Where to drink Champagne in Ghent?
Ghent knows its beer, but you don’t have to stick to beer here. The city has a lively wine bar scene alongside its traditional cafés and breweries, making it a good place to look for Champagne over lunch, an afternoon glass or dinner.
And if you want to try something that is genuinely local, put Gruut on your list. This Ghent beer is brewed with a medieval-style herbal mixture instead of the hops normally used in beer, giving you something very different from the Belgian beers you’ll find elsewhere.
Ghent’s historic centre is compact enough that you can easily combine a Champagne stop with a day of exploring the city. The local drinking scene ranges from traditional brown cafés and beer bars to modern wine bars where you can sit down for a glass and something to eat.
Wine is particularly worth exploring here. Ghent has a growing selection of wine-focused places, including bars specialising in natural wines, wine shops where you can take a bottle home, and spots that combine wine with lunch or small bites.
If you’re after the local experience, though, don’t leave without trying a Ghent beer. Gruut is probably the most distinctive one to know: its beers use a herbal mixture called gruut instead of hops, linking the brewery to the city’s medieval brewing history.
Good to know
Ghent is a particularly good city for people who like to switch between different drinking experiences. You can start with Champagne, move on to a Belgian beer and finish the evening with wine – and all without needing to leave the city centre.
For a classic local stop, look for a brown café (bruin café), the traditional Belgian pub style with a cosy, lived-in interior. Ghent’s tourism board specifically highlights the city’s many beer cafés and local pubs, including places where you can try beers brewed in Ghent itself.
