De Blauwe Kater, Leuven

Location: Mechelsestraat 51, 3000 Leuven, Belgium

Venue Type: Neighbourhood Café Bar / Jazz  & Blues Pub / Live Music Venue / Beer Specialists

Year of Inscription: 2022

EBG Rating:
8.2/10
Choice/
Quality of Drinks
⭐⭐⭐⭐
A decent enough tap range of Belgian classics with some rotation, with a much better extensive bottle menu, albeit still focused on traditional options rather than specialist or craft-leaning ones.
Style/
Décor
⭐⭐⭐⭐
The whitewashed frontage with awning projects a rather upright café type venue, but once inside, rickety furniture and exposed beams including into a snug and mezzanine level around a curved frame are quite rustic. Decorated with many old jazz concert posters.
Atmosphere/
Character
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Characterful and it feels like in winter the place will come alive. In summer terrace drinking on the square takes precedence and you may find it rather sleepy inside. Service is busy but friendly when given opportunity.
Amenities/
Events
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Live music, outdoor seating, snacks, books and board games
Value For Money
⭐⭐⭐
Given the suburban location and outside the capital you may expect a little more value on show than is present here, however the prices are not offensively more than normal.
Description
Popular and well reviewed music-focused pub with a rather upright appearance to its whitewashed exterior, awning and patio furniture, in contrast before you dive in to find a characterful and quirky rickety pub with snug and mezzanine level, with part-rotunda type framing. This is complimented by regular live Jazz performances and posters from old gigs, along with decent tap options and extensive bottle options along the lines of the Belgian classics. A must visit in Leuven which despite boasting the ‘longest bar in Europe’ (the Oude Markt is a continual row of bars) is not furnished with the finest bars in Belgium, putting it mildly.