How is this not the best bar in Sanlitun?

I'm a guy who likes bars and food, good conversation, events/sports on TV, food specials, happy hours, and good company. I loathe the loud clubbing music bars in Sanlitun with the occasional 17 year-old stumbling around trashed after his/her 2nd Jager Bomb. I like being able to hear people when we're talking. I like fair priced, quality drinks and good food. Brussels offers all of it.

I'm not some old grouch that gets mad at them damn youngsters that play their rockin roll too loud. I'm also not a rebel teen who wants to own a dance floor with my sick dubstep moves. I'm in my mid 20's that just likes to be social.

Just a stones throw away from the Village, it is more than worth your time. The breakfast is the best I've had since leaving the States in what seems a blue moon ago. The atmosphere is friendly and I dont have to put up with a sore-ear-drums vibe, watered down beer, and choking thick second-hand smoke. And the pizza! Good lord, do your stomach a favor and order it.

The waitstaff, bar staff, managers/owners aim to please. Introduce yourself when you're there, they truly value each customer and want you to be happy. No bar or restaurant is ever flawless, but I've had nothing but good experiences when I go here and it's hands down my favorite place in Sanlitun, and trust me...I've been to all of them. Give it a shot, you wont be disapointed.

Hefty portions of delicious (and not even just delicious "for Beijing" or "for what it is" -- just straight-up sexy delicious) food at super, mega-reasonable prices. Honestly, I have never been served a comparable amount of beer-battered fish and chips for this price. And it's delicious. And reasonably-priced. And did I mention it's delicious? OMG. Fish. So good. And the burgers? Dang! They good, too, especially the Aussie one.

And the drink selection is great! No complaints there. Not even close.

The Chinese staff might not all have perfect English skills, but they're eager to be of service and to correct food and drink issues. And, more importantly, they often go the extra mile with a smile.

They're happy to play Missy Elliott if you ask nicely.

The atmosphere is nice and clean and not too bar-y (I'm looking at you, floor-to-ceiling windows!). There's a surprising amount of room to dance, and plenty of seating for when you get tired of dancing.

And, most importantly, Kenneth G. Bermel is easily among Beijing's most devoted, eager-to-please business owners. Problems with food or drinks? He'll solve 'em and be awesome while he does it! Want to host a party there for 230 of your closest friends? He'll work it out, plus he'll hang out to make sure everything's cool. Want to eat a unicorn? I would honestly trust him to be the man who could make it happen on a menu. Really, if he can make totally legit and bangin' Buffalo chicken happen in Beijing, why not unicorns?!

Was here for the first time last Saturday night for a friend's birthday. There were a big group of us so it was nice that they had enough space (and tables) for us to be able to push a long line of tables together so we could all sit together. Had a few pints of snake bite on happy hour before 9pm (35RMB), then went on to enjoy the 10RMB mojitos from 9pm - 10pm. The mojitos were strong and are served in mammoth-size cocktail glasses, however the 3 I had all tasted a bit different... one was really, really strong (no complaints), one was really sweet and one was perfect. In fairness though, can't really complain at 10 kuai a pop, and they're bound to busy thrashing mojitos together during that hour so it's more of an observation than a complaint.

I noticed a board on the wall advertising a different promotion every day, all of which look quite appealling and good value.

The layout is nice as well, it's a big open space, good for big gatherings and the staff were friendly and attentive (esp the foreign bartender, who was happy to keep giving me more blackcurrant in my snakebite). Didn't venture up to the second floor, so not seen the space up there.

Looking forward to trying the food, and making this a regular stop on my weekend Sanlitun bar crawl.

Just read on thebeijinger Brussels' happy hour is "awesome" and "the best". Sounds good, but hard to believe any place in SLT has a similar happy hour to the Den(15rmb Carlsberg and 30rmb Guinness pints). Given that the Den plays all the sports I'm not a fan of and is just a watering hole for me, I would switch to a comparable place for beginning the night. So what's the Brussels happy hour on pints?

(Never been there. Rating based on average)

I like this bar. The service is good, the prices are reasonable, and the alcohol selection suits my tastes. I even like their wonky pool table. They also play good music.

If I could change something it would be the decor. The place is a little too sterile/modern... If they ripped out the tables and chairs and replaced them with wooden stools and tables, I'd be a regular.

Brussels is one of my favorite places in town. It's not a place you go to see and be seen. It's also not a place you go to dance. It's not a so-loud-you-have-to-shout bar that serves cheap mediocre cocktails (sometimes with fake booze). The menu isn't fancy or expensive but the food is delicious and super good quality, especially their burger and the fried fish, oh!—and the chicken strips. The fries are great too. Mussels are Belgian style (I prefer the French way) but they’re fine too. I heard they might start making pizza available latter in the night too.

Last night I was in there and they were installing a Slow Boat beer tap. This is a great example of how the management of Brussels is constantly trying to improve the place. Each time I try their burger, it’s better than the previous time.

