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What to Order at Bar Burbure in Antwerp

The intimate bar offers worldly cocktails in the heart of Belgium

by Terry Zarikian

January 28, 2025

Bar Burbure interior / Photo: Courtesy of Bar Burbure

The first time I visited Antwerp, Belgium, I stopped by Bar Burbure three times, feeling it was a uniquely glamorous place to drink pure sophistication. This was due to the trio of talent at the helm: founder Jurgen Lijcops, expert bartender Sander Gouwkens and charming host/bartender Tijn Kempinski, former bar manager of Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp, a deluxe property that epitomizes low-key luxury.

French Tiramisu cocktail, with Grey Goose vodka, butterscotch and almonds / Photo: Courtesy of Bar Burbure

The stemware at Bar Burbure is perfectly matched to its cocktails. The small interior is designed in shades of green with brass details and elegant gray upholstery, allowing the crystal to sparkle under lighting that has been strategically installed to create a relaxing mood. I suggest you reserve a seat at the counter and try the smooth and delicious Flander’s Finest, which mixes Eminente Reserva seven-year-old rum, Cocos, Poire Williams and calvados in a drink so enchanting I had two before I advanced to another. A summer-sounding creation—9 P.M. at the Beach—is actually autumnal: Blending Bacardi Facundo Eximo rum (featuring notes of vanilla, coffee, chocolate, cinnamon and pepper) with passion fruit, white vermouth, Chartreuse Verte and autumn spices, it is a beautiful translucid yellow potion ready to be consumed. Meanwhile, the traditional Penicillin, originally created by Sam Ross, is a rejuvenating concoction of Ardbeg 10-year-old whisky, Benromach 10-year-old, ginger, lime and honey.

The French Tiramisu is a proper holiday dessert drink—how can anyone miss ordering a well-shaken foamy Grey Goose vodka with butterscotch and almonds? (Reserve this one for last, as it is filling and does replace dessert.) And while we are speaking of sweets, The Dutch Monument celebrates apples as Calvados Christian Drouin is mixed with white vermouth. Simple, elegant and clear, it’s a perfect ending if you want to be discreet and chic.

Best For

After-dinner drinks, especially those on the sweet side, or a taste of the sophisticated Green Club Card cocktail list, featuring unique drinks made with the rarest liquors.

Verdict

A fairy tale of a bar in a capital of the Flemish Region, Bar Burbure treats spirits and wines as rare gems. One of Antwerp’s hidden treasures.
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