The Good Beer Company shares the second floor of the Chinatown Complex with Smith Street Taps and runs a quietly different format: ten taps, but a deep bottle programme — over 200 imports, mostly Belgian and US, kept properly cold in a glass-fronted fridge along the back wall.
The bottle programme is what sets the bar apart. Belgian sours (Cantillon, Drie Fonteinen, Tilquin), US west-coast double IPAs that arrive monthly, English real ales in 500ml bottles, Belgian Trappists with the year on the label. The staff know the inventory deeply and will guide you through the styles if you are unsure.
The format is identical to its neighbour: hawker-stall counter, surrounding tables shared with the rest of the complex, no reservations, no dress code. Order at the counter, take your bottle (or glass) to a table, eat whatever you want from the neighbouring stalls. The bar staff will open and pour the bottle for you and bring you a tasting glass if you ask.
The Good Beer Company is the right call when you want to drink one or two specific beers carefully rather than work through a flight. The Belgian sour selection alone justifies the trip. Bring cash; the bar does accept cards but the rest of the complex does not always.
Best time to visit: Weekday evenings before 9pm for the quieter version of the room; weekends after 9pm for the busier one. Reservations recommended where the bar accepts them.
What to order
- 01
Belgian Sour (Cantillon)
- 02
Trappist Ale
- 03
US Double IPA
- 04
English Real Ale
- 05
Local Saison