Blankenberge Belgian Beer Cafe

Order the mussel special with creamy bacon white wine sauce. Dish was un-​edible. Mussels were old and tasted like wood, the sauce was mostly water and not a taste of wine or bacon to detect. The waiter did not once stop by to check on my dish and when during payment I mentioned that the mussels were a catastrophe he just stared at me and said $ 34. Will not visit this place again. one star for the beer otherwise would have been 0 if possible

This is a warm cosy bar that I’d love to make a regular. Suits everyone– small, big group or intimate parties with a good menu and extensive drinks menu. A fan of the window seats, dark wood touches and antique tile. Flags around to decorate this old fashioned European bar.
Had to get their seafood paella which was jam packed with king prawns, mussels on the side, clams and squid. My kind of meal. Really zesty saffron rice and fresh garden herbs in the mix as well on a huge white plate. A little bit cheesy with the provencal and mozzarella too which was a nice note. As a whole, very flavoursome and filling. Definitely recommend it if you are feeling seafood and a rice/​stew dish.
Told my friend that she had to get one of their well known mussel pots. She did well, finishing most of the one kilo of mussels that arrived in a classic black pot. You can get artisan bread or frites on the side as well as a choice of sauce. The Green Thai is lovely and fresh with it’s coconut cream, green chilli, lemongrass, lime and coriander.
Definitely come hungry for their generous portions and so you don’t have to skip out on dessert like we did. They have an all day menu with handy beer matches with food and worthwhile daily meal specials– so check that before you come. Recommend!

I was pleasantly surprised by this place. The dark cellar-​like interior was rather soothing and the young barman turned waiter was really warm and friendly. We ordered the lamb shank pie and the Belgian Sausages with creamy mash. The shank was braised in Leffe Brune so the stew was full of flavour. I love the deep rich, smooth malty character of this beer. Be warned though, this is a dish big enough to satisfy a Viking! As for the Belgian sausages… I died and went to heaven! It was full of texture and packed with flavour. It reminded me so much of the peppery lingus sausages we use to get back in SL. The sausages were complimented by a beautifully smooth mash and braised red cabbage. All of which were lovingly smothered in a tangy onion gravy. This was winter comfort food at its best! My compliments to the chef.

Suppose this would be the same family with De Fountain, De post and The Occidental. They do look similar however, the menu would be slightly different.
Walking pass by, I would tell by instinct that this one could be tasteful and reasonable priced.
It turns out my idea is right. Thursday night, you can have two Wagyu beef burger (with a side veggie salad and chips) for one price; and you will have lot of nice people company. Oh yes, good Thursday.
They say religion brings out various drink and food, especially dessert. I couldn’t help counting how many. Like this Belgium beer, Champagne and Canele.
Well, if you are keen to beer, don’t miss the classic white beer they offer here, best to go with fried snacks, in chemical and taste:)
Then try the classic pork ribs, with a bit sour and spicy sauce. Quite often I found the Pork belly here is not well cooked, however, this dish is exceptional. Tender, juicy and again, good for beer.
Another option is, of course the Mussel pot with chips. Just go with the basic sauce, onion and parsley, simply done, pairing a glass of Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, beautiful and impressive. Also if there are over 4 people sharing lunch or dinner, try the seafood platter for more options. You will be indulged by the varieties and crunchy freshness.
If you are left alone, no worries. Sit down, enjoy the earthy color that calms you down, then take a pasta with a glass of red wine or beer, you won’t feel lonely.

This is a great Belgian Café. Having been miserably disappointing by another Belgian establishment, I had low expectations but this place was a pleasant surprise. Came here on a Sunday afternoon, and the bf went straight away for the Sunday pork roast while I had the open steak sandwich. The bf destroyed his roast and all i heard between bites was «this is so good». The steak sandwich as well was outstanding in both size and flavor. Good food plus nice beer and you have me as a fan.

First time at the restaurant, however have been to several other Belgian Beer Cafes in the past. The service for the entire evening was seriously disappointing. The food was only marginally better, with meals coming out at different times, and the chicken being quite dry and over cooked. To get another round of drinks during the meal we had to order at the bar as our waitress had disappeared. Very disappointed overall and will not be going back.

At first, I was disappointed when the menu item I was craving — chicken corn fritters — wasn’t available. Not sure if that was temporary or not. But their special was something similar, which they offered to swap in. Sure, it sounded good.
Meal started with the garlic bread, which was amazing. Loaf about the size of a baby’s head, and far more enjoyable to put in your mouth. Slightly crispy on the outside; light, fluffy, and buttery inside. Divine.
The chicken I ordered was a bit smaller than I’d hoped, but after that garlic bread, that wasn’t an issue. Served on a bed of lettuce, tomato, and hummus with avocado on top of it. Delicious. All of that and a beer for a twenty. Not bad. I’ll be coming back when I’m in the area.

Great beer and sitting outside … In Takapuna, New Zealand … What could be better?
The menu has a large variety of Options. Gotta be somethin’ for everyone and …
Did I mention the Belgian beer selection OMG!
Had the rump steak special niiiiiice! Almost the best rump i ever had. Just sayin’!

