I'm a simple guy...

I'm not much of a beer drinker and I don't have a discerning taste for cocktails. Give me a Tsingdao or a decent cider or a rum and Diet Coke and I'm happy. So for me what makes a good bar is the food, atmosphere, service and value. On almost all of these points Brussels gets high or satisfactory marks.

Let's get the biggest weakness out of the way first: The service was pretty bad when they first opened, even by Beijing standards. However, every time that I've gone there I've noticed improvement. The staff behind the bar is really great and while the waitstaff still needs work they are clearly getting there. Gods know that getting good staff is the bane of every bar and restaurant manager's existence, but I think that the folks at Brussels are doing an OK job with what they've got... and they're always trying to improve. And that earns points in my book.

The atmosphere here is, strangely, among my favorites in the city. It's not to everybody's taste, but I like the split levels: The downstairs has a distinct bar vibe, with it's lower ceiling, dimmer lighting, pool table and muted colors. The upstairs is a definite casual dining space that can handle private events or serve as extra bar space on a busy night. The open air area near the front allows for video projections on a large wall, making it a great place to watch sports. The only problem that I have is the area on the second floor that swings out over the downstairs bar and onto a secluded area at the front. It just doesn't really fit, IMO.

The food... Oh, the food! Just 3 items on the menu make this one of the best places in town to eat in my book: The fries, the Buffalo chicken and the fish. Any one of those are worth stopping in for. The fries are crispy and flavorful and always cooked perfectly, and the various mayonnaises are all great accompaniments. The Buffalo chicken is made with Frank's Red Hot, which, if you've ever been to Buffalo, you know is the *only* way to make it. (Seriously, if the sauce doesn't use Frank's Red Hot then it's not "Buffalo".) The Buffalo burger is really big and hands-down the best in Beijing. And the fish... DAMN. The homemade beer batter on the cod fillets is amazing and would hold its own among the best that you can get in New England. (And as a very arrogant New Englander I do not make that kind of claim lightly.)

Value here is a no-brainer. With a 20 RMB lunch deal and immense fish plates for 58 RMB on Fridays, coupled with an insane happy hour (just 40 RMB for a pint of cider... a bottle costs 65 RMB at James Joyce!), Brussels has very quickly distinguished itself as one of the best places to go where you know you'll get bang for your buck.

Finally, the "Brussels" theme is really just that: a theme. To go here expecting a Belgian experience with authentic food from the Low Countries is to set yourself up for disappointment. There are flourishes, such as the fries, the great mayonnaises and some Belgian beers on hand, but that's all that you should expect. I think that a little more effort could be made to enhance the "Belgian-ness" of the place, such as some colors, more paraphernalia on the walls and the like. Maybe they could go gangbusters on the Belgian beers. But, to me, this feels more like a general neighborhood pub than a place that needs some kind of themed identity to attract people.