Pub · City Centre · Brussels
À l'Imaige Nostre-Dame
The estaminet at the end of the Impasse des Cadeaux, where Brussels has drunk lambic under the same 1682 beams since 1884.
The Pitch
The Alley Brussels Keeps to Itself
À l'Imaige Nostre-Dame sits at the end of the Impasse des Cadeaux, a shoulder width alley off Rue du Marché aux Herbes 6, two minutes from Grand Place. The bar opened in 1884 inside a building dated 1682, and visit.brussels calls it a living witness to the city's history.
Beer Connoisseur ranks it among the top 20 places to drink beer in Brussels, and Good Beer Spa puts it in the city's top 50. It earns both spots by doing one thing: serving classic Belgian beer in a room that has refused to change.
Who would hate it? Anyone who wants space, speed, or a cocktail list. The room is tiny, the service runs at estaminet pace, and the menu is beer, full stop.
The Room
Two Tiny Rooms, 340 Years of Smoke
Low black beams, stained glass, worn wooden benches, and candle wax on every table. Yelp reviewers keep repeating the same word for the front room: medieval. The back room seats maybe a dozen people under a ceiling that brushes tall heads, and winter evenings here feel closer to 1884 than most museums manage.
The Drinks
Lambic First, Then a Trappist
Start with the draught lambic doux or the kriek, the house pours BeerAdvocate reviewers single out; both arrive in stoneware jugs at around €4.50. The bottle list runs through the Trappists, with Westmalle and Rochefort near €5.50.
Skip nothing on the short list, but do not ask for food beyond cheese or saucisson. The kitchen is a cutting board.
The Crowd
Pilgrims and Locals at One Candle
Daytime brings beer travelers working through the Brussels canon; evenings tilt local, with regulars holding the back room. Thursday through Saturday the bar runs to 3am and the alley becomes the queue.
What regulars say:
- Tripadvisor reviewers call it the most atmospheric beer room within five minutes of Grand Place.
- Yelp regulars (19 reviews) advise arriving before 8pm for any hope of a table.
- BeerAdvocate's profile praises the lambic pours as the reason to come.
Who it is for:
- Beer drinkers who want old Brussels without the Delirium crowds
- Anyone on a Grand Place evening who wants candlelight over neon
- Avoid if you need a full menu; Le Cirio in Brussels does brasserie service nearby
The Verdict
Where It Lands
The estaminet that proves Brussels does not need to try. Find the alley, take the lambic, and let the room do the rest.
Good to Know
Visit Information
Getting there: Rue du Marché aux Herbes 6, down the Impasse des Cadeaux; Gare Centrale is four minutes on foot.
Timing: Open from 11am daily, until 1am early week and 3am Thursday to Saturday; go before 8pm for a table.
Cost: Drafts around €4.50, Trappist bottles near €5.50, cash friendly.
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