12 editor picks in Ghent.
12 bars in Ghent, editor-picked for bars open late. Bars serving past 23:00. All bars in Ghent.
Dok Brewing Company occupies a converted metal workshop at Dok Noord with 30 taps: their own house brews plus guest taps from Belgian craft breweries. Long.
OrderDok house pale ale on draught: the cleanest expression of the house brewing style, always fresh.
TipOpen Thursday to Saturday until 01:00; this is one of the few places in Dok Noord that works as a late-night destination.
Wijnbar ONA on the corner of Bagattenstraat and Nederkouter is Ona Van Reybrouck and Arne De Wilde's intimate natural-wine spot, opened in 2015.
OrderA by-the-glass flight from the chalkboard list paired with a cheese-and-charcuterie board.
TipTuesday to Saturday until 8pm only; closed Sunday and Monday. Walk-ins fine early, reserve for after 18:00.
Edelrot functions as both a natural wine bar and a wild beer bar: the list includes wild-fermented saisons, spontaneous lambics and Belgian farmhouse ales.
OrderA wild saison from the Belgium tap list alongside a glass of natural white: the pairing is the Edelrot house.
TipOpen from 15:00 Tuesday to Saturday; prices are genuinely fair for the quality of the natural wine selection.
Chubby Cheeks is a convivial bar-restaurant where a young team serves unusual natural wines by the glass alongside inventive small plates in a relaxed space.
OrderThe by-the-glass rotation: the team changes the pours weekly and always has something unexpected open.
TipWalk-ins welcome; Friday and Saturday evenings fill fast and bar seats give the easiest route in without a reservation.
De Dulle Griet has over 500 Belgian beers and one famous ritual: surrender a shoe to the bar when ordering the Max, a 1-litre glass of Delirium Tremens.
OrderMax beer (Delirium Tremens in the 1-litre glass): one shoe goes in the basket, one stays on your foot.
TipOpen from noon Tuesday to Saturday and noon Sunday; the shoe ritual is enforced. Arrive early on Friday evenings for a seat on the square.
Hotsy Totsy has been injecting Ghent with blues and jazz since the 1970s. The Claus brothers' bar hosts live music most evenings from September to June.
OrderA cold Belgian beer and a seat near the stage on a live jazz night: the room holds fewer than 50 people.
TipOpen Tuesday to Saturday from 18:15; closed Sunday and Monday. Summers are lighter programming; September to June is the season.
Vinogradoff specialises in natural and biodynamic wines from Eastern Europe, with by-the-glass pours from its bar-shop on the Ajuinlei near the Korenlei.
OrderGeorgian amber wine flight: three pours from different qvevri producers that show how dramatically the style.
TipAn evening that starts at Vinogradoff and continues to Korenlei dinner follows the best natural wine and food arc in Ghent.
Rococo is Betty's candlelit bar on the Patershol cobblestones. The single room is lit entirely by candles; the atmosphere is intimate and the conversation.
OrderWhatever is on draught: the focus here is atmosphere, not the beer list.
TipOpens after 21:00; arrives late and stay late. Betty runs the bar at her own pace.
Bar Terroir is a small grower-wine bar on the vegetable market square with cheese platters made from traditionally-produced artisan milk. The team sources.
OrderGlass of Loire chenin blanc with a slice of aged Herve cheese: the bar's most classic pairing.
TipGroups up to 15 can reserve the private room with the Ghent towers view.
Waterhuis aan de Bierkant is a canal-side brown pub on the Groentenmarkt with 170 Belgian beers, 14 on draught and a packed waterside terrace.
OrderGruut Amber on draught: the city herb-beer is always on the tap list here.
TipOpen from 11:00 daily; the terrace fills by 15:00 on sunny days. The canal views are best on evening visits before 21:00.
Trefpunt is a music and theatre cafe run by the non-profit that launched the modern Ghent Festivities in 1970, hosting concerts almost every evening.
OrderBelgian draft beer with a free Monday concert.
TipMonday concerts are free; doors typically from 17:00 weekdays, 15:00 Friday and Saturday. Check the Trefpunt programme before walking up.
Het Spijker is a local pub set in a former granary, with a lounge on the second floor and two terraces: one facing the city centre, the other on the Leie.
OrderGhent draft beer on the back terrace overlooking the Leie at dusk.
TipOpens from 10:00 and closes when the last visitor leaves, often well past 02:00. The back terrace is best on warm afternoons.
