AKSUM COFFEE HOUSE

Yesterday I was visiting my brother in Brussels when we strolled around in the city. A town full of tourists around this Christmas holiday time. And most tea rooms are packed, which is normal with a temperature of 1 degree Celsius. After trying four establishments, my brother suddenly tought about a little coffee place that I would appreciate.
The tiny little coffee house in the center of the city has a nice terrace, which was empty of course, and a  few tables inside. A big smile welcomed us, the place is operated by one girl. In fact that is all you need to have a nice coffee bar were you want to return too, a friendly person and a La Marzocco coffee machine! Ad some great beans , in this case Ethiopean and you have a top place.
The menu is rather small but still big enough to enjoy breakfast and great coffee. We all took different types of coffee, Peter had cappuccino, Lieve a one shot and I took a double shot of the delicious African coffee brew.
Unfortunatly we didn't have lunch yet, because on the counter was a nice range of delicious cakes on display. Might have to come back here.

Asking where the name Aksum comes from, the girl answered me that it was an ancient Kingdom situated in Eritrea and the North of Ethiopea.

Now you can find the Aksum name spread out in Brussels, on three different places where they serve the aromatic coffee of three different Ethiopean regions, Harrar, Sidamo and Yirgacheffe.

An extra reason to visit the coffee house is that the place is situated right across the head quarters of the organizers of the Tour de France start in Brussels in the first week of July 2019.

AKSUM DE BROUCKERE  -  Anspachlaan 13b - 1000 Brussel
AKSUM GALERIE DU ROI -  Koningsgalerij 3 - 1000 Brussel
AKSUM GRAND PLACE -  Hoedenmakerstraat 17 - 1000 Brussel 

www.aksumcoffeehouse.be - alle dagen open - wifi
 
                                                   

CROQINO'S

Croqino's is not a real coffee bar, but a little casual restaurant with good coffee. The first time I've been here was last summer. The whole arvo you can sit outside on the footpath terrace enjoying the afternoon sun. Maybe not the best view (you look at the back of the FNAC-shop outer wall), but the amount of people on bikes passing by give you enough entertainment. That means a quiet place to enjoy nicely served drinks.

For example, in August I had a wonderful affogato, vanille ice cream topped off with a single shot coffee. Delicious!
The whole range of different coffee's is available, plus even a few specials such as, special latté, panna montana, ice coffee etc...
And last week I ordered a latté and that comes in double glass cup, so you don't burn your fingers.
For every season you can get the right drink.
Lieve went for a cappuccino and that one was tasty enough to decide to stay for lunch.





We tried the local speciality, the Croqino, a personal created kinda toasted sandwich.
A traditional homemade and handy croque (croque =  flemish word for toast, in fact it is a french word, but that would bring us too far).

Homemade, yep they are! They even got a big "C" baked in the toast, handy too as they are made in a way nothing can fall out from between the two bread slices.
Smart thinking.
Fillings enough, from triple cheese, bacon & eggs, Caesar, Pepperoni, taboulé and so on.
Really worth a try, not only for the Croqino's but also for the coffees. Can't wait for a warm sunny day to get another affogato.
And by the way, very friendly service! They even say goodbye when you leave!

CROQINO'S - Ajuinlei 27 - 9000 Gent
(also Kapellestraat 2a - 8400 Oostende) 
www.croqinos.com  -  open every day

ZIZA DELICE

A beautiful monday morning in december. Sun is out but pretty cold. On the bike to Gent and just crossing the Christmas market aka Winter Festival. Not one single stall could convince me to drink a coffee. Suddenly I tought about a place, nearby, I saw last week. Not really a coffee house, but a Moroccon tea house. I am sure they serve coffee too.
Salaam aleikum, Arabic for hello. The girl is reading a book as the place is empty. It is actually more a combination of a Ghoriba shop and a small tea room, maximum 10 seats.

In the background some good modern North African music. Aziza gives us the time to look around. In the meantime we find out where the name of the shop comes from too, it is the girl's name minus the A she explains. Her roots are in the north of Morocco, in the neighbourhood of Nador.
Traditional Maroccon clothing is decorated on dolls in the back of the room. Colorfull.
The counter is full of Ghoriba (Moroccon cookies). They all look very delicous.


As we finally order, Lieve gets the traditional mint tea, prepared at Aziza's mother's way. Just a little bit less sugar. Moroccon people drink it with tons of sugar, sweeter than we do, except me, lol. I love mint tea as sweet as possible. But I order a cappuccino, made by Douwe Egberts. We both want to try some cookies too because we just can't resist.
Lieve gets a M'louza (almond biscuit), I prefer a Briwat (a cookie where the honey syrup runs out).
Everything is nicely served on the small tables.
We chat away about Morocco and I must admit that this place is different to all other coffee shops, I will come back here.
Maybe to try the Moroccon pancakes!