We had a very nice Sunday brunch here! In dire need of coffee, this was the first thing we ordered. Happily we got our caffeine fixes quickly, and the coffee was pretty good too! For food I ordered the Belgian potato cake with sausage, while my two dining companions went for the vegetarian breakfast. My meal was really tasty. I love cheese and the dish was nice and cheesy, so I was satisfied. I thought it was supposed to be served with sour cream, which did not materialise on the plate, but I wasn’t too bothered. The service was decent, and the ambience was nice. Overall, it’s a really good spot for brunch in Takapuna. Next time we’ll take advantage of the extensive beer menu to try out some delicious Belgian beers!

Excellent place for all the classic belgian beers. Tge blankenberge offers a relaxing departure from hustle and bustle of busy takapuna.

Blankenberge is set in a great location in Takapuna. The interior sets a great atmosphere and the service was good.
However, I came for lunch, and the size portions were ridiculous. My friend ordered the beef burger which was quite large with a side of fries and salad. I ordered the scallop, a recommended item, and the portion was tiny! I understand that seafood is a bit more dear but meal barely tingled my stomach so I was quite unimpressed.
I do suppose that this place is probably better known for its beer as I’m not a beer fan I don’t have much to say on that.

I’ve been here at least 6 times and each time I’m really surprised how much I enjoy the food and environment of this establishment. Tonight I had a special kingfish on crispy hash browns, asparagus with a nice hollandaise sauce. Lovely and far lighter and more delicate than you’d expect. I wish they had a wider variety of brews on tap but they have Leffe Brune on tap and countless other by the bottle so I really can’t complain. Great place!

The North Shore cousin of the Belgian Beer café group that dots the city, Blankenberge is by far my favourite, both in location and selection of food and of course, beer!
The selection of beers here is great, and the staff will always be willing to help you find the right one depending on the day, your mood, your food selection, star sign, whatever, but in my experience a good leffe topped off with a primo steak or in my partners case, a huge steaming pot of mussels never really goes wrong, and with the beach so close as well, if you have overindulged a little it’ll be there to help you stride off the meal you just monstered.
This new strip of Takapuna bars has been going from strength to strength, with changes going on all over the place, but the fact that they’ve stayed on in the same spot shows that they’re getting a lot of return business, and rightly so, I’ll be back!

First things first: There is SAND on the floor. Sand! This was a great novelty for me on entering the place for the first time. As I had no idea of this I wore my lovely, high, completely impractical stilletos and promptly sunk right into the sand. As I crunched my way to the table I thought it would be fine once we sat down but it really is just annoying. My heels were sinking into the sand all evening. I understand they’re trying to have a gimmick which defines them from the rest of the Belgian beer cafes out there but I think people either love it or hate it. In terms of the food, it was ok. I can’t say it was anything more than ok. The service wasn’t spectacular either, we were forgotten about a lot.

Auckland has a few good Belgian pubs, and if you’re after one on the Shore you could do worse than Blankenberge (actually, I don’t know of another on this side of the bridge!). It’s located at the northern end of the popular Hurstmere Road strip near Macs and the Bruce Mason and 2mins from the beach, so there’s always plenty of beautiful people to be seen. The fare is what you’d expect for a Belgian pub, so think mussels and beer — lots! A Leffe with mussels comes highly recommended from me — can’t go past it! It’s even reasonably priced for the location which is an added bonus.

You know those nights where you wanna go out for a meal without actually feeling like you have to dress up too much or even think too much? You just want good food, in a nice place. Well this is the place to go.
There are a couple of other restaurants in this family, but this is the only one on the shore. The food is great — delicious pub fare but a little bit more gourmet. And mussels. Oh boy are there mussels. Come on Monday for $ 10 mussel pots and fries. Or try out the mussel platters, grilled with things like bacon, cheese and leek. Yum.
But the food is only half of it — the beer selection here is amazing. Even if you’re not a huge beer fan you must branch out and try something, I recommend the cherry beer. It’s like a cider but with depth and not so sweet — perf.
Sit inside in the winter or out front in the sun. Then walk the beer and mussels off with a stroll along Takapuna Beach, just a stones throw away.

My partner and I arrived for Valentines dinner at eight and walked into quite a busy restaurant obviously during peak dinner time. Having a booking we were seated promptly by helpful staff. I was very hungry, as the day had been busy and active, so when it came time to order we shared the seafood platter, which was enough for two– and paired this with a petite mussel pot flavoured with Thai lemongrass and coconut. Although busy, our food arrived within twenty minutes of ordering, and all with a friendly smile.
The platter had a variation of seafood such as grilled cheese mussels, pan fried tiger prawns, freshly smoked salon, accompanied by fries and artisan bread. To wash down the delicious seafood feast I matched my meal with a glass of Belle-​vue Kriek which had a cherry flavour to it, fantastic for one who doesn’t like the taste of beer too much, my partner enjoyed his Leffe Blonde beer which was aromatic and sweet. The bathroom is perfectly tidy and clean and the aliveness of Hurstmere rd at nightfall is a constant buzz and adds a great atmosphere to the beer café. I look forward to returning and trying more flavorsome Belgian beer.