Introduction
	Index Albergen Almelo Deventer Enschede Hengelo Kampen Losser Oldenzaal Ommen Ootmarsum Zwolle Drenthe Flevoland Friesland Gelderland Groningen Limburg Noord Brabant Noord Holland Overijssel Utrecht Zeeland Zuid Holland
This page lists beer pubs in the Dutch province of Overijssel. Jammed between the Ijsselmeer and Germany, it's home to Holland's second most famous brewery, A series of medium-sized towns are strung along the Amsterdam-Enschede railway line. Luckily for us, most of them have an interesting pub or two. On a personal note, Oldenzaal station is the only place I've ever been escorted to by immigration officials. What a sheltered life I've lead. You must have much more interesting fascist border guard stories. Luckily, I had nothing up my arse at the time. (Not that I normally have anything there. I'm not that sort of guy.)
Breweries in Overijssel Brewery location type Grolsche Bierbrouwerij N.V. Boeklo Grolsch Brouwerij De Pauw Ommen brewpub Brouwerij Mommeriete Holthone microbrewery

Introduction

Zwolle is a quaint town with a population of about around 100,000. On a map it's easy to spot the distinctive spikey outline of a 17th century Dutch fortified town. Within its protective girth you'll find most of the town's pubs. Zwolle isn't at all badly supplied with pubs, when compared with other crappy, small Dutch towns. Below, you'll find my personal selection. (Of pubs, not crappy Dutch towns. Not that I I think Zwolle is crappy. Quite the opposite. I lived in Swindon for two years; I understand ugly and dull. Zwolle is neither.) (If you've read as many of my cliched introductions as I have, you'll now be sitting in the bath, cradling a toaster. I sometimes wonder why I bother writing tham at all. No-one ever reads them all the way through. Well done if you've got this far. You're the same sort of sad obsessive as me.)

Grand Cru Café Public
Blijmarkt 23, 8011 ND Zwolle. Tel: 038 - 422 6600 Email: info@grandcafepublic.nl http://www.grandcafepublic.nl/
Opening hours: Tue - Thur 11:00 - 01:00, Fri 10:00 - 01:00, Sat 10:00 - 02:00, Sun 11:00 - 24:00, closed Monday.
Number of draught beers: 8
Number of bottled beers: +-10
Regular draught beers: Grolsch Pils Erdinger Hefeweissbier De Koninck Grimbergen Dubbel
Food: Snacks €4-10, meals €12-16. Duvel €3.30, pils €1.95-3.85.
Public is not where you would particularly look for a pub. It's on a fairly quiet street, with not much on it, apart from the Stadshof theatre opposite. The building used to house a bank. That's must be where the high ceiling comes from. The single room is pretty big, for a Dutch pub (In the UK, it would count as a snug) and reminds me of a Viennese coffee house. At least my idea of a Viennese coffee house. I've never actually set foot in one - Vienna has far too many brewpubs. The bar counter (you can just about make it out on the photo) is a restrained and stylish carved wood affair, with gleaming brass fittings. The beer selection isn't huge, but there are two "guest" taps. There's a Grolsch tie, which is particularly noticeable in the bottled beers.
Rating: ***	Public transport:

Blues Rock Café Bourbon Street
Voorstraat 1, 8011 MK Zwolle. Tel. 038 - 4221058 Email: cafe@bourbon-street.nl http://www.bourbon-street.nl/
Opening hours: Tue 16:00 - 01:00, Wed - Thur 16:00 - 02:00, Fri 16:00 - 03:00, Sat 16:00 - 04:00, Sun 20:00 - 01:00, closed Monday
Number of draught beers: 10
Number of bottled beers: +50
Regular draught beers: Hertog Jan Pils De Koninck Hoegaarden Witbier Leffe Blond Murphys Irish Red
Food: Snacks.
There are certain places you would never guess were beer pubs from their exterior. Bourbon Street is in this category. Just as well I already had the address, or I might have walked straight by. Which would be a shame, as it's very cosy and welcoming inside. Can you guess what the theme is? Not too - the sign "Blues Cafe" over the door sort of gives it away. So expect music. Quite loud music. Not deafening, but definitely making you aware of its presence. The decoration continues the theme, the walls being covered in photos of rock stars. No great surprises in the beer range, but it's a solid enough selection of Belgian classics. Westvleteren 12 is available. At more than €8 a pop, it's not so surprising that they haven't sold out. ABT member.
Rating: ****	Public transport:

De Beurs
Grote Kerkplein 2, 8011 PK Zwolle. Tel.: 038 - 422 2048
Opening hours: Wed 10:00 - 18:00, Thur 10:00 - 24:00, Fri 09:00 - 01:00, Sat 10:00 - 01:00, Sun 12:00 - 18:00 Monday & Tuesday closed
Number of draught beers: 6
Number of bottled beers: 10
Regular draught beers: Duvel €3.70.
Food: Snacks.
There's a wonderful view of Zwolle's main church from De Beurs. The view from its huge windows are its best feature. (Though the building itself, with the 3-D brickwork so typical of 1920's Dutch erchitecture, is mighty fine, too.) Inside, it sadly looks like a makeover disaster. Terracotta-coloured walls - that's so last year. The schools must have finished early today, judging by my fellow customers. It looks like an outing - with me playing the geography teacher. The outdoor seating must be pretty cool when the weather isn't quite so (cool). The beer list is very Interbrew dominated. There is one "guest" tap, which was dispensing Kasteel Blond (see left) on my visit. (Photograph courtesy of William Price) I suggest checking the opening times carefully before a visit. They're about as erratic as they come.
Rating: *	Public transport:

Dranck & Speijslokaal De Vierjaargetijden
Melkmarkt 8, 8011MC Zwolle. Tel.: 038 - 421 9904 zwolle@devierjaargetijden.nl http://www.devierjaargetijden.nl/
Opening hours: Sun - Wed 11:00 - 01:00, Thur 11:00 - 02:00, Fri - Sat 10:00 - 03:00
Number of draught beers: 6
Number of bottled beers: 10
Regular draught beers: Grolsch Pils Speciale Palm
Food: Snacks, meals.
"Do you remember, the twenty-first of September". That's a Four Seasons number, isn't it? No matter, Four Seasons ia a translation of this pubs' name. You probably want me to get on with some actual description of it now. Here I go. It's a long, thin, brownish café, just off Zwolle's maain square. (I would say "just head for the church", but, confusingly, the tower belongs to the R.C. job a couple of streets further down.) Given the age of most of the customers, you could be forgievn for thinking that you've wandered into a school disco. Odd, because it's a pretty traditional-looking sort of pub. It's part of a chain of pubs (all called Vierjaargetijden) in several towns in the East of Holland.
Rating: **	Public transport:

© Ron Pattinson 1995 - 2004