Fun and entertainment Flandres belges

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!

In the first half of the 19th century, the rich industrialists of Ghent subsidised the construction of a new luxury opera house to proudly display their fortune. The result is still astonishing in the 21st century: worthy of Italian opera houses, in this opera house with its horseshoe-shaped hall, red velvet predominates, chandeliers glitter on concert evenings, gilding and stucco on the walls. The programming is interesting.

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!

Run by Sabine and Olaf for twenty-five years, this piece of beach would almost propel us to the French Riviera. Except that here there is no lack of space on the beach and no less than 500 mattresses during the high season welcome holidaymakers looking for a moment of comfort and relaxation, under the palm trees of the Belgian coast. In a musical lounge atmosphere, you will taste at the bar a delicious mojito or this famous rosé of Saint-Tropez the Castle of Morres. All accompanied by some tapas, feet in the sand.

On this perpendicular to the Promenade Albert ^Ier, this café is an institution. This English-style pub is packed every night. It has to be said that it offers no less than three hundred types of beer, including sixteen on draught. The Tripel Karmeliet is a delight! You can also try one of the fifty gins on the menu. You'll also appreciate the brewery-style snacks available, which you'll be happy to select with an aperitif.

A very pretty, slightly bohemian bar located in a former boutique on a street known for its fine stores, you'll immediately feel at home at Paula's. Sit in an armchair, near one of the large windows for a reading break. Sitting in an armchair, near one of the large windows for a reading break around a pedestal table, or upstairs for a breathtaking view of the room. Come for a coffee, an aperitif, a beer or a cocktail in the evening. If you're feeling hungry, the house specialty is hot dogs, but deluxe ones, filled to the brim with vegetables, sauce... Vegetarian versions are also available.

Flanders Burgundy, a blend of Bruinen Os and old lambic, is both refined and complex. It was also brewed in Bruges until the middle of the last century. Good news: the legendary beer finally returned to Bruges in 2015 in this bar with a breathtaking view of the canals. Either on the terrace or warm inside, you can enjoy a refreshing, quality beer break in a well-hidden spot. What's more, you can visit the brewery to discover the secrets behind the making of this beer (€15).

A bar where many of the city's musicians meet. Artists of all stripes meet there all the time; it's not uncommon for there to be a concert. It's an opportunity to mingle with the locals. Beers and cocktails add salt to the often colourful conversations in this authentic troquet with a woody soul that smells of vibrant Flanders. The place, with its wooden tables and stone walls, smells of authenticity and joie de vivre. Otherwise, the cocktails, music and relaxed atmosphere are worth a stop.

Cuvee is both a wine boutique and a popular wine bar... for local restaurateurs, which is a good sign! Ivo and Hilde became passionate about wine over ten years ago through wine-tasting courses. Large 130 m² wine cellar. Natural wines and small productions, often exclusive to Flanders, for a choice of 250 labels. The large counter at the back is ideal for tastings by the glass, accompanied by cheese and charcuterie, with the cutting machine visible.

This alternative café in the center of Bruges, which could be described as "eco bobo", is very warm and welcoming, offering quality, fair-trade coffees and teas, as well as simple, affordable lunchtime dishes (soups, bagels, quiches, tarts...). The first room on the street is pleasant, while at the back there's another room with an outdoor patio. The whole place is furnished with odds and ends and mismatched retro sofas and chairs. The background music is eclectic and well-chosen, but not too loud. Also a few tables on the street in summer. Wifi.

This cosy resto-bar is housed in a splendid 15th century building in the historic centre. We love the magnificent setting, the wide selection of beers, wines, cocktails and a beautiful range of whiskies and rums, in a Latin-Jazz atmosphere. Several times a month, concerts are organized to enjoy a moment of live music (see on their Facebook page). They also serve snacks, tapas and Belgian brasserie dishes where beef is the main dish, which is quite expensive. It's better to come and have a drink there on concert evenings.

It's the only (large) concert hall (apart from the classical and jazz-oriented Concertgebouw) to program all international and national pop, electro, hip hop and jazz fusion artists. Every year, it organizes the Cactus Festival (one weekend in July), which welcomes major headliners (including Massive Attack, Erykah Badu, Air, Lauryn Hill, Beach House, Bonnie Prince Billy Macy Gray, Gregory Porter in 2021), and also takes part in the Moods! (July-August) and More Music! (one week in April).

