Top 5 beer spots in Ghent

The top 5 best beer spots in Ghent are

1. 'Café de Planck'
2. 'Dulle Griet'
3. 'Waterhuis aan de Bierkant'
4. 'Trollekelder'
5. 'Trappistenhuis'

Some honorable mentions are ''t Gouden Mandeken', 'Jan van Gent' and 'Café Folklore'. Know that there are still lots of nice beer places in Ghent that just didn't make the top 5. 

1: For those who love coziness: 'Café de Planck'

A pub on a boat.

Café de Planck is our top pick when it comes to beer spots in Ghent. You can find this bar at Ter Platen, it is a boat across from the Kinepolis cinema in Ghent.

Café de Planck is a concept you don’t see every day, it is a boat transformed into a pub. It offers you:

• A very cozy atmosphere
• A unique experience
• More than 250 kinds of beer
• Their own homebrew beer 'Planckske'
• Artisanal beers (even in bottles of 75cl)

Find it hard to choose a beer? No problem, you can also order a surprise beer.The bartender will pick one out especially for you. Very cool if you want to try new beers. Got a little hungry from the beer? You can also eat delicious croques monsieurs or small aperitif plates on the boat.

Website: Take a look at the menu.

Address: Ter Platen 10A, 9000 Ghent

Café de Planck is open every day of the week from 11:30 am until 2 am.

2: For those who love a wide range of beers: 'Dulle Griet'

The 'Dulle Griet' comes second. Closely behind Café de Planck.  What makes this bar special?

• The setting and traditions
• The people
• And the beer of course.

The Dulle Griet is located on the Vrijdagmarkt which is a very cozy square that’s full of nice little bars.

 The bar even has its own beer: ‘The Dulle Griet’. Besides the widest range of beers in Ghent (more than 500 kinds of beer), the bar also has a very nice promotion going on most of the time. When you order the beer of the month, you get a free refill. Sounds good, doesn’t it? :)

In addition to fun promotions: a weird tradition. When you order the MAX beer, you have to give your shoe as a guarantee for your glass of beer. Why? The unique glasses in the past often disappeared ... This fun tradition creates a lot of positive attention from Ghent residents and tourists. Go try it out.

Website: Check it out: more than 500 beers!

Address: Vrijdagmarkt 50, 9000 Ghent

The Dulle Griet is open every day of the week. However, opening hours may differ. We suggest that you check beforehand.

3: For those who love sightseeing: 'Waterhuis aan de Bierkant'

Number three on this list, that’s ‘Waterhuis aan de Bierkant’. The name itself is actually kind of a joke. A more logical name? That would be ‘Bierhuis aan de Waterkant’. This often causes amusing confusion …

What makes it a great beer spot?

• Nice and enjoyable terrace along the river Leie
• Tourist boats pass by (nice to see)
• Traditional and warm atmosphere inside
• Very friendly employees

A lot on your mind? Hit your friends up and have some nice conversations in a warm and relaxed atmosphere. That's what we did. Two of us went for ‘La Chouffe’. If you've never had this before, try it. One of our favorites, if you'd ask us.

Website: Read some reviews about this pub.

Adress: Groentenmarkt 9, 9000 Ghent

'Waterhuis aan de Bierkant’ is open every day from 11am to 1pm. Hit your friends up and try this bar out. Let us know what you think.

4: For those who love a 'unique' atmosphere: 'Trollekelder'

A pub full of trolls.

We place the 'Trollekelder' at number four in our list of top 5 beer spots in Ghent. This bar is located on the Vlasmarkt and just next to the Sint-Jacobskerk.

The name of this bar is not coincidentally the Trollekelder. In fact, the café consists of :

• An upper floor
• A ground floor
• A basement

We chose to pick a table in the basement, as the name of this bar fits with this. Our experience?

• Cozy atmosphere
• A little bit too dark here and there
• Wide range of special beers
• Our order: 5 simple Stella Artois
• Cool place for students

We enjoyed sitting in the medeival troll cellar, a unique experience guaranteed ;) .

Website: Check out the beer menu here.

Address: Walter De Buckplein 4, 9000 Ghent

The Trollekelder is open Monday to Thursday from 5 pm to 1 am. On weekends, this bar opens at 4 pm and closes at 1 am.

5: For those who love trappist beer: 'Trappistenhuis'

Trappistenhuis closes our list. The bar is situated outside of the centre of Ghent. It is located nearby Het Sint-Annaplein, close to the Visserijvaart.

As the name suggests the pub specializes in Belgian Trappists.  The menu was very extensive with over 150 different beers. From a simple pint to the most complicated, strangest and unknown beers.

What did it look like inside?

• Great seating arrangement
• Traditional atmosphere
• Lots of beer brand posters on the walls
• Little podiums
• Outside terrace which is covered
• Big capacity

Website: Check out their Facebook page.

Address: Brabantdam 164, 9000 Ghent

The bar is open from Monday till Saturday. They sometimes open up on Sundays 'when they feel like it' according to their website.

Conclusion

If you are ever in Ghent, don't forget to check out these 5 great beer spots mentioned in the blog posts for their wide range of beers, their beautiful locations and their warm and relaxed atmosphere. Some of the picks that just didn't make it were 't' Gouden Mandeken', 'Jan van Gent' and 'Café Folklore'. They are definitely worth checking out as well because of their beer offerings and great locations. Click here for even more information about 'beer tourism' in Ghent.

A nice cold beer is one of the best moments after a long day of work. But it's even better with some real and authentic Belgian Fries. Check out the best places to eat Belgian fries here.