ZIZA DELICE - Sint Niklaasstraat 23 - 9000 Gent 
closed on Sunday

https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Shopping---Retail/Ziza

PEDALEUR DE FLANDRES

It took a few months before Pedaleur de Flandres opened their doors. Many times when I passed by, I could still see the paper on the glass front door: opening soon!
It was only later that I found out that the delay was actualy our own fault. The whole idea was based on crowdfunding. In fact after all it didn't take that long, it was just me, walking pass too many times in a short period, that made it look a long time.
Anyway doors are wide open now. But when I went for a coffee last saturday arvo I was surprised that only four other people had the same idea. Altough it was raining and all other tea rooms and coffee bars were chock a block. And let this be my problem, to understand why people have an initial resistance to walk in this great coffee house.
Ok they are focused on coffee and cycling, fantastic idea I would say. But that doesn't mean that a football fan or a stamps collector can't have a brew in that place.
 I do admit that it looks like a cyclist paradise, as the first thing you see even before opening the door is that you can take your best friend (read: your bike) inside and hang him up on the wall. Yes several hooks are fixed on the wall. A cobble stone wall! For the rest the decoration is basic, some caps and mussettes and an old "Marcel Rijckaert" bike.

Few corners where you can sit down with your coffee and cake and some bar stools at the front window. In the middle a higher table and some first rang seats in front of the flat screen.
Yep you can watch road races and in wintertime cyclo cross live. In moments of no racing on tele, there are some interesting books to read too.
And even if your girlfriend (or in case you are a girl, your boyfriend doesn't like cycling) there is a little shop in the back with a clothing section and a bike parts display, all for sale. Means no excuse on sunday that you had a puncture and couldn't find a shop to buy a spare.

When it comes to coffee, I can tell you that the Rocket Espresso machine in combination with Il Magistrale Coffee does a perfect job. Race food is also available in cakes and special on the menu are the gummies
(that is only if Peter Sagan turns up).
If you keep an eye on their Facebook page you will find out when they go for group rides as well. Other extra's are the possibility to rent a bike, training indoor and even clean your bike.
I would say, reasons enough to visit this great place.

(Who is Marcel Rijckaert? he was a professional cyclist from 1944 till 1960, road and track. He was an excellent six day rider. After his career he was the mecanic of Eddy Merckx).


PEDALEUR DE FLANDRES - Volderstraat 58 - 9000 Gent

www.pedaleurdeflandres.be - closed on monday and tuesday

CLOUDS IN MY COFFEE 9000

Few years ago, Australian professional Mitch Docker (E.F.-Drapac) asked me if I had been for a brew near the Dampoort in Gent? To be honest I had to say no. This is not the area where you would think to find a coffee bar. Don't misunderstand me as I was aware of a few Turkish tea and coffee clubs, about 10 pitta restaurants, 10 hairdressers etc.. This multicultural part of the Dendermondesteenweg is full of Turkish, Moroccan business. The diversity of cultures is characteristic for this street
So last week, Lieve and I went down to check out the shop.
Clouds 9000 was founded by Veva and Jan, who live and work in this renovated former school building. The only thing you can see from the street is the coffee café, but if you walk through the big gate you be surprised as, first of all you can leave your bike in the walkway. But also can you view a chapel who is transferred into a B&B.

The coffee shop might need a little update, a freshing up of the interior would not do any harm. Altough the place is cozy and full of young people, I was the oldest in the house. In the front part they have a few seats and walking through, passing the counter,  there are several big tables with a view on the terrace. The terrace outside has a Mexican inspired set up, colorful and lots of nice plants, not that we have been sitting outside, that will be for next summer to try out.

A perfect place for your daily shot of caffeine and healthy brunch.
The baristas know their jobs and the cappuccino we had was very tasty.
The house supplier, the Gent coffee brewer Vandekerckhove is also responsable for the big variety on the tea menu.
The name Vandekerckhove seems to come back a lot when visiting coffee houses, might go around and have a talk with the man.

Only ten minutes away from the railway station and a twenty minutes walk from the center of the city, it is a place where you relax with your friends.

So as we already mentioned, you can stay over in the chapel who has been transformed into a bed & breakfast, lets say that a former church is a pretty special location to spend a night.

Well, when riding your bike to town via Dampoort, it is on your way! Try it out.

