De Planck has long been a favourite with the locals, and I think I took it to heart as soon as I moved to Ghent. Long story short – it’s a bar on a boat. In the winter everyone goes below deck where it’s super warm and cozy and you can leave behind the grey winter skies. Groups of friends huddle around candlelit wooden tables, and vintage beer signs and other knick-knacks give it its Flemish bruincafe style.
In the summer I really like sitting under the bright yellow umbrellas on the top deck. It’s moored on a bit of the River Schelde that’s surrounded by trees, which makes you feel like you’re no longer in the city. And from the deck you can look out over the water and watch everything from teeny ducklings to shiny motorboats glide by.
I love that in Ghent you can enter what looks like a small bar and then be presented with an encyclopedic beer menu, and here it’s no different – they always have over 200 beers available at any one time. I also like the fact they serve small snacks like croques and sharing platters, which means you don’t even need to leave if you’re feeling peckish. The main cinema in Ghent, Kinepolis, is right opposite so I always leave extra time before or after a film to call in for a drink and a snack.