De Hoppeschuur / Urthel Proeflokaal

Went yesterday evening (saturday) at 6PM sharp. At the phone when I made the reservation, Bas was already very friendly and helpfull to organise our table of 7 people. When we entered he (and the other staff) was very friendly, top class. The interior is really nice, cosy. Lots of wood. Cool. Selection when it comes to beer is simple: 12 brews of their own, with some absolutely beautiful beers amongst them. We were lucky enough to get a taste of the 1 keg of Hildegard’s Wild, and to try the new Samaranth Oak Aged (6 and 12 months) variants! I asked to be able to taste all of them and it wasn’t a problem. Each beer served with a little explanation about the brewing or name of the beer by the man himself. Service: perfection. The food is ok. Very huge portions, but still decent. My Hildegard’s catch of the day was ok, the porc cheeks were nice as well, and the ribs is just a huuuge portion :p Value is OK, beers are cheap (with a reduction on the price for the (big) tasters), food is a bit more expensive, but for sure ok. Overall I’d highly recommend going there, it’s places and people like this we miss in Belgium. We had a great time!! (PS, gin selection is also very impressive, with one of them made by Bas himself).

Visited October 2014. There’s 12 beers on tap. Need I say more? Lots of seasonals and experimentals rotating the taps. The interior feels a bit more IKEA than the last location, but still very cosy with lots of wood. Service is good, if Bas is looking after you, but the young waitresses can be sometimes hard to get their attention. Was very surprised to see how crowded this place was. Came on a Sunday, as opposed to my last visit on a Saturday in Ruiselede, but maybe it was because of the local fair in the village that it was a busy night. Food was excellent. Will definitely visit again!

Cosy atmosphere, very friendly owner. Lovely selection of house made beers. The food is very good. I would certainly recommend this place to have a nice meal with lovely beers.

The new project of Hildegard and Bas van Ostaden, founders of Urthel Beers, Hildegard being the (former) brewer. Their restaurant is the only place where you can try the beers she now brews on a small installation especially for the restaurant. Naturally a beer suggestion is presented in the menu with each dish. The atmosphere is nice and peaceful. Places to sit inside as well as outside at the back of the restaurant on the terrace. We stayed there for almost 6 hours, tasting their beers and having an incredible meal. Service was excellent and I had a wonderful time. Will certainly visit again. Highly highly recommended.