The buzz: The owners of Japanese restaurant Ryoma Izakaya have branched out with a new beer bar right next door on Areesamphan Soi 12. Named after the Belgian capital, Brugge Beer Cafe serves only varieties from select breweries in Germany, Belgium and Spain, adding a whole lot more choice to what is offered elsewhere in the neighborhood.     

The décor: The tiny black and brown shophouse fits only four high dark-brown tables with matching stools that feature the letter “B” carved into their backrest, and a counter that runs almost the length of the venue. The outdoor area is a similar size decked out in artificial grass with an LCD TV hanging on the wall. They plan to expand the bar out the back (which is currently a garage) to offer more seating and a proper kitchen, by April this year. 

The music: From soft bossanova and jazz to all the big pop hits. Feel free to make a request or they’ll even let you plug in your own iPhone.
 
The crowd: Ari office workers, Ryoma customers spilling over for after-dinner drinks and uni boys dropping by for the weekend’s big football matches.   

The price: There are only beers here. Apart from the classic choices of Hoegaarden, Stella Artois, Leffe Blond, Leffe Brown and Weihenstephane (B120-140 for half pint and B200 for pint), the bar also claims to be the first in Bangkok to offer another aromatic wheat brew from Belgium, La Trappe (think Hoegaarden but a little lighter), on tap—it’s only La Trappe White that’s available, and only as a half pint (B160). The other varieties—blond, dubbel, tripel and quadruple—are offered as bottles (B260-320). On the plus side, Spanish Estrella Damm Inedit is only B490 per 750ml bottle, considerably cheaper than at most bars in town. The food menu is pretty sad for now, with only readymade beer snacks like the sausage platter (B280), spaghetti bolognese (B180 for pork and B200 for beef) and assorted cold cuts (B190). Expect more options when the full kitchen opens in the coming months.

Why you’ll come back: If you’re after a more sophisticated choice of brews, Brugge might just be the place for you. Vasachol Quadri