One of the highlights on our “Fun & Beer Tours” in Belgium is always the fabulous beer dinner we have at restaurant ‘Den Dyver’ in Brugge. The owners Guido and Lisy Vandenbussche created a gastronomic heaven, with the help of their Japanese chef, and their son Filip, who is the beer sommelier. The other son, Achim, is sous-chef in the kitchen

One of the most remarkable facts about 'Den Dyver’ is that there is no beer list available. No, every dish is prepared with a specific beer, and with the dish you order, you receive automatically the same beer, poured in a wine glass. The beer accentuates the taste in the dish. At the time of the serving of the dish to the table, the sommelier presents you the beer in detail, and has a few words about the history of the beer and the brewery, and why this beer was chosen for that dish.
Why is the beer poured in a wine glass? Most guests start off with a ‘Den Dyver House Beer’, a 12 oz glass of 8 % Alc. by vol. strong blond beer, brewed by Br. Van Steenberge. Since this is a gastronomic restaurant, most guests eat several dishes. By serving in a wine glass, the guest receives only about 6 oz of the heavenly drink. It’s all about a splendid tasting experience, and not about getting drunk.

When you ask Guido, why he opened a beer restaurant, he says that in his restaurant he wanted to promote regional quality products. As with all the food ingredients, which are every day fresh from the market, beer is a local regional quality product, and an excellent companion for the most exquisite cuisine. “There is so much choice in taste, color and aroma in Belgian beers, that we, Belgians, need to be more proud of our own products”, says Guido. He regrets that the Belgian Restaurant Schools are not focusing enough on beer in their cooking classes. Although that is changing: already two of the schools started beerology classes in recent years.

When you visit Brugge, don’t miss the opportunity to have dinner at ‘Den Dyver’. Reservations are needed. Bring Filip and Guido the greetings from the Global Beer Network.