Belgium
Brasserie Pakhuis is a fantastic restaurant just off the main shopping street (Veldstraat).
It is housed in a fantastic, converted warehouse which makes an amazing setting for a meal.
Food is a wonderful mixture of French and Italian. They also do great fish platters with whole lobsters etc. There is an extensive wine list, and also (of course) an extensive list of beers. As well as the restaurant there is also a bar which you can visit for a drink.
Pakhuis is popular with locals, which I always think is a good sign.
Have a look at their website for a menu and an idea of what it looks like.
Schuurkenstraat 4
9000 Gent
32 (0)92235555
www.pakhuis.be/
This bar has a menu of over 250 beers - just about the widest selection in Ghent. It also has a huge, friendly bar-room with helpful staff and attracts congenial beer lovers from around the world. Find it just a minute's walk from the cannon that gives it its name ("Mad Meg" in English). A little touristy, especially during the day, but nonetheless appealing.
Vrijdagmarkt 50
09 224 24 55
www.dullegriet.be/01_Herberg_eng.htm
Like many bars in Belgium, this is a great place for beer lovers, with its extensive menu and commitment to serving unusual/local beers. But it's just a great bar to visit anyway, with a lively atmosphere, friendly staff, a large outdoor seating area and a wonderful location on the waterside. (The name is a play on words: it means "The Waterhouse on the Beerside", which is a bit of a crap joke but forgivable.) I was only in Ghent two days and went three times. The unique Gavandum dry-hopping beer was Beer of the Month at the time - if they're still serving it, it is not to be missed.
Groentenmarkt 9
09 225 06 80
www.waterhuisaandebierkant.be/e2.htm
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