Cafe Kulminator - Antwerpen

World class and one of a kind beer experience. He is very picky about who he allows to taste the collection and you have to get his attention from the door as the doorbell doesn't work. He doesn't like seeing groups of people at his door, and only accepts cash. You have the chance to taste some really great, aged beers if you can put up with the initial questioning.

It's an experience for sure. The owners take their beer very seriously but they seem to genuinely enjoy sharing it with others. We had a barleywine that's older than I am, as well as some great lambics. The cozy atmosphere invites conversation with the other patrons. Overall a very worthwhile stop in Antwerp.

Very Quick Stop when I was in Antwerp early Jan, did get 20 questions at the door after a wait, but with cash, being early, and promising I hadn't arranged to meet people there later, Thankfully I got in, did feel like they lean you towards draught lambics, but when I asked for a bottle, I got a beautiful 2017 DE Dolle, I was told it's an acceptable beer, would love to try something they highly rate😅

Was there twice and had fantastic experience and unique beers both times. Just be polite when entering and use the right words to be allowed to enter.

Great bar with a massive selection of beer including aged bottles from as far back as the 70's. We arrived to find the door locked, after ringing the bell an older gentleman answered and asked what we wanted. Knowing how to respond from reading previous reviews, we said that we wanted to 'taste' the beer, he then made sure we had cash to pay before letting us in. The bar is packed full of interesting objects, board games, books and cats. We tried various beers all of which were great. This is definitely a must visit place for anyone with an interest in beer visiting Antwerp

I don't know if it has always been like this or if this is a new thing, but you have to ring the doorbell and get interviewed by the owner in order to be let in. I'm a brewer by profession and got told that I'm not allowed into this establishment because it's about the "beer culture". There are so many great beer bars in Antwerp, don't embarrass yourself by having to go through this ordeal.

Very unique and intimate experience sharing the room with other respectful enthusiasts. The older couple who operate this cafe are kind and discerning - my type of people. We ended up meeting a local who we shared a 23 year old beer with and shared some good stories. This is a one of a kind place and should be respected as such!

This is a true temple for vintage Belgian beers. They are husband and wife working together where he the Husband takes big pride in his beer knowledge about the Belgian beers. It was really good experience to taste some wonderful beers. OH AND VERY IMPORTANT !!!!!! CASH ONLY AND THE MAGIC WORD TO BE ABLE TO GET INSIDE IS , YOU ARE THERE TO TASTE BELGIAN BEERS AND NOT TO DRINK. IF YOU SAY YOU ARE THERE TO DRINK BEER THEN ITS A NO ENTRY FOR YOU.

You don't go to the Kulminator to just get a beer. You go to the kulminator for an experience. The Kulminator is not your average bar. It is an icon and a perfect expression of magic of the human presence on this planet. The owners could not be more real and the beer list is unmatched. Ever tried a lachouffe from '87? You can get it there if the owner can find it in his beer dungeon. Try a slice of smoked cheese! Listen to the owner and his wife fight. Talk to beer snobs, tourists, locals if you can find a spot among all the junk that is piled on top of the chairs and tables. Don't expect to be pampered. Just go there to be amazed and bask in the ambiance of a genuine Belgian beer experience!

Was SUPER excited to go to Kulminator on my recent trip to Belgium. Have heard wonderful things about the vast beer list, full of old vintages. Sadly it seems, the owner does not like business or money. Or perhaps he just enjoys treating Kulminator as his own private club, as opposed to a normal beer bar where everyone is welcome. The owner greeted us at the door, asking us why we wished to come in and we were denied entry upon our response. We later found out that if you do not give the very specific response of "being there to TASTE (not drink) beer", you are turned away. Pompous, and absolutely ridiculous. I have no interest in trying to go back.

