Best Dining Bets

Brasserie Pakhuis (tel. 09/223-55-55): A steady stream of locals in the know make their way to this stylish brasserie-restaurant, in a handsomely converted warehouse tucked almost out of sight down an unprepossessing side street (Pakhuis means "warehouse" in Dutch). Once inside, you'll appreciate why. Pakhuis hasn't merely got style, but content too, in a range of Continental dishes backed up by some old-time Flemish favorites.

The Best Cafes & Bars

't Dreupelkot: Ghent has no shortage of fine cafes, and you can just about guarantee that any one you enter will provide pleasant memories. 't Dreupelkot adds a particularly warm glow of appreciation, however; its stock-in-trade is jenever, one of the most potent alcoholic liquids known to humankind. Actually, some of the 100 varieties are fairly mild, while others have been flavored with herbs and spices. The atmosphere in the cafe is great -- it's filled with cultured jenever buffs rather than with drunks.