CuisineCocktail bar
Price€€
Neighborhoodbinnenstad
Last verified

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.

Cocktail bar tastings, classes and tours in Ghent

See all 85 bookable experiences in Ghent

Location

Address: Hoogstraat 1, 9000 Gent, Ghent

Also in binnenstad

Edelrot Bar and Shop ★ 4.4

Wine bar€€binnenstad

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.

Full binnenstad food guide →

More hidden gems in Ghent

Hot Club de Gand ★ 4.4

Cocktail barcity-centre

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.

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 Natural Wine Bar ★ 4.3

Wine bar€€patershol

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.

Vandekerckhove Koffiebranderij ★ 4.4

Cafe€€zuidstationstraat

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 Bar and Shop ★ 4.4

Wine bar€€binnenstad

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 ★ 4.2

Wine bar€€vrijdagmarkt

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.

WAY Coffee Roasters ★ 4.6

Belgian€€dok-noord

WAY is run by Belgian barista champion Charlene De Buysere at Dok Noord: a championship-level roastery-cafe that the tourist trail rarely discovers.

Why locals love it: Dok Noord requires a deliberate trip from the centre; tourists who make it to the complex usually stop at the brewery and miss WAY entirely.

Tip: Open Tuesday to Saturday 10:00-17:00; pair a WAY filter coffee with a pastry from the Himschoot branch in the same building.

See every hidden gems pick in Ghent →

← Back to Hidden Gems in Ghent ← Ghent food guide