Café: Alice Cocktail Bar

186 Wine & Cocktail Bar used to send a warm shiver down your spine, of the kind you might get from taking a walk off the beaten track. The Alice Cocktail Bar is of an entirely different nature.

In a very subtle way, the space borrows its decorative motifs from the spirit of the New York speakeasies. With its very crooner-like music, cigar humidor, and “fumoir-boudoir” (smoking room) full of powdery aromas, the place is buzzing. The decor is evidently aiming for “luxury, calm, and sensuality”. Warm tones, with red clearly dominating, art deco lampshades, a private space with a piano, a long counter lined with high chairs…it is all impeccably tasteful, as are the works by Jean-Luc Moerman, which meld perfectly with the decor.

As for the cocktails, they are perfectly constructed, like the Basil Smash (€13), which gives you the impression that you are sticking your nose into a bouquet of basil leaves, or the Negroni (€13), with more than a hint of bitterness. With the exception of the “Carte Blanche”, offering a chance to discover the talents of mixologist Ludovic Branders, we were sorry that there weren’t more opportunities to appreciate his creativity.

The list of beers left us feeling much the same. Aside from L’Arogante, they are of the standard mass-produced variety. This is a shame, considering the current craft revolution and the growing number of micro-breweries in Brussels.

We had also hoped for better when it came to the food. With a chef like Alex Joseph at our disposal, we admit to being mystified by the “portion mix” for €12, an underwhelming mixture of cold meats and basic cheeses. This was even more disappointing given the high quality of the service and the efficiency of the staff.

Open/Ouvert: ma/lu/Mo > do/je/Th de 18:00 > 01:00, vr/ve/Fr & za/sa/Sa de 18:00 > 02:00