The Ponsonby Belgian Beer Cafe

The Ponsonby Belgian Beer Café is my second favourite of the Belgian beer enterprises in Auckland (after De Post), but it will often take precedence over its Mt Eden sister bar because it’s easier to get to from where I live. Nestled in the heart of the Three Lamps area and right on the corner of Herne Bay Road, the commute from Western Springs is quick and the parking is often a breeze.
I really enjoy the whole theatre of the way these Belgian beer specialists pour a beer — the glass-​washing and foam slicing and all of the silly bravado that goes with it shouldn’t be enjoyable, but I do love to watch them do it. I’m not a huge beer drinker, but I have a real soft spot for the on-​tap Kriek beer by Chimas, and I’ve ploughed my way through the Timmerman’s fruity beer range on more than one occasion. Peach beer! Yum!

If you like mussels, and you’re a fan of fries, chances are you’ll quite enjoy your visit to The Ponsonby, one of four Belgium Beer cafes in Auckland. It’s situated on a busy corner at the Three Lamps end of Ponsonby Road, but if you step inside there is actually quite a nice garden area out back.
At the moment they’re doing $ 20 bottomless mussel pot Wednesdays, complete with a free beer — the perfect way to get your midweek seafood hit.
If mussels aren’t your thing, there are other Belgian-​inspired dishes on the menu, and of course a fine array of Belgian beer. I quite enjoy kicking back with an ice-​cold Hoegaarden on a hot summers afternoon with friends.

Not that I’m an alcoholic, but sometimes I am just looking for somewhere casual to have a drink. When you want to catch up with a friend in a comfortable environment, in a handy location, with enough ambience to be comfortable but where it’s still quiet enough to easily hold a conversation, I have recently found that the Ponsonby Belgian Beer Café meets all the criteria outlined above.
An added bonus is they seem to be open at those odd times when apparently not too many people are out drinking and so most of the bars are closed. Like Sunday/​Monday nights (I am still not an alcoholic). Oh and apparently they do food too.

A magnificent and slightly imposing building at the Northern end of Ponsonby towers high above college hill and houses (probably) the biggest Belgian Beer selection in Auckland, if not New Zealand. The interior has been decked out in a classic style with high wooden panelling and European bar features. The beer menu is a lengthy read but is full of interesting facts and figures in addition to a satisfying selection of beverages (I now know what ‘Trappist’ Beer is for example). In addition to the beer, the daily special offers on food are also fantastic value. All you can eat Mussels and a draft beer for $ 20 was the Wednesday offer on our visit, and there were definitely a few people going for their personal record.

I’m not one of those big time beer dudes who loves craft beer way too much, but sometimes I like to drink a cup of beer that isn’t your standard bland, Aotearoan sugar-​fest. The Belgian Beer Café has some of those non-​standard beers, and they have them on tap. To be honest I’ve only actually ever tried one of their beers. It’s a cheery beer. That sounds like a pretty absurd concoction, but it’s actually bloody delicious. The Belgian Beer Café’s stocks come at a pretty high price, so it’s the kind of place you might want to visit once in a while.
One part of the BBC experience which certainly deserves a mention are the chippies. You can buy their ‘pommes frittes’ by the cone or in a bowl. They’re absolutely delicious and they come with a little tub of garlic aioli which is light, tasty, and extremely moreish. I don’t think I’ve ever ordered a cone of chips from the Belgian Beer Café and not ended up fingering out the lingering drops of aioli.
Everything inside is all nice and wooden and varnished. Who doesn’t like wood? Class touch.