CLOUDS IN MY COFFEE 9000 - Dendermondsesteenweg 104 - 9000 Gent
open every day - www.clouds9000.com

FELIX

Yesterday I went to visit my brother who lives near Brussels. What do two brothers do when they see each other not that much? They go eather for a coffee or go for something to eat. I must say we did both .... as usual. Time for Peter (my brother) to pick a place with good coffee. And I must say it didn't take long before we were heading for Tervuren.
The bar is situated in a pretty busy shopping street, but we were lucky and could park our car at fifty meter of the entrance. It is only after we've put two euros in the parking meter that we found out that they have a private parking next to the shop.
A friendly girl with a Dutch accent welcomed us and continuated in English (???).  We found a enjoyable place between the open fire and the glass wall, unfortunatly looking over the parking.

This is the part in the back with comfortable seats and also a long table where you can have your breakfast. Table big enough to keep working on your laptop while you eat something.
In the front are little tables and a higher table and chairs;
Variety enough to sit down and enjoy.

We ordered two cappuccino, they came with a nice kinda "De Strooper" biscuit. The coffee was delicious. Coincidence or not, but the house coffee-roaster is Vandekerckhove, based in Gent.  (Ghent)

The combination of the roast and the La Marzocco fb80 coffee machine reflects the pursuit of perfection, and expression of excellence.

Not only the coffee is a highlight, a tea lover can find a drink to suit him. Ten different tea species, Matcha tea and the popular fresh Ginger tea.

Choclate milk is freshly made with Callebaut choclate, smoothies, milk shakes are also on the menu.

Breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea is ready to be served every day.

     

 

Apart from all this delicacy, you can also admire the beautiful art that is on exhibit. All these art objects are of course for sale. I've seen some nice works of Lut Brackx, a 53 year old artist of Oostende.(Ostend)

Telling you that everything is for sale in this place is not really exaggerated, as even the furniture (tables, display cases etc...) are for sale.

Hopefully they don't sell the bar to soon!

In the past they also organized live jazz concerts, but I am not so sure if that is still the case. 

FELIX COFFEE - WORK - ART - Brusselsesteenweg 59 - 3080 Tervuren

www.felixtervuren.be  (closed on Saturday afternoon and Sunday)

HET MOMENT

Walking around in town for about an hour was long enough to start thinking about where to have a hot drink. My three American friends gave me "carte blanche" to choose the barista bar. And I tought about the awesome hours I spent last summer on the terrace of "Het Moment". About two hundred meters away from the castle in the city center you can find this beautiful restored former auctioneering firm. From the corner of the street you can already see that the bar is open as the chairs and parasols are visible from far away.
Not that the sun is shining! When the Gent six day race is on, usually the weather gets colder and wetter too. Let this be the two reasons why my American friends are in town. The cycling race and .... coffee.
 
Walking through the curtain at the entrance (keeping the cold out, even with an open front door) of the bar you enter a little shop with the counter to order your drinks.








Valentine always welcomes you with a big smile.
This young lady was the great winner of the "Venuez Awards" 2017, the Belgian "Oscar for hotel/restaurant/café". She won the price of the finest coffee making, but more important also awarded the best new coffee concept. And I admit that the capuccino prepared by the champion barista tastes delightful.
For Valentine is "Het Moment" a highly hoped dream that comes thru after working hard to realise this plan. After working at Simon Says, Mariott, Labath and De Superette this Dutch girl had the best learning schools. She opened her place May 2017.

The well chosen boudoir style gives the coffee table room a classy touch and invites for a chat between friends. Walking through this room you can find a more quiet place, the library, to enjoy your drink whilest reading a book or magazine. And like we mentioned in the beginning, if the sun is out you can sit at the street site, but also in the little garden in the back.










Breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, a glass of red, a whisky cola. Everything is possible as long as you want to enjoy the moment at a quiet place in the middle of the city where you are served by someone who chases the perfection all the time.

(GENIET VAN ) HET MOMENT - BURGSTRAAT 20 9000 GENT
www.genietvanhetmoment.be  - gesloten op dinsdag





 



                         

BIDON COFFEE & BIKES

More or less 5 years ago coffee bar "Bidon" opened his doors on the edge of the centre of Gent. In those days looking at an ugly parking. But since a few weeks this place could become THE place to be for a coffee. Not that their coffee menu or the coffee quality changed. Nope as the coffee has always been top. The real reason of getting even more popular is the view from their corner terrace.
The ugly parking transformed into a beautiful canal. Have a look at the pics below. Before and now.

