Belgian Beer Cafe, Harrington St, The Rocks

Belgian Beer Cafe, Harrington St, The Rocks
Tuesday 21 March, 2006

The Belgian Beer Cafe has a wonderful heritage look and feel - from the exterior to the entrance way that displays the original sandstone - it is an impressive building.

Tonight it was busy with a large crowd gathered by the bar and most tables full. I've only been here for lunch so I was curious to see what the dinner menu was like - there's no difference - just one menu that goes across lunch and dinner. The portions are large so bring your appetite.

My bank ball buddy and I had not seen each other for several months, so had a lot of catching up to do. The Belgian Beer Cafe is not the place - it's noisy and the wooden floor boards only emphasise the sound. The restaurant space itself is enormous with a large main area, upstairs seating and further seating out the back near the kitchen that is relatively private. The staff are largely Belgian (surprise, surprise) and some struggle with their command of English especially in a noisy environment where they have to strain to understand your order. Despite this, they are all very friendly.

For dinner I decided to try the steak frite (Porterhouse steak) with salad and chips. My bank ball buddy selected the Flemish beef stew cooked in beer. Within 10 minutes the meals had arrived - what efficient service! However, it was just a little too fast as we'd only just ordered drinks. The impressive selection of beers (over 20 Belgian beers and countless others) makes a decision difficult - however, reviewing the options is half the fun.

The food was good - portions huge and for $35 pp (main meal and a couple of beers) it's not cheap and cheerful but close to it. The atmosphere is loud and fun with a mix of office workers and tourists.

Belgian Beer Cafe - 135 Harrington St, The Rocks - (02) 9241 1775

http://www.belgian-beer-cafe.com.au/