Archives for “cafe” tag

In times of crisis grabbing a little concert isn’t always too kind to our wallet. Well, in Café Video they organize free gigs each week! The music-genre is mostly rather alternative. The owners of the place have a good eye for both national and international upcoming talent. Last Autumn even Jake Bugg performed. For free, yes!

An important detail, the music installation is also of very good quality, something rather rare in a bar. To be disappointed after spending an evening over here seems quite unlikely to me. On Fridays and Saturdays bands make room for DJs. 

The interior is cozy and pretty fancy with a colorful enlightened wall. The music isn’t too loud, so a normal chat during concerts is still possible. Concerts start at 21:30. Arriving on time is recommendable. Definitely a good place to discover new artists!

You will recognize the place by its blue panted facade!

I discovered Paard van Troje (Trojan Horse) a while ago. It used to be situated two streets away from their current location, the Kouter. With several prices on its record for being one of the better bookstores in Belgium and even in the Low Lands, this bookstore is worth an article.

Don’t expect to find the regular kind of books that you can find in every other bookstore over here. Books on how to become a masterchef, a pro in gardening or a queen in sewing, yes they do have them over here. But they rather have the kind of books with a twist. Also a lot of them have remarkable covers. I need to force myself not to flip through the pages of every single novel! Good to know: they have a selection of books in English.

Bought an example and can’t wait to start reading? This store has a bar as well, with a terrace. Order a sandwich or some pastry (from Les tartes de Françoise!) and enjoy a lazy afternoon. 

Ghent as a city has a wide range of culture to offer: a well expanded dance scene, theatre and music festivals during the whole year. Plenty of these activities take place in the opera building, which has its accompanying restaurant and bar.

Café theatre is located in the Opera House and considered the place to be for an exclusive night out. You would prefer not to get caught here wearing your plain jeans and sneakers. The unwritten dresscode is definitely present and so is the price of the drinks. Be prepared.

The look is overall luxurious and trendy with a metropolitan touch: multiple floors painted in black colors, dark wooden furniture and leather seats are welcoming you. The waiters and waitresses are fancy looking wearing their standard uniforms.

The spicy wasabi crackers served with the drinks are great, if only for that I would pay a visit. Relaxing in style in combination with a cultural event, absolute must go!

If you like to catch a movie and prefer avoiding crappy Hollywood blockbusters you should go to one of the two small alternative art-house cinema’s in Ghent: Studioskoop and Sphinx. They both offer a wide variety of quality movies (alternative as well as some commercial movies). I think the program of Studioskoop is a bit more alternative and eccentric than the one of Sphinx.

The origins of the Sphinx-cinema date back to 1912. There has always been a movie theatre in this buildings ever since. They have 5 screens, all different in size. I like the smallest ones; they’re very intimate and make your movie-experience unique. Afterwards you can discuss your film-experience in the pleasant Sphinx-café while trying out some Belgian beers!

Het Spijker is a bar downtown, next to the famous Gras- and Korenlei. It has two floors and is always pretty crowded.

At first I was a bit skeptic, but there is a really good vibe here, so I understand that everybody wants to be there. The bar offers many types of beer, also right off the tap for the real beer lovers.

Het Spijker differs from other bars while its interior is also very woody, with barrels and logs in the ceiling. And I still have to check it out, but apparently, besides the terrace in the front, there is also one in the back with a great view of the old fishing mine (a very nice place by the way which was recently reopened after being closed for more than fifteen years). But untill then, We keep tasting new beers on tap and wandering to past memories.