Rococo is a bar in Patershol, 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.
Must order: Whatever is on draught: the focus here is atmosphere, not the beer list.
Tip: Opens after 21:00; arrives late and stay late. Betty runs the bar at her own pace.
Address: Corduwaniersstraat 57, 9000 Gent, 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.
Order: Dok house pale ale on draught: the cleanest expression of the house brewing style, always fresh.
Tip: Open Thursday to Saturday until 01:00; this is one of the few places in Dok Noord that works as a late-night destination.
Gruut is Ghent's city brewery using a medieval herb recipe with no hops: five beers (white, blonde, amber, brown and Inferno) brewed and served on site.
Order: Gruut Inferno: the strongest and most complex of the five house beers, amber with a herbal bitterness.
Tip: Brewery tours run on Saturdays; the tasting includes all five house beers. Book ahead in summer.
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, focused on small-grower bottles. A second branch opened on Belfortstraat for tastings and classes.
Order: A by-the-glass flight from the chalkboard list paired with a cheese-and-charcuterie board.
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday until 8pm only; closed Sunday and Monday. Walk-ins fine early, reserve for after 18:00.
Vrijdagsgevoel commands the most prominent corner of the Friday market square, with a large terrace watching over the historic market and local life below.
Order: Ghent gin and tonic on the terrace on a Friday afternoon while the market winds down.
Tip: Open seven days a week; the Friday afternoon terrace before 18:00 is the ideal pre-dinner stop.
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.
Order: A wild saison from the Belgium tap list alongside a glass of natural white: the pairing is the Edelrot house.
Tip: Open 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.
Order: The by-the-glass rotation: the team changes the pours weekly and always has something unexpected open.
Tip: Walk-ins welcome; Friday and Saturday evenings fill fast and bar seats give the easiest route in without a reservation.
