belgian cuisine is a mix of local regional dishes mixed with those from neighbouring france, germany and the netherlands. the plethora of belgian beer bars in new zealand and australia capitalises on a brilliant range of belgian beer coupled to reasonably hearty eclectic fare.
leuven, like the others, is not high end gastronomy. however on a saturday afternoon in winter after shopping in town it is nice to come here for a beer and snack before heading home.
the decor is ... well ... belgian beer bar decor - a clever wood panelled space, usually with a few old oddments or tin signs that try to give a european feel. once you've been into one you'll recognise the others.
the beer list is great but there are some gaps and it's my impression that it may be time for a few additions to keep up with craft beer fashion - geuze for example or higher end flavoured beers. everything on the belgian list is highly drinkable but watch the abv%.
food - i try to go for something traditional (what's the point of doing anything else here) so my eyes usually rest on things like herring, stoemp, oxtail, flemish beef stew. i also love meat loaf so i've had that a couple of times too.
the national dish of belgium is mussels and fries moules-frite so you have to try them at least once. although traditionally steamed with onion and celery - moules nature - exotic bases also have appeared such as coconut and lime.
seating is wooden - pretty hard, but after a 9% beer your anatomy becomes less sensitive. the space is cosy and, when it's cold outside, the beer, frites and mussels can make the world seem a very pleasant place to be - for a little while anyway.