Winter was leaving us with a final lashing of wind and rain one Friday night when our group of three couples visited the Belgian Beer Cafe. We were craving a warm, hearty meal in a cosy atmosphere and this destination located in the historic Canterbury Provincial Council Building was the consensus. (The fact they took the entertainment card was a plus too). We arrived and had a reserved long table; I was surprised to see how packed it was, as we had booked for an early 6:30pm dinner. There were a lot of people who looked like they perhaps weren't from NZ originally - 'traveller chic' consisting of Kathmandu jerseys and hiking boots were abound. However, there were also some tables of 20-somethings and after work businessmen scattered around. Belgian Beer Café has a distinctively masculine aura to it, it’s definitely not somewhere you would go with a gaggle of your girls in high heels and short skirts – but is well suited to couples dinners and groups.
Two of our group were immediately ID'd - which was a bit surprising and provided a bit of a laugh as they were not even drinking! We then ordered our first round of drinks and settled in to check out the extensive menu. There were definitely some more exotic 'Belgian' dishes - complete with a lot of sauerkraut (German white cabbage fermented for three weeks & served with fresh red cabbage). Our table ordered a range from the salmon, steak, vegetarian and pork mains - all priced nicely in the early $20s.The pick of the orders was definitely the 1kg mussels in a piping hot white wine and vege broth, picked by only one of our table. This came with a side of hot fries in a paper cone and large pot of mayonnaise - which had the whole table wishing they could change their order and stealing a chip! While the mussels were consumed no problem by this large eater, a lesser trained stomach may have problems - it's a pretty big pot! The broth was even picked free of any last veges by another friend, so was truly finished!
Belgian Waffles for dessert could not be turned down by some of our table who still had room after their
smaller mains - whipped cream, chocolate sauce or fresh fruit, they were traditional and exquisite.I noted they have a "beat the clock" 20% discount, Monday to Thursday - only if you eat and pay for your dinner before 6pm which is interesting... and maybe good before a movie or the Court Theatre? (Note: You can't use your entertainment card with this deal).
While it is getting warmer, the Belgian Beer Cafe has a delightful outdoor area alongside the Avon and outdoor seating on the footpath of Armagh Street. It should definitely be on your list to visit promptly; and if you like mussels, head straight for that 1 kg pot and see if you can finish them - good luck!
By The team @ slynkey.com - Christchurch