I think the best way to think about Brussels is to compare it with the competition. There's really no place like it (at least today). Most Sanlitun bars are quite expensive and usually more than a little bit pretentious. For a guy looking for good dive, the other options are what, Nanjie? Woah, hello teenagers, fake booze and hangover (in that order). There’s Stumble Inn and First Floor. Brussels has better food, cocktails and beer selection than either of these places and unless you really want to drink Qingdao’s, shout over the music and dodge the hookers at 1st floor, then Brussels is a sight better, and they have a huge TV! And foosball! And a pool table!

Another place to compare them to is Beer Mania, the other Belgian beer bar. Brussels doesn’t match Beer Mania’s people watching or selection of obscure Belgian beers but they have more draft options, better food, and better prices across the board.

I notice some of the other reviewers complaining about the service without being specific. There seems to be a consensus that the service is too Chinese. I don’t really understand what that means but maybe I’ve been here too long (4 years). I did live in the capital of bad service, Paris, for a couple years and I have to say that the service at Brussels is more prompt and friendly than 90% of Paris cafes.

Brussels hasn’t been open for too long and I hope that they can make it work. They’re trying to keep prices as low as they can without sacrificing quality and that is something admirable in any business.

I always felt that a place serving Belgian beer, and especially mussels and fries, was sorely missed in Beijing. There are fantastic options in HK for example, with great atmosphere, great beer, and - most importantly - great mussels! They are always crowded not only with expats.

When we first heard about Brussels we were really excited. We have been there a couple of times since, but I must say that they somehow, something feels wrong with this place.

Atmosphere: The set-up and furnishing feel like a mix of a cafe (downstairs) and a canteen (upstairs). Both do not make me feel like I stepped into a Belgium bar or restaurant at all. It looks like this place was put together in a rush, without character.

Concept: Brussels wants to be both bar and restaurant. In my opinion, it does both half hearted. For a restaurant, the food has not enough variety (1 option of mussels), and does not reach a sufficient quality level to make me want to come back.
I also do not understand the often praised value of the 100RMB all-you-can-eat mussels. If you order one portion, you pay less and get more than enough (of course if you do not want any other food, and just want to eat yourself silly with mussels, go for it).
Mussels are so easy to prepare, and there are so many great possible flavors, why not offering a bit more variety?

For a bar, it looks too much like a café, not a place where I want to hang out and have a beer with friends.
A casual restaurant, where you can have a decent dinner, but also feel like staying after your meal and continue with a few beers, would be perfect in my opinion.

People/Service: I think it has been mentioned before, but their staff is – to say the least – a bit blur.
On most evenings I have been there (and often walked past), there are actually more staff than guests in this place. Always one westerner (owner? consultant?), who seems to be using the place as a hang out with his own friends, smoking his cigar while you try to enjoy food at the next table.

The place has been very empty every time we went, the 2nd floor even closed, which adds to the odd atmosphere.

This week we wanted to give the place one more chance to watch the EURO semi-finals, as I thought the big screen would be perfect.
On Wednesday evening we checked out the place (again, only 4-5 guests in the bar). Although the staff was not able to communicate to us in a convincing manner that much would be happening (we enquired how many people had watched the last few games), we thought we would give it a try for Thursday (oddly there was no mention about Spain/Portugal, only the Germany/Italy match was advertised the night before). Half an hour before the Germany/Italy match on Thursday night, there was absolutely nobody in the bar. Although we were a large enough group ourselves, we quickly decided to head over to Sanlitun and watch the match there instead.

Overall, the location, and the place itself, have great potential, but as it is now we will probably not return. If you have ever been to a bustling Belgian bar/restaurant, you will know what I mean.

Although tucked away at the back of the Bookworm courtyard, Brussels exemplifies three things that most new bars in Beijing seem to forget: broad range of food and drink options, friendly service and a desire to make itself stand out.

Manager Ken Bermel gets the chance to fully make his mark on a new establishment with success so far. My own beer choices are not extremely adventurous, I admit, and I am happy with a trusty pint of Guinness. However, the range of beers, both on tap and bottled is extensive, while remaining very affordable. The bar is also huge and on two levels, making it a great place for big parties.

A fellow reviewer has already mentioned the best deal Brussels offers, their 100 RMB all you can eat mussels. With good and affordable seafood a rarity in Beijing, Brussels has seized the best thing ever to come out of Belgium (well apart from Jean-Claude Van Damme.)

The service still needs to be tightened up a little bit but it is getting better and I look forward to more evenings drinking under the watchful eye of the Mannekin Pis.

Having stumbled upon Brussels this week I also made two other discoveries: they have what appears to be the best happy hour in town and the 100rmb all you can eat Mussels are not to be missed. And their beer selection is formidable with 6 or 7 taps and plenty of bottled beer. Kudos to the bartender for NOT putting Qingdao or Beijing beer on tap. Instead, selling great beers on tap for the same price (during the four hour happy hour). I’m not an all you can eat fan but after trying the Mussels at the regular price I’m going back on Monday to tank up. They’re really good and a steal for what you get. That said, here is another one for you – at lunch they have a buffalo chicken sandwich, salad and a coke all for 20 rmb! 20 RMB! That’s craziness! The bar is huge with two floors of seating, a pool table downstairs, excellent wide screens for sports coverage and a very pleasant staff.