Oktoberfeast at Belgo

By tikichris Last edited 185 months ago
Oktoberfeast at Belgo

Oktoberfeast at Belgo

All this month, kitsch Belgian restaurant Belgo is offering an Oktoberfeast menu to celebrate … erm … feasting … in … erm … October. Good ole Belgian favourites such as moules blanches (mussels cooked in brugs witbier with bacon lardons) and carbonnade flamande (braised beef cooked in faro beer, nutmeg and brown sugar) are among the substantial menu fillers available.

And (get this) there’s beer too. YAY! Beer. Those Belgians do beer so well. In fact, the Oktoberfeast menu pairs each dish with a specially selected Belgian beer (they even got a

"Beerologist" to come up with the pairings). Expect blonds, lambics and other lowlander standards and, of course, yummy strawberry fruit beer Fruli for dessert.

Londonist visited Belgo’s Centraal location at Earlham Street near Covent Garden to partake in a little Oktoberfeasting last night. Verdict? Good stuff. We were more than pleased with our starter: asparagus spears with a Brugs white beer and chive sauce paired with Vedett Extra Blond. Our main, pork belly cooked in Brugs witbier served with spinach and butternut squash and a Rodenbach Grande Cru cream sauce paired with Rodenbach Grand Cru, satisfied as well. However, we reckon the pert and cru Rodenbach might not be to everyone’s taste (but for the record: Londonist loves the stuff). And, to be honest, we found ourselves ogling our dining partner’s main, a puff pastry case filled with wild mushrooms and button onions in an Orval beer with truffle cream sauce, more than once. Dessert hit the spot with Leffe beer ice cream (Homer Simpson would be proud) with syrup de liege and pralines. Scrummy.

The Oktoberfeast menu (three courses + three beers) costs £27.50 (or £19.95 for the menu without beer). That’s not bad for a night out round Covent Garden and a pretty inexpensive way to become introduced to Belgium’s hearty food and gorgeous beer.

Photography by Chris Osburn

Last Updated 07 October 2008