The 5 smartest cocktail bars in Ghent

Olivier Jacobs started this cocktail bar with his girlfriend in 2012. Keen to create a sense of mystery, he called it The Noble Drugstore and placed a stuffed fox wearing a monocle in the window. It is a tiny place so you have to phone in advance on the day to book a table. But it is worth all the effort. The bar feels like a private club and the cocktails are magnificent.

Located on the first floor of the old post office, the cocktail bar of the hotel 1898 The Post is furnished like a gentlemen’s club. There are antique armchairs, bookcases and an open fire. But this is Ghent, not London, so the mood is not at all stuffy. Celebrated bartender Jurgen Nobels is in charge of cocktails, while the bar menu features excellent local meats and cheeses.

Here is a fun cocktail bar with a striking new interior inspired by the cult science fiction film Tron. It attracts a younger crowd with its quirky cocktails.

This is a stylish cocktail bar on two floors with dark brown chairs and little round tables. It opens in the morning to serve coffee, but mainly exists to shake up exotic cocktails until deep into the night. Don’t miss the toilets in the basement, which are decorated in the style of Turkish baths with marble benches, red cushions and tiled basins. Men use the door marked Gazou.

This relaxed bohemian spot sets out to attract global travellers with its exotic interior and sophisticated cocktails. You sit on old armchairs surrounded by maps, travel posters and guidebooks. Or you might manage to find a table outside in the shady back garden.