This loungebar is the only real nightclub in Bruges. This is where you can dance the night away into the wee hours of the morning. The setting is classy, that of a historic former bank in the city center. DJs follow one another at the turntables and don't look alike: electro, techno, R'n'B, hip hop, the program is eclectic. The space is small but cosy, and the lighting is designed to create a lively atmosphere at the end of the week. Cocktails and beers are on the menu.

In the evenings, you can enjoy jazz and rhythm 'n' blues, and concerts are also organized. With its blazing fireplace and cosy atmosphere, it's the perfect place for a relaxed evening. Beers on tap and small snacks complete the charm of this jazz club in T'Zand. It serves good tapas, simple dishes, burgers and desserts, and of course a wide range of Belgian beers of all kinds (blond, dark, amber, IPA...). To find out what's on, visit their Facebook page.

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.

One nothing except city, for fans of commercial cinema. Always in VO.

Gay disco present for 30 years in Ghent, always with the same bosses. An institution!

Classical music concerts. Located in the abbey.

Very well-known theatre company offering quality performances (only in Flemish).

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.

A real institution in Ghent for its café, its concert hall and its club open on weekends. The program is varied and very dense (see the website). Comedy club, improv games, DJ funk or disco nights, one or two concerts per night of all kinds (hip-hop, RnB, house, pop, techno, punk, afrobeat, but also alternative currents: pop-acid, tropical tribal, soukous, synthwave...) names that will evoke something for sharp ears in search of eclectic alternative sounds.

Another place to be for trendy night owls. Art galleries, regular live concerts, bars, dance clubs... This is where the block party is held with an outdoor extension. This club at the bar-aquarium is housed in an ultra-designed medieval cellar. In a subdued atmosphere, we dance all night long to the rhythms of the DJ's sounds or jams and colourful cocktail rounds. Staged as a pink lounge, we see white cat-shaped lamps that dimly illuminate the nooks and crannies and the bar. The den of Ghent's golden youth.

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 bar is run by the founders of the Ghent Festivities - that's saying something! It's an institution for all Ghenters. This rather relaxed café bruin (traditional bar) is a good place for a frothy nightcap on weekdays or weekends. What's more, the bar hosts concerts almost every evening (free every Monday) from 9pm, and DJ sets on Sunday evenings, in a wide variety of styles (indie pop, rock, reggae, slam, acoustic folk, etc.). The atmosphere is very intimate, and the relationship with the artists direct.

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.

If beer makes Belgium's reputation throughout the world, coffee is also a much appreciated nectar. Café De Carillon is the oldest "brown coffee" in the city of Oudenaarde. It is recognizable thanks to its façade with gables and yellow bricks. Café De Carillon is a must for anyone who wants to taste authentic Flanders in its Belgian pub interior with wood panelling. The menu still makes a very nice place for Belgian beers with a fine selection as well as cocktails. To be sipped on the terrace of course!

It's one of the oldest cocktail bars on the coast, but still in the top 3. Located next to the Blankenberge marina, it serves delicious concoctions, with or without alcohol, in a relaxed atmosphere and designer decor. Alongside regularly changing creations, we recommendAviation, a fresh and elegant blend of gin, violet syrup, lemon and maraschino. The gin and whisky menu is impressive, and if you're hungry, a finger food/tapas list is available. Covered terrace.

Eating a waffle (or crêpe) after a long walk on the beach is a ritual that can't be cut on the Belgian coast, and Silversand boasts some of the best on the coast. What's more, they're huge! Their Brussels waffles are twice the normal size. They're deliciously light and crispy on top, and if you go for the version with crème fraîche, you can tell it's homemade. An extensive menu of savory brasserie dishes is also available, but the waffles suffice.

Famous for having played host to some of the world's greatest names (Edith Piaf, Maurice Chevalier, Yves Montand...), it boasts superb games rooms, two clubs, a restaurant, a concert hall and organizes major exhibitions. It houses several remarkable works, including a fresco by Keith Haring, Paul Delvaux's Le Voyage légendaire, and a 72-m mural, Magritte's Domaine enchanté. Inside, take a peek at the ceiling to admire the world's largest chandelier, with its seven tons of Venetian crystal and 2,000 bulbs.

