Popular Brussels Haunt About to Open Up a Bit.

Bier Circus, one of Brussels' top beery destinations, is making a few changes. In theory they should appease the quiet and not-so-quiet grumblings of beer geeks over the years.

According to an e-mail sent to patrons, the restaurant will close from July 1 to 22 for its annual holidays. When it re-opens, it will be a bit less like a restaurant and once again more like a Belgian brasserie. That basically means it will be open throughout the day and that you'll be able to simply have a drink in what has long been the dining-only area. Likewise you can sit at the bar and have a meal if you want. Meanwhile owner Patrick D'hane is scaling the menu down a bit — but just a bit. There will still be hot meals, including the popular meatloaf with Bink cheese sauce. Yum.

The new hours: Saturdays 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., weekdays 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and still closed Sundays.

The upshot is that traveling beer lovers will be more likely to find the place open, and they won't be shuffled to the bar if they only want to drop some coin on a vintage bottle. Basically good news all around for local enthusiasts and thirsty pilgrims.