Café: Brasserie 28

It’s a godsend for commuters: a place where you can sample a vast array of beers without running the risk of missing your train – there are several screens displaying departures.

Brasserie 28, situated in the station’s former post office, impresses with its monumental decor. Behind the counter, twenty or more pumps deliver Caulier Developpement products and other “guest” brews, like Lupulus, Taras Boulba, and Tripel Karmeliet.

All this within a heterogenous decor which captures the steampunk aesthetic: the space is broken up by large mechanical cogs, a huge wall-face punctuated with spaces full of plants, and pseudo-period leather armchairs. As part of the service, an Enomatic machine provides access, via a card system, to reputable wines – Clos Floridène, Chambolle-Musigny Drouhin, Château La Lagune, etc. – by the glass (from €5 to €12).

There is a menu of snacks specially designed to accompany the beers on offer (hummus, gratin with Mont d’Or, octopus with lentils, etc.), not to mention an ethos with a “healthy” focus, including the organic options, the brand’s “sugar-free” beers (guaranteed 30% fewer calories), and little croutons of bread which are served with your drink in lieu of the usual urine-coated peanuts. Nice.

In conclusion, we wager that the place will struggle to attract a clientele of purists. To blame is the impression given of a marketing machine which fails to recreate the convivial atmosphere one hopes for in a place centred around a passion for beer. The fact that Caulier Developpement, which markets Caulier 28 brands, is not an actual brewery but an establishment whose beers are made to order by Proefbrouwerij obviously doesn’t help.

ma/lu/Mo > wo/me/We: 11.00 > 22.00
do/je/Th > za/sa/Sa: 11.00 > 23.00