August 28, 2011
We took shelter in the Backdoor Café - billed as a beer and whisky bar - on a rainy Friday afternoon in June and ended up staying for several hours. There was plenty to keep us going, with 12 taps and nearly 200 bottles. You do need to know your beers though. For example, I spotted something listed as just XX Bitter and didn’t know what it was but, luckily, I had my personal walking beer encyclopaedia (Chris) with me to tell me that it was from De Ranke, one of my favourite Belgian breweries. There’s also a Backdoor Rock-On Beer bottled especially for the café and I got very excited when I thought I saw it being rung up as “Struise Pils” but it turned out to be from Strubbe. Not all the taps were operational as the bar was due to close for the whole of July (although there was talk of it reopening for one night only on 6 July when Prince (the artist formerly known as) was giving a concert nearby). It’s very much a student place, evidenced by the small blackboard on the bar wishing them “succes m/d examens!” and by the boisterous young crowd drinking there the following evening. Appropriately enough there’s an area at one end of the downstairs room like an old fashioned library and elsewhere there’s all sorts of paraphernalia – at least eight old radios, a typewriter, a model tri-plane and two motorbikes, one over the window and one up in the gallery. Also in the window there’s a wooden American Indian, a Guinness toucan, a spiny iguana and lots of empty bottles. There’s a bank of CDs behind the bar and music posters abound advertising Neil Young’s Eurotour of 2001, the Merseybeats and the Doors, to mention but a few. There’s no table service, except up to the gallery, which is accessed via a steep metal staircase, but the very nice bar tender was exceptionally friendly and welcoming. As we left she even rushed out to thank us for coming and to offer us umbrellas. (Last visited 11 June 2011).

July 4, 2011 [ Updated November 18, 2011 ]
Service is pretty lame: you have to go to the bar yourself to order beers (even if you’re on the second floor) and bring back empty glasses if you don’t want your table full of them after a few rounds. Also the pouring of the beers can be bad (especially if the Asian guy is pouring them). A pilsner is supposed to foam over the rim of the glass. Specialty beers are not. Other than that they have a huge selection of beers. Before they used to stick to the classic choices, but nowadays (11/2011) the list is really impressive. Oh, and you don’t want to catch the owner in a bad mood (usually only after midnight and hasn’t happened too often to me, luckily). Interior is very nice, lots of wood. Music is really good, mainly 70ies rock, but also more modern alternative things. The good taste in music is represented by the posters and pictures on the walls, including a giant "U2 - war" poster. Usually our hang out place, when meeting up with friends. Curious about how they will handle the no-smoking law in Belgium since this weekend.

January 27, 2011
Small place with a chaotic interior that oozes character. Owner is very friendly and has a million great stories. Excellent selection, great atmosphere. Lots of students who mainly drink the pils, leaving plenty of good stuff to us. Thanks, Herman, for showing me this place! A great place to have as your local!

November 1, 2008 [ Updated November 20, 2008 ]
Bartender often has interims who need ten minutes to find the correct glass for your order. For a pub however, very wide beerselection and at an Ok price. Ambiance is dominated by students who often just drink the strubbe pils. A floating motorcycle dominates the interior. Music is everything rock. They have 23 whisk(e)y’s/bourbon which is also a nice selection. 8 beers on tap, and they have a homebrew named backdoor rock-on-beer which tasted as a witbier. They also have 3 fonteinen oude geuze.

November 1, 2008
the boss is a bit sourich, i often think he doesn’t like his job. but the bar as over 250 beer, none from inbev, and almost always with the proper glassware. The interior is with lots off wood and warm atmosfere.