I was very hesitant about visiting Kulminator as its fame and reputation far precedes it, having won accolades such as "the best place in the world to have a beer" and also known to have one of the most extensive collections of aged Belgian beers in the world. During the planning stages of my trip, a lot of the feedback I got regarding this place was that I should brace for some unparalleled (lack of) service, humongous wait times in between orders, and last minute changes to opening hours. If you haven't guessed it already, I was lucky enough not to experience any of the negative feedback enumerated above, and instead had such a great time that I somehow got back to my room in Brussels without a train ticket and don't quite remember how I managed such a feat. I got to Kulminator about 15 minutes after they opened at 4:15pm and the establishment was already half-full. Despite reviews saying that this place is super cramped and cozy, the interior is actually pretty spacious with seating available at the bar, behind it, and even across from it where two tables are partitioned off kind of like a small lounge; I opted to sit in the lounge area as I was planning to be comfortable for quite some time. Leen served me for the entire evening and she was very kind and patient with all of my orders. Despite some of my orders being slightly obscure--like the oldest vintage they had of Oerbier Special Reserva, for example--all my orders got out to me under five minutes, even at 9pm when the bar was completely packed, thereby debunking the "slow and bad service" portion of my expectations. Whereas different groups of people did join me at my table for most of the night, most of them were locals popping in for a drink or two and all minded their own businesses unlike what people say about strange encounters here, but that suited me just fine for my purposes; I wanted to try some Belgian gems that aren't available anywhere on the planet, and I'm glad to say I was able to achieve said feat. I don't think I have to describe the atmosphere as it's been done in such vivid detail in so many of the other reviews (grandparents' house, etc.) but be sure to grab a bite to eat prior to visiting this place and not make the mistake of thinking drunk you will be sober enough to find something to eat after leaving this amazing Cafe; food options are limited if not non-existent, and Leen is busy enough as is keeping everyone happy. And yes, Dirk will stare you down if you do anything out of the ordinary like take pictures of the establishment, but he means well... I think.

When you first set foot at Kulminator, it feels like you went back to the past. And I don't mean the 70's, I mean medieval times, like you stepped into a tabern back in 1300's. It looks old. It feels old. It smells old. And it's awesome. The bar is mostly filled with beers, glasses and books everywhere. It can also feel somewhat like a hoarder's house, with beer memorabilia everywhere. I'm trying to describe the atmosphere, but it's difficult to put into words. There really is no other bar quite like it. The main attraction, the beers, are plenty. They usually have about 6 to 8 beers on tap, and hundreds by the bottle. Mostly belgians (duh), but they have beers from all over the world as well. There are also some aged beers, so if you're feeling fancy, you can ask for a 1997 Westmalle trippel, or a 2001 Duvel. I'm always wondering if they bother it make an inventory every now and them. If they do, it must be hell. The bar does not have employees. Only Dirk and Leen work at the bar. I mean, Dirk probably works refilling the beers on tap and doing other stuff, I think. Everytime i come here he is just reading the paper and sipping his beer, lol. I'm always served by Leen, his wife. The public mostly consists of beer enthusiasts, local regulars and tourists. It is right down in the old city center after all. If you're in Antwerp, don't miss it!

Singular place. You haven't seen any similar place before. Small, cozy, quaint, with a massive massive cellar and stock of different beers! Take your time to browse, sample and intensely taste some of these many, varied, vintage beers.

I was extremely disappointed on visiting this highly reviewed bar, maybe the owner was having a bad day but his rudeness and poor attitude is not something you should ever have to put up with. There are lots of other good beer bars and cafes in Antwerp which would welcome your business much more. Best to avoid Kulminator.

It's really an interesting experience being in Kulminator. You don't get the fastest service and you may not find the most romantic place to sit cause you may sit next to some other couple. Just chill, don't rush, feel like at home, you can chitchat with the people sitting next to you. try the beers you've never tasted, don't drink a pint (pintje). if you are feeling adventurous or a first-timer, then order 5 different beers from the tap (dailyselections) in small glasses or if you're super rich, try the most expensive beers on the menu :) if you haven't been there, go there at least once and decide yourself if you want to be a fan or not :)

Best beer experience ever and for true beer connoisseurs. This place has an interesting vibe like a dive bar out in the Bavarian countryside. Having a Belgian friend helped bc the catalog of beers is impressively 2 inches thick with different styles and vintages of mainly Belgium golden nectar. Funny how my friend described the nice elderly woman serving us contrasted to her husband who is renowned as a huge dick. Haha For the newly introduced like myself aged beer is just something new to my American palette. Similar to wine the beer mellows a little over time and loses a little carbonation which gives the impression of less acid allowing some of the complex notes of good beer to come out. Like toast, orange, lemon, yeast, caramel. Judged best beer in the world Westvleteren - both fresh and a three year old brewed in 2010. Wow, the three year old was even better. But the night went to a 2006 Stille Nacht at something like 38 euros for 750 mL. Holy sh-t probably the best beer I've tried in my life. Complex caramel and citrusy flavors probably never will taste again. Met some nice Italian guys there who drove all the way from Germany to sample and shared a bunch of different brews with them which also added to the experience. Certainly a once in a lifetime bucket list must-try experience.

