Hotsy Totsy is a restaurant in Binnenstad, Ghent.
Hotsy Totsy has injected Ghent with blues and jazz since the 1970s: the Claus brothers bar hosts live music most evenings from September to June.
Why locals love it: In a narrow alley off the main tourist route; the lack of promotion is deliberate and the local musician base keeps it a Ghent secret.
Tip: No live music in July and August; the rest of the year, Thursday to Saturday evenings are the most reliably musical.
Address: Hoogstraat 1, 9000 Gent, Ghent
Edelrot next to the Belfort tower is a natural wine bar and bottle shop consistently overlooked by visitors despite being steps from Ghent's main landmark.
Why locals love it: Positioned between two major tourist routes but the narrow entrance and bottle-shop format means casual visitors often walk straight past it.
Tip: The bottle shop section has better prices than many Brussels specialists; the staff can advise on shipping or travelling with bottles.
Hot Club de Gand is a 50-seat jazz bar tucked into a narrow side alley off the Groentenmarkt, programming more than 200 free live performances a year since 2005.
Why locals love it: The bar sits in an unmarked alley off the Groentenmarkt: most visitors walk past the entrance and the room only seats 50, so word of mouth gates the audience.
Tip: Live jazz five nights a week from gypsy swing to free improvisation; arrive by 20:30 to claim a seat before the band starts.
Win on Burgstraat near the Gravensteen serves low-intervention natural wines by the glass in a small bar that feels genuinely off the tourist circuit.
Why locals love it: The Burgstraat location sits a short walk from the castle but the narrow ground-floor unit means tourists rarely notice the wine bar tucked inside.
Tip: The by-the-glass selection changes weekly; the staff can describe each wine from first principles without resorting to received descriptions.
Brouwerij De Leite brews spontaneously fermented ales near Ghent in Oostkamp, producing tiny volumes of wild-fermented beer for specialist fans.
Why locals love it: Not open for casual visits; bottles are only available at De Hopduvel and a handful of specialist Belgian bottle shops across Europe.
Tip: Visit De Hopduvel at Dok Noord and ask for De Leite stock; the staff know the current availability and the best bottle to try first.
Vandekerckhove has roasted coffee on the Brabantdam since 1854: five generations later, the drum roaster is still visible in the shopfront on a daily basis.
Why locals love it: On a tram route rather than the tourist walking circuit; most visitors miss the roastery because they never go far enough down the Brabantdam.
Tip: Go on a weekday morning when the drum is running; the smell of fresh roasting from the shopfront is the best possible advertisement.
Edelrot next to the Belfort tower is a natural wine bar and bottle shop consistently overlooked by visitors despite being steps from Ghent's main landmark.
Why locals love it: Positioned between two major tourist routes but the narrow entrance and bottle-shop format means casual visitors often walk straight past it.
Tip: The bottle shop section has better prices than many Brussels specialists; the staff can advise on shipping or travelling with bottles.
Hey Frankie opens three evenings a week near the Vrijdagmarkt: a neighbourhood natural wine bar with sensibly-priced pours and a loyal local crowd.
Why locals love it: Three evenings a week opening and a side-street location mean it rarely appears in mainstream guides and stays off most tourist itineraries.
Tip: Thursday is the quietest evening and the best for a conversation with the owner about what has just arrived from the producers.
