Bruges
Luminaries have frequented Bruges’ oldest pub for 500 years; local legend has it that Rubens once painted an imitation coin on the table here and then did…
Must-see nightlife in Northwest Belgium
-
Bruges
Try the fabulous Garre draught beer, which comes with a thick floral head in a glass that’s almost a brandy balloon; the pub will only serve you three of…
-
Bruges
With its dark-timber beams, low lighting, convivial clatter and park setting, L'Estaminet scarcely seems to have changed since it opened in 1900. It’s…
-
Ostend
Ostend has a compact gay scene. Of its handful of bars, Valentino – with its charming hosts, dance floor and cruisy back room – is a bit of a one-stop…
-
Ghent
Heavy beams, a heraldic ceiling, barrel tables, lacy lampshades and the odd boar’s head all add character to one of Ghent’s best-known beer pubs. It has…
-
Ostend
Ostend's new hipster-kid on the block is worth checking out just to see what a bar/restaurant called Mommy's Bastards is like. There's a tapas and a la…
-
Ghent
Sporting an enticing waterfront terrace, this photogenic classic beer-pub has an interior draped in dried hops, plus three exclusive house beers amid the…
-
Bruges
Legendary throughout Bruges, Belgium and beyond for its hundreds of Belgian brews, this cosy bruin café (brown cafe) is filled with old advertising…
-
Bruges
Outstanding beers from 50 of the best breweries in Belgium, served by charming and informative staff in this pink-hued and rose-scattered bar. There are…
-
Bruges
An elegant marble-floored tearoom on a cobbled passage near the Markt. Coffee comes with a dainty homemade biscuit and sometimes a little glass of…
-
Ghent
A traditional jenever (gin) bar, serving 100 Belgian concoctions – including the owner's homemade prune and raisin versions – and one north French…
-
Bruges
Set around a courtyard comprising characterful brick buildings, this big buzzing space is super-popular with Bruggelingen (Bruges locals). DJs hit the…
-
Bruges
Look carefully for the concealed hole in the wall and follow the staircase down into this cross-vaulted cellar glowing with ethereal white lights and…
-
Northwest Belgium
This picture-perfect rural tavern seems to have stepped straight out of an ethnographic museum. Seats spill out canal-side with rural views along the…
-
Ghent
Local gents unwind with newspapers, and grannies lunch on shrimp croquettes in this low-key classic café set in a triangular former brewery house. A giant…
-
Bruges
Tucked into the remains of one of Bruges’ original town gates, this off-the-beaten-track tavern is best known for its live blues and jazz sessions – check…
-
Bruges
Don’t miss the superb canal view from outside this popular café. With the belfry towering above a perfect gaggle of medieval house-fronts, the view is…
-
Bruges
These days Joey’s is run by Stevie, who performs with local band Cajun Moon; consequently, this dark, intimate bar is a gathering spot for Bruges’ musos…
-
Ghent
Built in the late 12th century, this heavy-beamed stone café is the oldest building on Graslei and was once the city grain store. Today it's a lively…
-
Ostend
There's a giant devil-fish's head on the roof of two old houses with facades covered with lurid cartoons. Inside it's cramped, filled with bric-a-brac and…
-
Ghent
Yes, palm trees grow in Ghent, albeit small ones on the deck of this appealing barge-café. Good-value snacks and meals supplement a choice of more than…
-
Bruges
Attached to an upmarket seafood restaurant (mains €25 to €48), this remarkable cocktail bar is enclosed by beech hedges and red-brick gabled buildings. It…
-
Ghent
Labath is a buzzing place for a fine coffee fix, organic Prosecco or a diverse selection of aromatic, tasty teas including Indian-style masala chai and…
-
Ghent
Ghent’s uberpopular brewery-pub serves excellent herb-infused brews. Guided tours of the brewery (for a minimum of eight thirsty punters) are available by…
-
Ghent
This congenial, multifaceted café with eclectic decor and at least 20 beers from the barrel hosts regular jam nights and live music.
-
Ghent
Lit only by candles, this classic late-night cafe-bar with carved wooden ceilings is an ideal place for cosy midnight conversations.
-
Bruges
A real nightclub in the centre of the city. A very youthful crowd packs out the DJ nights, gigs and after-parties.
-
Ostend
With the panelling of a traditional café but the backlit bottle racks of a fashion-conscious cocktail bar, Lafayette hits a fine balance between hip and…
-
Ostend
This busy pub-café on Ostend's so-called 'Little Paris' corner was built in 1885. It's a local landmark and a thoroughly atmospheric place to down a beer,…
-
Ghent
Silver-floral wallpaper, black-and-white photos from the glory days of celluloid and the occasional live jazz performance (9pm most Thursdays Oct-Apr)…
-
Ypres
One of Ypres' oldest houses, the 1772 Binnenhuys was rare in surviving WWI relatively intact. It's now an old-world home interiors shop, but tucked away…
-
Ghent
In a graphic metaphor of globalisation, Ghent's classic old-world coffee shop is now hidden behind a brash Starbucks. Its response? A bright new takeaway…
-
Ostend
In a spacious café reminiscent of a British pub you'll find around 300 different beers, including a dozen on draught. Meals (noon to 2.30pm and 6pm to…
-
Bruges
Unusually hip for Bruges, with a '60s/'70s vibe and a vintage Vespa hanging from the roof. The sunny terrace is a nice spot for a Jupiler, and the theme…
-
Ypres
A piano hangs on the two-storey inner wall above a row of Champagne bottles. Summer tables spill out across appealing Vismarkt, and DJs turn the tables on…
-
Bruges
Hundreds of varieties of beer are available at this 17th-century sculpture-adorned brasserie-pub, as well as traditional Belgian and Italian-inspired…
-
Ghent
Get your caffeine fix in this central coffee specialist, brewing its beans in a 14th-century riverside house.
-
Bruges
Quaint corner café with a sunny terrace overlooking one of the St-Anna windmills.
-
