Location: Vleminckveld 32, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium

Year of Inscription: 2022

Venue Type: Neighbourhood Pub / Beer Specialist / Family-Run / Quirky

Map

Description

Gallery

EBG Rating:	9.6/10
Choice/ Quality of Drinks	❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Unique collection of privately aged Belgian ales going back decades, with a full roster of Belgian classics and some around Europe too.
Style/ Décor	❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Cluttered lived-in sitting room with books, board-games, plants and every other thing that makes a home a home. The bar area becomes gradually more cluttered as years go by. A small backyard area for outdoor seating.
Atmosphere/ Character	❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ A wonderful, private, safe and calm atmosphere aided by a soundtrack of classical music and the calm, friendly comings and goings of Leen, one half of Café Kulminator. The erratic other half Dirk potters around, sometimes half-stupefied tolerating rather than aiding what’s going on.
Amenities/ Events	❤️❤️❤️❤️ Food (check the beer bible, it exists), books, board games, outdoor seating.
Value For Money	❤️❤️❤️ Fair given what’s on offer.
Description	One of the best beer venues in Europe, and also notable for its special qualities aside of that. Dirk & Leen run the place, now an elderly couple, and have decades of experience cellaring Belgian ale of all kinds. These stay in the cellar for years maturing and taking on different qualities. This is the core appeal from a drinking perspective. From a pub going perspective it hardly gets homelier with surroundings that put you at ease, like being in someone’s living room rather than a pub. Cluttered and personalised with books, games, comfy seating and made welcome by Leen’s kindly service. Dirk is a bit more of a loose cannon, sometimes grumpy, sometimes in a stupor, tolerating what’s happening but no more than that. We can’t vouch for his behaviour. Nevertheless, this culminates (get it!) into a really special, intimate and lovely experience. Those who don’t care for clutter or idiosyncratic service are advised to steer clear. Check opening times carefully which reduce as the years go by, and on entering do confirm that you are there to ‘taste’ rather than drink a nice beer. (Added July 2022)