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Volta's wine list is one of the most ambitious in Ghent, matching modern Belgian cooking with grower wines from across Europe in a converted turbine hall.
Wine focus: Modern European wines at a fine restaurant
Order: Ask the sommelier for the glass of the day: the team changes the by-the-glass selection nightly.
Tip: Walk-in seats at the bar are easier to get than a table booking; the park setting adds to the atmosphere.
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Roots is a farm-to-table Patershol bistro that treats its natural wine list as seriously as its food. The optional wine pairing for the tasting menu brings.
Wine focus: Natural wine pairing at farm-to-table bistro
Order: Wine pairing with the seasonal menu: four to five small pours matched by the kitchen to each course.
Tip: One of the best-value wine pairings in Ghent; the pairing adds around €25 to a €45 tasting menu.
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Steendam 66 runs a wine lounge attached to its Gault and Millau-listed bistro. The by-the-glass selection pairs with the short, seasonal lunch menu.
Wine focus: Creative wine pairings at a fine-dining lounge
Order: Lunch wine pairing: two or three glasses matched to the daily menu, with commentary from the team.
Tip: The lounge bar is easier to access than the dining room without a reservation.
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Edelrot is a natural wine bar and bottle shop next to the Belfort tower, focusing on low-intervention, natural-process and skin-contact wines by the glass.
Wine focus: Natural wines, wild beers, artisanal non-alcoholic
Order: Ask the bar team to pour a glass from the current natural skin-contact white: the house selections change.
Tip: Open from 15:00 Tuesday to Saturday; the bottle shop inside allows you to buy what you tried. Prices are honest for natural wine.
€€kouter
ONA is a wine bar near the Kouter square with a carefully curated list of authentic European wines from smaller producers. The format is intimate: a few bar.
Wine focus: Artisanal European wines, smaller producers
Order: Ask for a producer flight: three glasses from one region, poured side by side to show terroir differences.
Tip: Open Wednesday to Sunday from 16:00; the Sunday noon opening makes it an unusual afternoon wine destination.
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Chubby Cheeks is a convivial natural wine bar where interesting small-plate dishes are designed to match unusual bottles. The card runs from funky orange.
Wine focus: Natural wines and small plates
Order: Natural orange wine by the glass with a small cheese plate: the house pours rotate weekly.
Tip: A Gault and Millau HIP pick; the menu changes frequently so the best visit is a return one.