Belgo Holborn

No Longer In Business

Light and bright diner style venue half way up Holborn. The focus in here is on keg beers and ales, you'll probably find one of two of interest on tap, or maybe something from the Low Countries in bottle form that might please, but it's not a place to stay long in.

We had moules and Orval, in fact we emptied their supply of Orval. Moules was good,, service was friendly, beers on tap was nothing special, more on the boring side.

Uninspiring souless restaurant, draft and bottle list boring, the moules were good but quite expensive. So so.

Modern belgo place. Cant say I found it exceptional. Decent bottle selection, but the draft-selection was a bit boring.

This was a great place to meet friends, especially women who didn’t fancy a pint at the pub. Wasn’t sold on the decor or service but the range of Belgians was good (although expensive).

Hmmm... what is this place? A thumping bass line as we approach - not a good sign. The only ability to hear eachother inside is be shouting frantically. Beer selection is limited, mostly to some of the readily available Belgians. Most people bought the tap lagers anyway. Very expensive as well. Won’t be going there again.

Have been here many times before (often when Lowlander was over-crowded) and sadly the quality has deteriorated over the years. Full of yuppies and tiny tables. We had dinner there just last night and was sorely disappointed with the beer menu and the staff’s knowledge. There was nothing on the menu that we haven’t tried before, though we were able to score decent gueuze (Boon Oude and the not-so-decent Mort Subite) at a very reasonable price. The beer prices are a bit cheaper than the other Belgian local, Lowlander. The food was far below standards for the price ("hot pudding" served cold), though the goats cheese salad is amazing and the only reason I visit. A fly flew into Ang’s Achel bruin, which put him off Bierodrome for life. The staff last night were very helpful - they replaced the Achel and pudding and were very apologetic. However, when we last visited a month ago, it was quite the opposite - rude staff, frozen croquettes and no apologies!

Despite that this is a chain, usually full of suits, is expensive and generally babylonian, they still have a great selection of bottled Belgian beers, all served in the correct glass. Come on the weekend during the day when there are less w@nk*rs and you can get a seat.

Bierodrome claims to have the largest range of Belgian beer in the UK. I would be amazed if that’s true these days. But here’s a tip - if you’re going to claim that, how about putting a list of the beers you stock on the website, rather than flashy flash stuff that puts style over content. Much like the place itself in my view. A mundane beer list in sterile surroundings. My last two visits have yielded absolutely no Belgian beers that I haven’t had before. If you’re in London and desperate for overpriced commonplace Belgian beers, by all means drop in. Otherwise give it a miss. Scores over the Belgo restaurant side of the business for the sole reason that its much more amenable to just having a drink. I’ve never eaten here.

I was expecting a much wider selection of beer here, but there wasn’t anything that I couldn’t get at home in the US. The atmosphere is nice. You can view the keg room when you go down to the toilets, pretty impressive. If you go when they’re open from 12-3, there are some good specials. The mussels were delicious. I think I’ll take SilkTork’s advice and try Wetherspoons next time.