Commence phase two of my Bordeaux Belgian beer adventures. Café des Moines is another delight…read moretucked away in one of those enchanting little side streets in central Bordeaux, its delicious nectars definitely deserve a little dégustation, if you will. And, like Le Titi Twister, you can sample the beers before committing yourself to the glassful.
Whilst there might not be quite as much variety as at Titi Twister, there is still a brilliant selection of quality pressions and bottled beers, you certainly won't be stuck for choice, unless, like me, you're rubbish at making decisions in which case the sample shots become very useful!
Café des Moines really comes into its own in terms of atmosphere and ambience. The first thing I notice upon entering for the first time is that they're playing my favourite band, masters of indie rock & blues: The Black Keys. Cue a massive grin on my face. They also get a lot of live bands in here, hosting a handful gigs throughout the week, though sometimes you do have to pay entry for these.
Another plus is the friendly bar staff, always smiling and ready to exchange a few cheeky words as you order your pint! Things like that can really make a difference to my overall experience in a bar, so it was very much a pleasure to have such a friendly exchange with the staff.
Also worth noting is the well-like/fountain structure at the rear of the bar - my friend adores it and wouldn't let me leave until I had seen it, bless him. Personally I don't think it's quite that exciting, but definitely worth a look!
The only let-down is the toilets. Or rather toilet, singular. There is only one, which I am aware is very typical of Bordeaux, and France in general, but it doesn't change the fact that you end up having to queue on busy nights, nor that men are never as clean and tidy with their toilet business as us lady folk.