Just imagine what a rush it will be when the first sun rays appear in sping. Not that the sun left yet in our autumn season so far;
Somebody told me that the owner got the idea to open this coffee place after visiting and having a brew at the legendary "Look mum, no hands" at Old Street, north of downtown London.
And it was a good idea, full house most of the day and great drinks and food since.

Famous with the Scott-Mitchelton team, bumped into them last spring classics. Six Scott bikes nicely parked outside the cafe, The boys having coffee after a training ride.
Dimitri Claeys (Cofidis) has been spotted at this place too.
When you check out their Facebook page you will find out that most people have great comments on the friendly service. All positif words, so worth a visite.
A bonus also is when you are riding your race bike and forgot your lock, no problem....  Put your bike inside against the wall and no worries your bike could get stolen.

Maybe a minus point is the acoustics of the house, it can be really loud when full house and mostly the case. And you can't be in a rush as most of the time two people are working and serving so it might take a while before you get your latté, macchiato or snack.

So next time you get in town, have a stop at the bridge and enjoy a nice espresso, cortado or a cappuccino. And don't forget the cheesecake.

O, a small detail, don't forget your credit card as they do not accept cash money!!

BIDON COFFEE & BIKES - BISDOMKAAI 23 9000 GENT
open daily from 9.30am - www.bidon.be

COFFEE IN THE PELOTON

The best place to set up a coffee car is probably at the start of a cycle race. Not only for the public, but also for the riders and staff. You can please your mecanics and "soignees" with a coffee while they are busy with the final touch on the bikes or the food bags. That is when you can see the D.S. (director sportif) searching for a coffee car, coffee shop or just a coffee machine. Few espresso's, macchiato's or one shots can do wonders. After you brought them the brew;,you can ask em anything.
But when riders turn up you might have to go for a second run, a nice shot of caffeine is always welcome by the girls or boys just before the start.
It becomes really handy if a sponsor sets up his tent with 2 or 3 coffee machines, and make it free tasting for teams too! Important.

I remember races in France when Cafe de Colombia used to have a complete set up at the start of some tours.
Everybody remembers the famous Columbian team when they created a furore in the Tour de France 1985 with legends such as Luis Herrera and Fabio Parra.
Luis Herrera even won the Vuelta a Espana in 1987 in the Columbian coffee colours. After winning several stages in various tours the team stopped in 1990.

Around the same time an Italo - Australian, Giuseppe Chiesa, was private sponsored by a brand called Mio Coffee in Australia (1984/85). They still have a coffee roastery in Thornbury (Melbourne).
In India, also mid 80's some riders were making publicity for Tata, a coffee and Tea brand with as most famous rider, Ashok Captain. But I guess not many people ever heard of him.
A bigger player was Tim Horton, who was several years sponsor of the National Canadian Cycling Team. His name was seen on the outfit of men and women at the worlds. Tim Horton was a former hockey player who co-founded "The Horton's Cafe and Bake" shop chain.


Former Paris - Roubaix winner (2004), Magnus Backstedt set up a Continental team "MagnusMaximuscoffee.com (2009) and Team Sprocket (2010). The Swedish pro cyclist was at the end of his career when he moved to Wales and set up a semi professional cycling team with his coffee brand as main sponsor. I had the luck to be D.S. for this team in several races in France and to work with Magnus Backstedt, Niklas Gustavsson, Jack Anderson, Tobyn Horton etc...


But not only coffee beans been printed on cycling jersey. Also coffee machine brands been around for years. Who can forget the red and white jersey of Eddy Merckx.               

The team was seen for the first time in 1955 with big names as Rik Van Looy and Wim Van Est. Until 1962 it was registered respectively as an Italian, a Belgian and a Spanish team.
In 1963 they were co-sponsor of the Flandria team. They had 55 riders on the payroll !! (16 Spaniards, 1 Dutch and 38 Belgians).
Noel Foré, Jef Planckaert and Julio Jimenez might be the most famous riders in the team.
But then came the third period with Faemino-Faema on the shirts. From 1968 till 1970 they had a man who won in 1968 the Giro and in 1969 the Tour for the first time. And in 1970 he won the double. In this period Eddy Merckx won also 4 classics. (The Ronde van Vlaanderen, Paris-Roubaix, Milano-Sanremo and Liège-Bastogne-Liége)

In 1994 the coffee machine builder Saeco came into the cycling sport as a small sponsor for Mercatone Uno, then based in San Marino. With riders such as Adriano Baffi and Mario Cipollini.
In 1996 they became main sponsor of the Italian formation till 2004. In those years the team saw Ivan Gotti, Cadel Evans and Mario Cipollini winning lots of races. Igor Astarloa won even the Worlds in 2003.