An artist's island in the heart of Kortrijk put on research and artistic creation to find the animation that reigned in the area in the s. This idea, born of the perspective of "Lille 2004" in artistic and cultural development, is the work of Kurt Vanbelleghem, the conductor and artistic director of this beautiful initiative. Supported by major cultural structures such as in Kortrijk, the Antigone Theatre, Happy New Ears and the Limelight Art Centre, creation spaces, dance and actors studios, exhibition halls, a cinema opened their doors to create new fields for artistic creation.

Atmosphere somewhere between Flemish-style brown coffee and vintage, with 1980s chandeliers, bits of baffles embedded in the counter and an old TV, Gainsbar is the kind of drinking establishment you easily fall in love with. The beer list is extensive, with a dozen or so sparkling beers available on tap, many of them local. The upstairs room, meanwhile, has a more "salon" and intimate feel. The great Serge would have approved. Ladies, be sure to use the restroom, where a surprise awaits you. We'll say no more.

Sprezza is the ideal place to share a cocktail with friends. In this upscale hotel bar, first enjoy watching the mixologist craft your cocktail with skill and experience. Then sip it at the bar or on one of the coffee tables, amid a colorful, chic and eclectic decor. The bar also offers a fine selection of spirits, as well as tapas to share, such as an assortment of charcuterie and a trio of tapenades. An exceptional moment. On Sundays, the bar offers a more extensive menu of noble products.

Nude is the place to go out in Kortrijk if you like your venues chic and sophisticated. Elegant and warm, but also a laid-back "easy bar", the place is frequented for its menu of racy cocktails with hand-picked premium spirits. Or to dine on tapas, mezze and dishes influenced by the flavors of the Middle East, Persia and North Africa. You can also come for the aperitif, the terrace and the wines. The atmosphere is subdued, except perhaps on concert and DJ night days. On weekends, it's funk, disco and oldies.

The atmosphere of this café-restaurant is ultra warm and cozy. Located right in the house of the Grande Dame (the leader of the Beguinage), the historical setting has a crazy charm! At the counter, the team is busy preparing divine hot chocolates, excellent teas and invigorating coffees. You can accompany these delicious beverages with the pie of the day. For those who love salty food, the house also offers simple dishes (spaghetti) or more refined ones (segredo d'iberico with chimichurri) or boards to share. A beautiful place!

Just for the decoration, the place deserves a visit. A rendezvous with history, a salutary break over a coffee filter on a silver tray, a small cake... The chic brasserie with its unique glassware is at an angle. The terrace allows you to enjoy the sun when it is out. The daily press is available in several languages. The service is worthy of the great brasseries of yesteryear. A historic setting that its architect, Joseph Van der Banck, would be proud to have preserved. You can breathe in the patina of the wood and admire the surrounding Art Deco.

A trendy Art Nouveau-style brasserie, with a beautiful woodwork setting and a spectacular stained glass ceiling overlooking a large room with a mezzanine. A splendid well-lit architecture that is already worth the trip. Hearty grills if you don't feel like eating in a formal restaurant but rather in a good atmosphere. Moreover, the place is nice to treat yourself to a beer or a fruity jenever, while enjoying a concert (usually on Tuesdays). We stroll around the floors with a drink in our hand.

In addition to offering a fine brewery, the Bellis can also be transformed into a tea room according to your wishes. You will find a fine selection of teas, coffees and milk drinks. To accompany them, let yourself be tempted by grandmother's pancakes, waffles, milkshakes or ice cream. All in an elegant and modern setting. The service is very pleasant and welcoming. The team will even be happy to translate the menu for you. When the weather is fine, the terrace will make this moment a quality pleasure!

As well as offering bistronomic dining, l'Improviste also transforms into a bar during spring and summer evenings. This chic bar offers a fine selection of wines, champagnes and beers. A number of events are regularly organized throughout the season: concerts, Japanese evenings (with sushi and california rolls), Italian evenings (with pizzas and antipasti) and more. Don't hesitate to take a look at the website: an agenda is available. All with a beautiful view of the Waregem racecourse.