Any tourist (locals as well) should visit the Kulminator at least once. This bar is an ideal exponent of our cultural heritage. First and foremost, it has a huge variety in specialty beer. Second is the interior. This place got stuck in time and resembles the atmosphere of your typical Belgian granparents house. The place is very exentric and is a good example of the chaptic way in which we Belgians organize our selves and our places. Beside an anthropological excursion, tge bar offers good service and prices. So make sure you visit it!

If you're looking for a very unique, eccentric place to enjoy a huge selection of beers then Kulminator is the place to go to! Its extremely eclectic decor (aka horders paradise) along with the sweet old lady (we only spotted her husband behind the bar) guarantee for an interesting and unforgettable evening for sure. And don't be intimidated by the ginormous beer list, just talk to the lady about what you are looking for and she can give you some great suggestions! Definitely worth going there when you're in Antwerp!

one of the world's great beer bars ,at edge of the old town,very large range of beers many aged in their cellar,no draught pils closes two weeks in summer and during saturnalia

Excellent beer bar. Cozy environment, long long list of beer. The couple who run the bar are extremely friendly. Try cheese to go with beer, fantastic! My friends from Germany drive long distance to come here just for the bar!:)

I guess its all ben said a thousand times! No beer lover could visit Antwerp and miss the Kulminator. With a beer list that resembles a 'phone book ,there is no way you'll leave disappointed. Cellar-aged beers served with traditional belgian snacks. Stay away Lager boy!

Got there at 11pm. Open till 12am; confirmed by the sign on the door. Except when the door's locked with a handful of people inside clearly visible drinking and playing games and doesn't get opened.

The aged Belgian beer selection is amazing! This is THE place to go for aged trappist beers. I tried a 1997 Stille Nacht, 2005 Chimay Blue and Hoegaarden Grand Cru from 1995. Don't order food, as it is not necessary. Run, don't walk, to this pub if you happen to be in Antwerpen. More pictures and comments in blog post: www.bkarmstrong.blogspot.com/2012/11/favorite-beer-roundup-and-kulminator-pub.html

For many years the Kulminator has been THE place for vintage/aged beers. I first visited the K back in 2000. It has changed very little since then. Owned and operated by Dirk and Leen, only Dirk knows where everything is down in the cellar. My advice is order your rounds two at a time, just because it does take a while to fish out the bottles for your order and they are sometimes out of things without it being updated on the menu. But when your "beer list" is as thick as a dictionary its understandable that they may be out of a specific vintage of something you wanted to try. Extra points for the house cat. Can't wait to get back here. Love Antwerp and love the K. World Class Pub!

My first time to the Kulminator. Actually was sadly not impressed whatsoever. The beer list is very nice, but not stunning. No where near the EPIC level I was expecting from all the talk about this place. Service was terrible. I went with people who have been going to the Kulminator for years and we couldn't believe who rude Dirk was to us. Just completely off in space and non responsive to all inquiries even though we were massively polite and rang up a monster tab. Be aware that for a lot of the rarer beers; you can't try them unless you purchase the entire vertical of the beer's regular vintages- which is stupid IMO. The vertical of a beer has nothing to do with the special version of that beer. Most of the rare beers don't even appear on the menu and if you ask about them- you are scuffed off. Do yourself a favor and go to Moeder Lambik. It's not worth ass kissing for three hours to get 1 or 2 rare beers here.

We took the noon train from Brugge to Antwerp just to go to this beer bar. It didn't open until 4:0pm so we did stroll around a little and enjoyed ourselves. We were at the bar at exactly 4:00pm and they opened right on schedule. The place was not what I expected, and yet, it was fabulous. The place is quite old and quite small inside with beer cases stacked here and there. The I check the beer list. WOW!! It was huge and there were vintages going back to the 1980's for some of the beers. Unbelievable! We both started with a Malheur 12 on draft. Fabulous beer and the price was 3.5 euros. We each had several beers since we we walking and riding the train. I had my first Westvleteren, which was on my bucket list. We had a great conversation with a fellow at the next table who lived about 10 k away. Then a Canadian young lad of 21 joined us and we all had a good discussion (mostly about the beer). I would go back in a heartbeat but unfortunately it's a long way across that pond.