From 2002 untill 2011 the American team The Jittery Joe's coffeehouses from Athens, Georgia came on the cycling scene. The very first year co-sponsored by Andean Eco Coffee. The team mostly raced in America with only few times gigs in Europe. A couple of Australian mates rode for the orange-brown coloured team, Trent Wilson and Tommy Nankervis.



Well, who wil be the next sponsor? Nescafé, Starbucks, Folgers or Lavazza?

                                                                                                                                                                       

LEBRUNCH

Last tuesday I had few things to do in Gentbrugge, little town outside Gent. For one time I was in the car not on my bike and was getting worried where to have a coffee.
Suddenly I tought about Didier who is a fervent mountain biker! His wife and daughter started a breakfast & brunch restaurant in Gentbrugge. Problem solved!

The name Lebrunch explains a lot. Food is important in this place.
Not really a coffeeshop, but a nice cappuccino or latte is on the menu.
So when you serve good coffee you get a mention on our blog. So simple!

You can't miss the building when you come to the intesection, a nice modern corner house with a lovely touch of wood.
When you walk inside, the first thing you see is a lot of small tables with a names and a time on it.
So, this place is busy. All tables have pre booked seats. But one of the ladies of the house said that I could have a coffee, no problem. Reservations are for lunch time when it is fully booked.

We ordered a cappuccino, that came with a speculoos. 
 In the mean time Ansofie (daughter) was busy serving other tables with delicious looking food.
When I saw all this, I felt sorry that I only had fifteen minutes to have a coffee.
They serve breakfast and lunch.  A tasty selection that changes every two or three weeks. Check out the menu on the website.
I need to talk to Lieve and make a reservation on a Saturday for a brunch, as this is the speciality of the house.
  
They invented brunch so we can drink champagne in the morning



 


LEBRUNCH - LEO TERTZWEILLAAN 3 9050 GENTBRUGGE
(closed on Sunday and Monday - brunch on Saturday)
www.lebrunch.be

fff

TAKE FIVE ESPRESSOBAR

After an extraordinary summer (for Belgian standards) we slowly going into autumn. leaves falling from the trees so that is more or less the sign that from now on we might have to drink our brews after the coffee ride inside the coffeeshop. No longer on the terrace
A few months ago I find a cosy place in the centre of Gent, called "Take Five Espressobar". A place where young and old enjoy a coffee. To be honest, the place got my attention when I walked passed in April when I saw a few bikes leaning  against the wall and some guys standing inside with kinda dark blue outfit with a big green M on the jersey. Yup the Spanish pro riders of Movistar. Including Valverde (last weeks new world champion cycling in Innsbruck) and Bennati.
Must try more of that coffee if these guys hanging out here I tought. So I did.

When you walk through the door, you're always welcomed by Alexis, your host, or the always friendly staff and some soft jazz music in the background.
It doesn't take long to find out were the name Take Five stands for. If you're in to some jazz it is easy to make the link with jazz legend Dave Brubeck. You can find a cover of the record in the corner of the street window.

The first few times we were visiting the place, we mostly sat outside on the walkway in the sun. My favorite drink in those summer days was their delicious "cold brew". It comes in a pocket bottle, ice cold and a glass with ice and bilberries. My misses sticks most of the time to a cappuccino with wellfrothed milk. (not whipped cream as most Belgian cafe's serve)
Try also the aeropress slow coffee. (Kenya) and doppio's.
For non coffee lovers there is also homemade lemonade and great thee to be served.

So, dear Kiwi's and Aussie's who arrive next spring for the new road season, this is certainly worth a visit. Doesn't mean that trackies or CX riders can't come around this winter in between sessions.



TAKE FIVE ESPRESSOBAR - VOLDERSSTRAAT  10 - 9000 GENT (open daily)
www.take-five-espressobar.be

Hi all, I have certainly a few passions in my life, and two of them are more or less related to each other. Cycling and coffee. The meaning of this blog is to let you know where you can find good coffee (in my opinion) and maybe that would be boring if that was the only thing you could find on this blog. So I tought maybe I could add some results and interviews of young cyclists coming from New Zealand or Australia and racing in Europe. The results of the top pros are easy to find on special sites, such as Cyclingnews etc... But for U19, U23 men and women sometimes harder to find for family and friends in their home country. So if you have the intention to travel to Belgium and living the dream, why don't you let me know so I can follow you and have a chat with you and a coffee. And if you really like it we put your results (hehehe good ones and bad ones!) on here.