The 5 best bars for jazz and blues in Ghent

This vibrant night spot brings blues singers and jazz bands to an ancient building in the heart of Ghent. The owners aim to keep the joint jumping with a busy programme of concerts, DJ sets, dance nights and burlesque cabaret shows.

It is easy to miss this little jazz club hidden down a dark alley opposite the old meat hall. It takes its name from the famous Hot Club de France in Paris. The bar is quiet in the afternoon but turns hot in the evenings when students and music fans squeeze down the narrow passage. The programme features flamenco, folk and blues as well as straight jazz. The little walled courtyard adds to the charm of this place.

This small bar with a piano squeezed inside is a popular late night spot. Local actors, musicians and students pile in here to catch a jazz concert or drink one last beer before heading back home. A few tables are put out on the pavement in the summer to catch the afternoon sun.

This classic jazz bar has been around since 1973. Created by Johan and Guido Claus (brothers of the more famous Hugo), it was modelled on Al Capone’s Hotsy Totsy Club in Chicago. Initially a private club for artists and writers, this was where Hugo Claus launched his novel The Sorrow of Belgium in 1983. A poem by Claus in praise of the cafe can be read on an outside wall. The three brothers are all dead now, but this is still a unique jazz club where you can listen to blues or poetry deep into the night.

This relaxed jazz cafe occupies a historic bar dating back to the 18th century. It was called Damberd (chess board) because
locals used to play chess here. The interior was redecorated in the 1930s with nine wooden panels illustrated with views of the old city. It’s now a friendly, relaxed spot to drink a Belgian beer while a jazz band performs on a little stage at the back of the bar.