Photos and words by Cliff Lucas.
Edited by Breandán Kearney.
Café Society is a photographic series which celebrates the spaces at the heart of Belgian beer culture. See more here.
De Bascule—meaning “the scale”in English—is a traditional volkscafé in the Flemish Brabant village of Bellingen which dates back to 1920. Up until the ’80s, local grains were weighed here for transport along the nearby rail tracks. You’ll find the antique scale just inside, alongside a taxidermy fox and a potbelly stove. Chimay Blue, flat Lambic, and industrial Lager claim the tap lines, served from an eye-catching porcelain tower. The “signature dish” of assorted meats—the only food available—arrives with a generous portion of bread. Flemish singer Paul Severs would sit here for a drink after local shows. Now the house cat, Paul Severs, is the only performer. He prowls around the café tables, enforcing his own system of checks and balances on the clientele.
More info:
De Bascule
Hondzochstraat 3, 1674 Pepingen
De Bascule is a traditional volkscafé in Bellingen offering regional beers, Trappist ales, Geuze, and Lambic on tap.
