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…
Belgian Coast
Estaminet de Peerdevisscher is a wonderful old-time café with fishermen moonlighting as bar staff and a real seafaring vibe. It's 1.5km north of the beach…
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…
West Flanders
Beer specialist bar with a youthful upbeat vibe. Organises occasional meet-the-brewer days and serves some rare gems, including occasional draught…
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…
West Flanders
In Woesten, about 8km northeast of Poperinge and the same distance northwest of Ypres, Deca Brewery is one of the only places you're likely to be able to…
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…
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…
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…
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
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…
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…
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…
West Flanders
Abdij Sint-Sixtus' café-pub, In de Vrede, is the only place in the world where you can be (virtually) sure of tasting the incomparable Westvleteren 12°,…
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…
West Flanders
Oerbier, a highly rated stealthy dark ale, is brewed here by De Dolle Brouwers in Esen village. At weekends, the brilliantly colourful little brewery café…
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…
West Flanders
Kortrijk's leading coffee house has become so beloved by locals that it now has branches in Bruges and Groeninge. It also has its own brand of chocolate …
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.
West Flanders
Flickering candles, crooning soft jazz and more than 100 beers including draught Chimay Tripel (€3.50). Tables spill onto the park opposite.
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…
