Royal Harbour Brewhouse and Bakers, Ramsgateback to pub details please note - reviews on this site are purely the opinion of site visitors, so don't take them too seriously.
I visited again today but the Belgian Cafe, as it's now known, is looking a bit tatty. The international flags flying outside are in tatters and some of the inside lamps have blown bulbs. I hope they don't let things slide too far. There's Bohemian and there's grubby. The Rochefort 8 at �5.20 was taking the piss.
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To carry on from below. The bar has a continental feel to it which is what I believe Eddie Gadd was aiming for. Tables and chairs outside and inside a very laid back Bohemian feel to the place which is larger inside than I expected.
Next door is a tremendous fish and chip restaurant which does not serve alcoholic drinks. However I have it on good authority that they will let a customer go into the Harbour Brewhouse to purchase a drink and then bring it into the restaurant.
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Like previous reviwers I wish Eddie Gadd still brewed on the premises but I guess he outgrew the place as the beers increased in popularity.
I was surprised and disappointed to find no Gadd's beers being served the last time I visited.
However there were plenty of bottled Belgian beers available some at dangerous percentages!
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My favourite Ramsgate pub - isn't it now called the Belgian Bar or something like that? It's a great shame that Gadd's beer is no longer brewed on the premises as they are exceptionally good beers. Lots of Belgian beers on sale (for a price) and the food is pretty good too. A nice atmosphere.
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This is your best best for decent beer if you're arriving in Ramsgate by boat and don't want to walk any distance. It's the grey castellated building on the right hand side, facing the town on your way in to the harbour.
If you're from the European mainland (what the English like to call the "Continent", as thought they lived on some oil rig instead of half an island), you will find some good Belgian beers with which you may be familiar. Be prepared to be shocked by the prices -the English have a "thing" about alcohol, like the Norwogs but without the ability to spend the revenue raised from the alcohol tax on decent public services.
If you want to go further, go up the staircase on the left side of the harbour and find the Foy Boat, Artillery Arms and Churchill (featured on this site).
There's a Weatherspoons knockoff in Harbour Street if you are minding a boat, are short of money and want to drink lots of cheap real ale from some boring brewery. (This pub is not yet on site, and I forget the name).
Be careful about going further into the town centre, especially in the evenings! The town is competing for a top place in the "South East England Incest & Kiddy-Diddling League" (info from Social Services), and some of the locals have a habit of ripping the bark off their trees and attacking anyone who looks foreign, gay or too well dressed. Be warned.
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When this was Eddie Gadd's brewery this was one of the most interesting pubs in the South East, and I brought many people here. It is always worth driving some distance for individuality and charm, and the old Royal Harbour certainly had that with the paintings on the walls, the brewery on display in the back room, the garden benches, old piano, lampposts and other quirky features. It was always interesting to walk through the bakers section in the front, with cakes and bread on display, and a cafe atmosphere, into the more interesting pub area beyond.
However, that has gone, and this is now. The pub is still interesting, but I won't be driving anyone down here to experience it any more. It's certainly worth popping in though as it's still got plenty of charm, and is above average in what it does offer. The beer selection is Sharps Doom bar, Ruddles Best and then some popular Belgians, such as Leff and Belle Vue on tap. There's some tasty food on offer at weekends only - mussels & fritte, and a Sunday roast.
The atmosphere is warm and friendly, and it does appear to be busier than when under Gadds. Though Gadds moving out is a genuine loss, this is a very decent replacement.
Rating 6.
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I am most surprised to see that the "Belgian Bar", as it is known locally, has not been rated - despite having been recommended over a month ago!
This bar used to house Eddie Gadd's brewery until expansion of his business meant that he outgrew the premises. The on-site bakery was set up to provided belgian pastries and suchlike. The business went bust and, like Lazarus, has been risen from the dead.
The premisies physically go back a long way and the decor has changed over the years since it opened. The original Brueghel-esque murals have largely given way to more contemporary decoration, and art exhibitions often take place. There is seating outside where you can watch the world go by, and eat your Fish and Chips from the excellent Peter's Fish Factory immediate adjacent.
There are two real ales on handpump - Greene King I.P.A. was one, the other being London Pride, if I remember correctly. However, with the exception of the Cafe Belge chain, they do have the best range of Belgian bottled beers in Kent. I had an absolutely gorgeous bottle of Orval - most refreshing on a hot sunny day.
Unfortunately, the belgian staff are no longer there, and whereas previously, my Orval would have been served in an Orval glass, it was served in a standard pint sleeve. Whether this is due to the new barman ( from Sweden ) being new to the job or the correct glasses no longer being available in these premises, I wouldn't like to say. I'm sure I heard Polish being spoken behind the bar as well. Thw staff here are young and friendly.
The food range has been extended. Three different styles of "Mosselen" are on offer, and there was a large pan of Paella on the go which smelled delicious. They also do an all-day breakfast, in addition to sandwiches and suchlike.
Please sort the staff out - any visiting beer drinking Flemish or Walloon cove would have a fit of apoplexy at being served St Bernardus in a sleeve, or get the correct glasses. Certainly a better experience than that encountered in the other seafront bars and pubs that line Ramsgate's picturesque harbour. 6/10
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