A bar in Sainte-Catherine
The Sainte-Catherine neighbourhood is the ideal place to experience this transformation. A neighbourhood that shifts effortlessly from one atmosphere to another: the canal and the market in the morning, terraces and bars come evening. The sort of place where the same street can take on a different character depending on the time of day.
The bar — Two sides of the same space
The Made in Catherine bar is on the ground floor of the hotel, opening out onto the street and welcoming anyone passing through the neighbourhood. In the morning, it’s all about coffee. In the afternoon, the atmosphere changes: craft beers, chilled drinks, and dishes sourced from producers the bar has chosen to work with, naming them specifically. The space doesn’t signal this change. It simply follows the rhythm of the day outside.
That is what is worth highlighting. It doesn’t try to be everything at once.
The Coffee — A Brussels roaster, a café that means business
The house coffee comes from Torrefactory, a Brussels-based roaster that takes a precise, no-frills approach to its craft. An espresso prepared to perfection, a flat white that needs no improving – the sort of coffee that makes for a pleasant morning without making a fuss of it.
For the summer, the menu is enriched with more unexpected offerings. Alongside the classics, two iced lattes made with purple ube and matcha have won over the crowd. Purple ube, a root native to the Philippines with a deep purple colour and a flavour that’s halfway between vanilla and earthier notes, is one of the most interesting ingredients to feature on Brussels’ menus this season. Here, it is served in a glass, chilled and without any frills. It’s well worth a visit.
The summer menu
The new feature this summer is the food. The bar has launched a menu of small bites developed in collaboration with a small group of producers, all of whom are listed on the menu and selected for a specific reason. Focaccia, croquettes, charcuterie, cheeses, olives: the sort of things that are just as suitable whether you’re popping in for a drink or plan to settle in for a couple of hours.
The philosophy is the same across the board: traceability takes precedence over volume. Nothing is generic. This approach is more common in restaurant kitchens than in bars, and it really shows.
The evening service — and a ‘0%’ section worth mentioning
As the afternoon gives way to the evening, the bar’s atmosphere has already shifted. Belgian craft beers on tap, a cocktail menu with a distinct vision of its own, wine and a selection of sakes that reflects the same curiosity as the rest of the menu.
But what really catches the eye is the ‘0%’ section. This isn’t a compromise, but a carefully curated selection of non-alcoholic drinks that are every bit as good as the rest. Sparkling teas with distinct flavours, a non-alcoholic ‘sour’ and a ‘negroni’ worthy of the name, which don’t feel like substitutes. In a city where drinking culture tends to favour beer and wine without giving much thought to alternatives, this is a deliberate and well-executed choice.
It’s the sort of decision that speaks volumes about the bar’s philosophy.
The neighbourhood by day, the bar by night
The Sainte-Catherine neighbourhood has always encouraged this sort of double life. In the morning, the fish market stretches along the old canal, the terraces fill up around 9 am, and the streets exude that distinctive atmosphere of a city that hasn’t yet decided what sort of day it’s going to be. Come evening, these same streets belong to the restaurants and bars that have made this neighbourhood one of the best places in Brussels to eat and drink well.
The bar at Made in Catherine fits into this rhythm without dominating it. And, ultimately, that’s exactly what a bar in this part of town should be.
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