The ONLY place to catch live blues music in Ghent! It is a bit like a dive bar, but the place is…read morepacked whenever there is live music. Of our 3 evenings in the city, we spent 2 of them here! The open mike night is incredible, with a rock solid opening band that then backs up solo musicians. We could easily have stayed until closing, but after a few Belgian beers and jet lag, we reluctantly bid our farewell. The drinks are great here too, plus there is food to be had.

So many good beers on tap. All of them are Belgian. Highly recommend the sweet cherry beer (#8 at…read morethe bar). Bar tender is really nice too

Bartender is a pain in the ass! But, the beer is cold and his girlfriend gave me her number. So…read morethey get five stars. Lol. Btw. It was the wrong number. Fuck.

Went into Woody's during our time in Gent expecting to get a quick Belgian beer, instead the…read morebartender Michael was super personable and gave us an amazing rundown on all the beers he had. He also gave us tons of information on the best spots to go in Gent! We enjoyed his bar so much we ended up going back multiple times during our trip and had some great conversations with Michael and some awesome locals. Thank you for the amazing experience. This place is definitely worth a visit or two!

Nice hidden gem, with an easy going vibe. The woman running our lodging recommended it, so we…read morestopped in the afternoon, sitting on the courtyard and enjoying the beer. We came back after dinner for the free jazz, which started at 9 that night. We got there around 8:30 so that we could get a seat inside. The tables are very close together, as they must like to pack them in for the performances. They have more chairs stacked in the corner, though there was no more space to put people in those chairs. You have to go to the bar for service when there is a performance, which becomes problematic as it gets more crowded. There is a sign that requests silence during performances, though there were several who were chatting quietly throughout. There's a nice little courtyard for the smokers, which is covered in the evenings. They have a few snacks, but it's all about the beer and drinks.

A random surprise lines down a line way... When we visited during the day it seemed to attract a…read moreyounger student type of crowd however let that not distract, it's a really cool bar with a easy going vibe to it and the blend of music was understated though added some good vibes to this place. Enjoyed this little secret bar and wish I'd had the chance to pop back when they had live music playing which they appear to promote pretty well. They could do with advertising more or having a better presence on the Main Street to attract those travelling through

Awesome cult- & jazzbar in original 20s-30s atmosphere, nearby the historical center of Ghent. I…read moreheard in the early days it used to be a club with exclusive memberships, only accessible for artists, architects, writers, etc., philosophing, smoking and drinking until morning hours around the pooltable. Started by Johan and Guido Claus, brothers of famous Hugo. You like Edith or miss Fitzgerald? Or rather a burlesque show with live music and swinging people, within a decor of a temporary art exhibition and dark pictures of Al Capone and Mata Hari? Check the event schedule on facebook, join barladies Marie and Lara at the authentic long copper bar, and ask for a 'real' scoth or one of the dozens of fine Belgian beers! And call me if you drop by, i'll probably join (for the 1000th time) ;)

Atmosphere is the key to this place. Bartender plays jazz records. Decent but limited selection of…read moreBelgian beers. I had a Duvel Tripel Hop. Great for having a conversation. Sit and talk with a friend, admire the photos and the artwork. They even have a pool table. Well worth seeking out for a drink or two. Enjoy!

This place is located in the main party street of the student area. When I did the PR for my…read morefraternity, this was our home base. Plenty of parties we organized here. The owners Koen and Peter are very friendly. It is modern and has a nice layout. The bar is great. Next to it there's a DJ table. We often threw themed parties. Entrance fee at this place depends on occasion.

What a wonderful cocktail bar!…read more The space is intimate with seats ensured for every guest so no one is standing. The staff are experts and the cocktails were wonderful. I would recommend adding this to your travel plans when visiting Ghent.

One of the best bars I've ever been to--wish I could go back!…read more What makes their drinks great is all the ingredients is fresh and drinks made with lots of care. The menu is unique and you have a lot to choose from--don't feel afraid to ask the staff for recommendations. They are very sweet, passionate and knowledgeable. Please try the Hylde-- it's my favorite. Made with elderflower and Jenever (a local equivalent to gin). If you're up for something fun and strange -- they have a fantastic drink made from asparagus juice and horseradish. If you're in the area and I mean anywhere in Belgium -- highly recommend making your way to this place. It's a gem!

We arrived at a super busy time and we're given the appropriate beer as we were looking for…read moresomething super Belgian. Martin came through for us! Delicious beers, and great staff and the ambience is super funky.

This was definitely my favourite place in all of Ghent. During our one week stay, we came back like…read morefour times. THE BEER IS AMAZING! First off, the look and design: the place is troll themed -it's whimsical and weird, in the best way possible. It has a very fantasy/medieval tavern feel to it, with gnomes and trolls EVERYWHERE. There are neat paintings, beer mugs and steins hanging about, and three floors, each with their own little sections if you want less noise. The third floor is less troll themed, and more 1800s-ish for on of the rooms. Second, the beer selection is absolutely incredible. There are so many beers, you'll get lost in the choices. There were two guys working there, both quite friendly and helpful. One of them (the leaner, taller one), was super knowledgeable about their selection, and was awesome at explaining how each beer tastes as well as choosing something for us based on what we said we generally like. Which brings me to the last point : cherry beer. If you are anywhere in Belgium, definitely, definitely, definitely try some cherry beer!!! Generally, they are much less sweet than cherry cider, and especially the Belgian ones have an almost vinegar-y taste to them (lambic beers do in general). This specific bar has quite a few cherry beers. I personally love the sour cherry beers, so the bartender guy I mentioned recommended several sour cherry beers, and I loved all of them. My favourite was 'Hof ten Dormaal kriek- sour', although the 'Kriek Girardin' was also quite awesome (but even more vinegar-y / lambic tasting). Out of curiosity, my boyfriend wanted to try the much sweeter but stronger in alcohol cherry beer on tap, which the guy recommended against, and I personally really didn't like it, while my boyfriend loved it (the bartender guy said "I told you so" ). Anyway, they have lots of other beers on tap, like lambic, Belgian IPAs, trapist, etc. Definitely try some Belgian beer while in Belgium- it's so different from other beer. I'm not a huge beer lover, but Belgian beer (especially Belgian sour cherry beer) has me completely hooked and missing it when I'm back home.

Stopped here for a quick coffee in the morning. They don't serve food in the morning so coffee stop…read moreonly. Will be back in the evening for their beer

This was a teeny bar in a busy square, and while it has a cool history of being the smallest bar,…read morethere isn't much here. We stopped by in the morning for coffee and sat outside on their patio. The coffee was good, though they do not serve food so we ended up leaving after we finished our coffees to find another place nearby to grab a pastry.

From the owner: Karaoke & Ambiance Barread more

Located in a wonderful historic warehouse on the quay side, overlooking the canal. We don't…read morenormally frequent Irish pubs when abroad, but this one is really lovely, with a great buzz, lots of outside seating, and a restaurant. There are snack foods available, or you can dine properly. We didn't try the restaurant, but the menu includes steaks, fish and chips, rack of lamb etc from EUR16-21. We made this a regular stop for late morning coffee, and for Belgian beers (but, of course, Guinness and whiskeys are available) with excellent frites (chips) and mayonnaise as a snack. Waiting staff are friendly colleens from Ireland.

Irish pub at the Graslei, which is magnificent in summer, so enjoy the terrace or pick one of the…read moretables on the second floor. Pretty good food, Irish drafts on tap and great atmosphere. Sláinte!