Do you happen to be in Utrecht Netherlands on a Saturday night and don't know where to have a drink? Look no further as there are some good options out there. As we're new in this country, we also didn't have an idea and for the first few pubs during our kroegentocht (Dutch for bar hopping), we made use of our virtual assistant.
One of those recommended bars turned out to be Belgisch BiercafΓ© Olivier Utrecht, that was a total surprise as we entered the door. Only one of us made use of the virtual assistant so the rest of us went in unknowing of what to expect.
The reason for our astonishment was the unexpected interior of the pub, as it used to be a hidden church (church was build as a normal structure from the outside to enable Christians to practice their faith in secret). The proprietors did their best to keep much of the original interior intact with some of their own twists here and there.
The vibe was romantic, warm and inviting in spite of the place being crowded and noisy. It was definitely a spot worth visiting at least once, because of its unique concept and we had a laugh about the sign out front: "Waar kerk en cafΓ© samensmelten vloeit het bier rijkerlijk" (translated: Where church and cafΓ© merge, beer flows freely).
And now to what you're here for: the beer! As some of my friends recently went to a beer tasting, I let them decide to order my beer for me and they went with the double of the Noordt brand. It was just right up my alley, as it wasn't too bitter, nor too sour and well balanced in its herbs and spice flavors. The others tried another beer and also the house tap, but they liked the one I had even more. One of the other two beers was a bit on the sour side.