The most unusual and rude place I've visited. I had to ring a bell to gain entry because the door was locked. An elderly gentleman answered the door, inquired about my purpose for coming in a demeaning way, and promptly refused my request to enter when I mentioned it was for enjoying a beer. He explained that he had been living on a pension for 50 years and that the establishment was dedicated to beer culture. I remained baffled by the peculiar atmosphere and the creepiness of that place. I strongly recommend seeking out a place where you are welcomed instead of having the door shut on you.

This place is something special. Cash only, and intended for those who want to sample fine beers. The bottle menu is massive and impressive, as is the knowledge Dirk and his wife Leen share about their inventory. The bar itself is warm and cozy; more like you're sitting in their living room than a pub. Dirk and Leen have owned and operated Kulminator for almost 50 years, and once you start talking with them, I found them both to be very friendly and helpful. Really, this place has the impression that it has somehow made it into the modern era relatively unchanged from it's inception. If you follow the "rules" needed to get in, don't pass up a chance to sample a few beers in this truly unique establishment.

Great bar with a massive selection of beer including aged bottles from as far back as the 70's. We arrived to find the door locked, after ringing the bell an older gentleman answered and asked what we wanted. Knowing how to respond from reading previous reviews, we said that we wanted to 'taste' the beer, he then made sure we had cash to pay before letting us in. The bar is packed full of interesting objects, board games, books and cats. We tried various beers all of which were great. This is definitely a must visit place for anyone with an interest in beer visiting Antwerp

Good place, not the best service one would hope for. Note that you read carefully all recommendations and know how to get yourself past the grumpy owner. We were 4 friends looking for interesting beers to drink. Two of us being beer judges, and two more beer enthusiasts, we didn't expect to be shut off at the door. Luckily, one of us was an Antwerp local and could explain the misunderstanding of my naive answer "we'd like to drink beers" to the question "what are you looking for?". The owner will not let you in if you ring twice or are up for a few pints. This is a place to "enjoy, taste and celebrate beer". so state that at the door and behave, and you'll be fine. There are a lot of rare finds, so for people looking for that, there's no place like this that I've seen. Great collection. Enjoy!

Like many other reviews a rude man opened the door and refused us entry because we asked if we could come in for a beer. Apparently if you don’t say ‘I want to enjoy you’re wonderful beer’ you don’t get in. From the non-Belgian names in the reviews I think it’s apparent that there is some racism involved. A close shave anyway really, since when he opened the door there was a very distinct waft of urine inside.

This is it. The end of the line on any Belgian beer tour. Nothing will top this. Arrive as a respectful beer pilgrim, with cash in euros, or you will not get in. This is not simply a place to drink a few beers - if you're looking for that, go down to Bier Central... this is a shrine to the art of brewing. Cash only, very reasonable prices. Amazing tap list to start. The bottle list is aged beers from the 70s to modern. We did a vertical tasting of Chimay Blue from 1986, 1992, 2001, and 2018. All delicious, an unreal experience, and probably the only place in the world you could do this kind of thing. When you order these kinds of beers here, you are drinking the last of their kind. We celebrated a friend's 40th birthday by drinking a Brigand strong golden ale from his birth year, and wow... it aged better than he did lol. The place is pretty unique too, it's like the living room of an old couple with hoarding tendencies, which makes perfect sense - and when you see the hand-written tome of a bottle list you will celebrate the collectors who made this possible. Bucket list item for beer lovers, no exaggeration. When this place is gone there will be nothing comparable to replace it. Visit while you can.

One of the oldest bars in the town and also one of the first beer places that age beers...the oldest beer they have is from 1973. They even have beers on draft that are aged for decade or so. They have almost 1000 beers from different places in Europe mostly focused on dark beers as they age well. You can get Trappist beers that don't exist anymore. The place is maintained by a old couple who love beer and can only get in if the owner let you in. Only cash and a place highly recommended for beer lovers. You can get into the place if you love tasting beers not for drinking beers. The costs are also very affordable and depends on the age and type of beer.

