selection includes biodynamic wines from Europe as well as abroad, with wines from as far as Chile on offer. The shop assistant is knowledgable and informative, and regular tastings are organised.

Another firm favourite of mine, and only round the corner from Tarzan, is the gorgeously ambient ‘Wine Fever’.  Popular with a slightly older crowd, the low lighting and smooth jazz in the background create an intimate atmosphere, but it’s not just for a romantic evening, it’s just as popular with locals stopping in for a wine and a chat. It serves also as a wine shop with a good selection, and I bought a delicious Gamay from the Ardeche which was full of light, fresh red fruits with hints of earth and was perhaps a little too deliciously drinkable.  They have an interesting selection of wines by the glass, mainly from Europe, as well as delicious snacks such as mushrooms or artichokes on toast.  The owner is friendly and passionate about wine, and she is always ready to chat about what wine might take your fancy.  In summer there is a small outdoor area to the back, perfect for soaking up some sunny rays.

The ‘Pepete et Ronron’ (Place du Châtelain 40, 1050 Ixelles Open daily 11-11, closed Sunday) on Place Châtelain is more of a chilling out with your friends kind of bar, but the selection of wines on offer are still pretty decent. Laid back and informal this is a great stopping off point, and in summer some tables outside offer a perfect vantage point for people watching..

 

Opposite the Church Trinité is the wine shop/bar ‘Oneo TK’ (Rue Africaine 31, 1060 Saint-Gilles Open daily 2-11pm, closes 8pm Mon/Tues, closed Sunday). A vast selection of wines that change regularly, it is not overwhelmingly atmospheric, and definitely not living up to its potential, the service being almost as cold as the shop itself.  But the quality of the wine makes up for it, and this is a good spot to relax for an after work glass of wine, or pick up a beautiful bottle for the night ahead.

Slightly away from the hub at the top of avenue Louise is ‘Etiquette’ (Avenue Emile De Mot 19, 1000 Bruxelles open daily 11-midnight, 10.30pm Sundays).  Housed underneath an unimpressive concrete block, this place could easily be bypassed, but inside is beautiful and it is more than worth heading for. A large open space full of wine and beer, the tables in the middle are surrounded by numerous wine machines offering a vast and varied selection of wines. A card for the machine costs €5 and you can top up as much and as often as you like. The tasting measures of the machines are a great opportunity to try many different styles of wine, enabling you to taste expensive wines you perhaps wouldn’t normally buy or even see by the glass. Here, I  would have liked to see a few more expensive wines on offer as I think this really is what the machines are for, but they had some beautiful wines, and our mini tour of Portugal was a treat. Nibbles and tapas are also available, and the staff are ready and eager to share their knowledge with you. For the evening reserving a table is recommended.

 

Over the other side of the Avenue Louise is Place Flagey. A large square with a stark Eastern European feel, it sits at the end of a small lake that makes a nice spot for a stroll, and is flanked by numerous bars the most popular being ‘Cafe Belga’. Always loud, busy and atmospheric this is better for beer drinking and people watching. Nearby up a small side street is ‘Le Bar a vins‘ (Chaussée de Vleurgat 27, 1050 Ixelles open daily 5.30-11pm, closes 1am Thurs-Sat)  another small, cute and intimate wine bar with a small selection of wines to have in or take out. The atmosphere is warm and cozy, service is a little slow but the outdoor terrace is a great place to imbibe in the summer. The wine list is simple but interesting, and there is a delicious choice of bar snacks to choose from. My smoky, meaty Argentinian Pinot noir was divine.