The best bars and cafés Gent

Mischievous-looking trolls (not garden gnomes!) give this little café a special atmosphere. Candles, brick walls, huge mirrors tarnished by time, exposed beams and classical music create a pleasant and unusual intimate atmosphere. On draught, you'll find Trollebier (the trolls' beer), either blond or dark. A must-try, of course, but there are almost 300 regional beers on tap too! The Hibiscus Goose, for example, was delicious! Pleasant outdoor terrace on the cobblestones.

This cramped café is housed in one of the oldest houses in the city. Indeed, the facade bears the date 1228. But then why the name? Well because in the time of its commercial and industrial hegemony, Ghent traded with the Turks! The simple and sober decor has the atmosphere of popular places. Attended by many regulars, it is an ideal bar for chatting while enjoying a good mousse. You can choose from a fine selection of beers, including some famous Trappist beers, whiskies and why not a brandy.

Today, it's the smallest café in town, but also the oldest: it dates back to the ^18th century! In this pretty house of gnomes, you'll even discover an old pillory (torture post) where people were nailed in the old days, and you'll better understand the expression "to nail to the pillory"... It's not always easy to find your way around on Friday and Saturday evenings, as the bar is very popular with the locals. But it does boast a lovely, well-lit terrace for longer summer nights.

A stylish house, two teeming floors, taffeta drapes and a lively atmosphere. There's always something going on, and it's the trendy resto-bar from noon to midnight. Contemporary decor, a trendy clientele and French-Belgian brasserie cuisine make this one of the city's places to be, even if unfortunately the quality of the plates isn't the same as it used to be. The cocktails and oysters are always recommendable. Take a look at the toilets - they're worth the trip!

Behind this charming façade, we discovered this nugget: Julie's House. The comings and goings of regulars and tourists prove the success of this patisserie and tea house. Here, a wide selection of colorful pies, muffins and cupcakes entice visitors behind glass at teatime. You can order them to take away, or enjoy them on site, on the terrace or in the room on the mezzanine floor. Delicious breakfasts are also available in the morning. Everything is cute, appetizing and colorful: you'll love it!

250-strong beer list and decor featuring tankards, beer glasses and old posters advertising beer. Anyone ordering the beer of the month is offered a second glass free of charge. This is a very busy café and it has a little quirk too: if you choose a beer that is served in a "valuable" glass, you will be asked to hand over your shoes as a deposit for the glass!

Another must in this good city of Ghent, on the banks of the Leie. In summer, the terrace becomes the place to be, even if the candlelit bar is charming in the evening. More than 160 references of beers are listed, including 17 on draught. A brewery is honored each month. The tavern specializes in gueuzes and krieks. While enjoying your pint, you can also enjoy the Ghent puppet shows on the bar's floor.

After Antwerp, Ghent was the second city to host a Bier Central, a bar-restaurant dedicated to the divine hoppy beverage. Brussels and Mechelen also have one. With no less than 366 labels, 33 of which are on draught, there is enough to make you dizzy before you even put your lips on a glass. Problem to choose? The "Encyclopedia of Beer" or the staff are there to guide you. So that stomachs do not remain empty, a nice menu is also proposed with, of course, beer dishes, such as mussels à la Sint-Hubertus. All of this in a decor of an old café with a trendy touch.

It's not surprising that you'll find plates of excellent charcuterie (and cheeses) at the "Bar Boucher". And that's what you need to accompany the dozens of craft beers, including 15 " van het tap " (on draught). What this pocket bar doesn't have in size, it makes up for with its menu. And the menu does not discriminate between Belgian, Scottish, German or French beers, as long as they are good. If you don't know which one to choose, ask David (aka Dave) for advice and he will help you with a smile.

The Dulle Griet is a large red wrought-iron cannon from the ^15th century, which was used during the Hundred Years' War and is on display right next to the bar (on Vrijdagmarkt). Every month, a different beer is featured, and to celebrate, you can drink two for the price of one! To enjoy your froth, you can choose between the terrace on the pedestrian square, or one of the three rooms, decorated with old advertisements for beer brands, mugs, glasses... This temple of beer offers some 260 references.

Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant is a bar-café in Ghent. It offers a wide selection of beers, both bottled and draught. Open daily from 11am to 2am. It features a terrace and table service. Customers appreciate the typical atmosphere of the place, as well as the view over the canal. The staff are welcoming and professional, and are able to advise customers on their choice of beers. Some visitors also commented on the quality of the moules frites served here. However, a few reviews mentioned an unpleasant smell in the bar. Overall, Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant is considered a must for beer lovers in Ghent.

The first step is down a few steps into the bar. The jigger is the measuring instrument used to make cocktails. And that's exactly what this bar specializes in. A sweet or spicy first note? Each mixture has been thought through to the end of the straw. Even the coasters are decorated with mischievous drawings. The menu is regularly changed according to the fruit in season. The glassware is elegant, the atmosphere is subdued inside, and the paneled terrace outside has a truly magnificent green roof.

An iconic little café on the Place du Marché, ideal for soaking up Ghent's afterwork atmosphere. Generations X and Y meet here to have a drink, relax, chat, remake the world and why not watch a soccer match on the giant screen some evenings. In summer, it's best to arrive early to get a seat on the terrace. And what we really appreciate is that the evening can turn into a party at any time. That's the spirit that owner Lino wants to keep! In fact, we close late if the party wants to.

It was the perfect idea: a bookshop in a pub, to combine the pleasure of a good book with that of a good drink. The owner is an erudite traveler and fan of premium malts and spirits. Premium spirits gleaned from around the world are sold to take away, along with related thematic books. For example, Japanese whisky is paired with a book on Japan, and the works of Lord Byron with Lord Byron Scotch Whisky. Their own Books&Booze gin is paired with a book on the Congo. What an imaginative way to create gift sets!

A wine bar that favors organic and biodynamic vintages from hand-picked small producers. We come here for quality and health! The background music is rather jazzy, and the pretty wooden decor is uncluttered and inviting, with beautiful lighting fixtures that enhance the space. The banquettes are vintage and glamorous, and the atmosphere inside is subdued in the evenings, while the micro terrace is very popular both day and night. Mind your head! In the vaulted stone cellar, headroom is limited!

This cocktail bar for the happy few in the former Ghent post office has become the headquarters of the trendy thirty-somethings in Ghent. Under gothic ceilings, with a fireplace where the fire crackles in winter and a retro zinc, you can admire the illuminated historic city. Sofas call for intimate conversations, with a jazzy musical background that is only disturbed by the soft sound of the shakers in the bar-tenders. High-flying cocktails that change with the seasons. One can enjoy for example C-Bomb (Tanqueray 10, lemon, rosé grape, Kalamansi and orange).

Urban jungle and tiki lounge ambience for this bar dedicated to aperitifs and cocktails. Neon lights, roses, plants everywhere, rattan seats and cushions with tropical prints give the establishment a vacation feel, all the more so as it has a lovely view over the Lys. Here, you can enjoy a spritz or a negroni, as well as more elaborate cocktails (amaretto sour, margarita...), but all in the "light and fresh" category, so as not to upset your stomach. And if you're feeling peckish, André offers a range of aperitif platters.

For an aperitif break or a glass of fine wine on the water, the Noah boat is the place to be. In this almost deserted setting, you'll have to make your way along the quayside to find the tastefully appointed barge. Here, you can lounge in pretty rope "egg" design chairs. On its roof or in its den, where you plunge as if into another universe, it's the ideal place to moor up and watch the sleeping barges in the vicinity. On the slate, antipasti, a few pretty salads and fresh pasta tease you with their light, tasty fare.

Café Albatros is a new bar that brings back the popular atmosphere of the Brussels of yesteryear, that of the famous bruin cafés. Everything is new, but everything looks old. Right down to the ball chandeliers and Stella pink neon, just like the old days. It's quite breathtaking! Imagine yourself in one of these ^19th-century troquets, with long benches lining the sides of the bar, and you might feel like playing a game of retro foosball. Except that today, you can enjoy kombucha or craft IPA beers, just like in any other trendy bar.