This is absolutely a fantastic place. The coziness from the old couple owner and the setting is unbeatable. Beer was fantastic, there's a whole book of bottled beer. I included the beer on tap menu in the photos. You can meet a lot of interesting people here, who happens to know a lot of their very own Belgium beer. If you're looking for fancy table and stuff, this is not the place. If you are a beer lover, this is the place you can't miss in Antwerp.

We noticed it was cash only so asked the owner where the closest cash point was. He directed us to one around the corner, and then when we got back he unlocked the door again and asked what we wanted. We said to try some beers (in a mix of bad dutch and English) he refused to let us in and complained about our bad grammer/language choices. Just a group of 4 wanting to check this place out. It put a downer on our afternoon as we had done nothing wrong and were just polite. If you don’t want tourists, don’t have English signs all over your front door.

One of my favorite place we visited in Antwerpen, the old coue who owns this place were very knowledgeable about beer and had hundreds of beer types to try. We ordered a tasting plate with 12 kind of different beers from a tap. Highly recommend, I read somewhere that it is in top 5 of the world beer pubs, can't argue with that 👍🏽

Run by the cutest older couple. If you read all the other “reviews” of this place they will say they are rude. They are not. They are protective of their home/ bar. All you have to do is the most MINIMUM amount of research on this bar to know that they do not want to let people in that will drink and get drunk. So when they welcome you at the door all you have to do is avoid saying you want to “drink” beer. You have to say I’m here to “TASTE” special Belgium beer. If you say the word “drink” they won’t let you in. Just say “taste” instead and you will be granted the most charming/ unique beer experience. Well worth the trip from Brussels.

Unique experience. Secured our entrance by quoting the line, being quiet & respectful. The beers were very good & the lady who served us was a little reserved but quite friendly. The older gentleman was in the background & didn't seem in great health. Visited with a friend who had visited around twenty years ago who said things had changed quite a bit. Things had become a lot more eccentric. There was a blackboard with beer on tap listed but only one (extensive) printed menu on the bar whereas there used to be one on every table. There were a lot of personal materials around the bar which maybe some wouldn't find particularly welcoming (old newspapers, pet food). The smell of cat urine more so. Again the beers were great though & well priced for their rarity in many cases & the lady was nice. She must have had to deal with a lot of rude or drunk idiots over the years so can understand the selective entrance policy.

This is an unique venue. A bit intimidating maybe, but wonderful. The front door is locked. You need to ring the bell _once_. Ask to taste some beer. You don't drink beer. You taste it and hopefully enjoy it. The place is cluttered with things and feels more like somebody's living room. Have patience and you will be able to enjoy some excellent vintage beers both on tap and bottle.

There is a time and place for everything. If you get the privilege to be invited into a home where time and place are appreciated, with much care in how it should be enjoyed, your taste buds will forever be grateful.

The strangest bar I've ever visited, but brilliantly unique. We had to answer a mini-interrogation before we were even let in, and make sure you turn up with cash, not card. Inside it's like a beer museum, run by an elderly couple who go and fetch any of the hundreds of vintage beers from their deep cellars. Be prepared to wait. It's well worth it, though, because the taste of, say, a ten-year-old stout is like no beer you've ever tasted before. You're there to "taste, not drink", so head elsewhere if a session is your chief priority. But it's absolutely worth a visit if you love your ales.

This is a truly magnificent place: the beers are wonderful and well-priced, the staff is incredibly friendly and helpful and the atmosphere is familiar and cozy. No amount of positive words could do this place enough justice as it really is something else. If you’re a beer enthusiast, this is definitely the place to visit.

The perfect beer bar for me. Old school. Old beers. Great ambiance. Great folks who run it.

We didn't get to enter, apparently we did not get the answer to the door guard right. It's a shame that one of the most famous temples for beer lovers treats potential customers like this. After arguing with the old man at the door, because he apparently didn't like that I said we wanted to drink beer on my first answer instead of taste it, he turned us out. I had been hoping to come here for like 15 years, I was really really dissapointed.

Know the magic words to be let in (something like 'ik wil een lekker biertje proeven') and you won't be disappointed when they let you in their world. It's like a time capsule, still stuck in the sixties! Loads of super rare beers on sale (e.g. Westmalle) and a great selection to try (proeven). Ignore the bad reviews from folks that don't appear to get it, this is the real deal. Probably the only one of its kind on this planet.

Very unique and intimate experience sharing the room with other respectful enthusiasts. The older couple who operate this cafe are kind and discerning - my type of people. We ended up meeting a local who we shared a 23 year old beer with and shared some good stories. This is a one of a kind place and should be respected as such!

You can get in to taste some great beers. It’s unique experience especially when you see some people can’t get in.

Small local beer bar. They have a big selection of beers. It's cash only. They have some really old beers. The place it's very local. Looks like hoarders live there but it's part of the decor. It's a small place. The owners are very nice. Their brand of beers are really good and tasty. Again remember it's cash only. They have an eclectic clientele. Funny how people say they found this place by asking Google. Overall it's a great place to have some beers.

Always a pleasure to come back :)

While the entrance may seem "unusual" to most people, it was actually one of the best bar atmospheres I have ever experienced. The man at the door might seem unfriendly at the entrance, but everything inside is super friendly and the beer options are amazing. Truly a fantastic place

Always great! Some patience needed upon entry but the experience is without equal.

Signature beer museum in Antwerpen. there are many old beers even more than 10 years!! let's do excellent experience.

The greatest beer bar I could ever imagine on this Earth. Any beer lover absolutely needs to have this place on their bucket list. Not touristy in the least, this place has an incredible list of current and vintage beers (I did a 20 year vertical and had a 33 year vintage). It's the opposite of stuffy, though it's definitely stuffed in there (see picture). Also the owner is very helpful!

Initial impressions we're great - don't dare suggest you would like to be let in so you can drink beer. Drinking is not allowed. Only tasting! Not the most welcoming of places, but the beer kind of makes up for that. They have an unknown quantity and spread of aged bottled that if you catch the owners in the right mood you might get a chance to taste, otherwise you're directed to the tap list, which arguably has a decent selection of aged and lambic beers. Just had a whole air of not really being welcoming...

Wow, what an amazing experience! Dirk and his wife, Leen, are the coolest. They even have these two awesome Brazilian soccer jerseys with their names on them - just like the pros! Dirk explained to me that Pelé is to soccer what he and his wife are to beer - and I totally agree! These guys know their stuff. Thanks for a great time, Dirk and Leen! 🍻

Excellent selection and a must go for anyone even remotely into Belgian beers. This is a bucket list place for many. Ring the doorbell and you are being taken into a place that looks like it has not changed for decades and will be served excellent beers

Amazing bar to taste unusual and rare beers. Cash only

I think many visitors who are turned away here are too focused on what the right answer is rather than attitude. Once inside, enjoy a few of their delicious beers. The classical music playing softly in the background really facilitates conversation with your fellow guests. It is much less pretentious than it may appear.

We were warned that we would come across an entirely different place here. We just didn't expect it to be this much. In short, the gentleman, who must be the owner, did not let us in. There was a sign on the door indicating they were open, but he stayed at the door talking, and after a good 5 minutes of talking at the door, we left. We had cash on us. As we were previously warned this could happen, I'm leaving 4 stars in honor of their long history.

This place is absolutely fantastic, the knowledge and extensive assortment of beer is absolutely crazy. If you don't really enjoy beer, this place is unfortunately not for you. But for the people who can really enjoy beer this is like Disney land, if you are a beer geek/connoisseur you are really in for a treat.

Beer heaven! Always great stuff on tap and crazy beer menu.

The most unique bar we’ve ever visited. The beer selection was excellent. The menu has to be seen to be believed. The lady serving us was very nice and sweet.