5 Best Nightlife in Bruges, Bruges and the Coast

Part of the joy of this "hobbit hole"--esque pub lies in finding it; the hidden entrance (be prepared to duck) is basically the old service hatch, where goods would be delivered direct to the cellar. In this case, the bar is the cellar. Novelty aside, this is a good, old-fashioned pub, and its beer selection is among the best in the city.

Arguably the most famous pub in town, Bruges's original specialist beer café is an iconic destination for hop lovers and stocks around 300 different brews. Expect to sample a few curiosities like the Wallonian Bush beer (one of the strongest in Belgium), the odd brew from the famed Sint-Sixtusabdij Westvleteren monastery, an excellent choice of lambic beers from Brussels's Cantillion, and a good selection from the local Halve Maan brewery.

This old-school estaminet, lying down a narrow alleyway off Breidelstraat, is something of a local icon. Its 140-strong beer list is encyclopedic and well curated, and the 11% house tripel is so potent ("suitable for gourmets," it claims) that staff will only serve you a maximum of three. Classical music sets the scene for an older audience that many of the city bars don't cater to.

This "brown café" lies tucked away off the main shopping street, and has found a firm following among locals for its late-night blues and rock. It's cash-only, so leave your plastic at home, and the beer selection is superb.

This lovely pub is in the cryptlike cellar of an 800-year-old building, the perfect setting for sampling some of its many hundreds of different Belgian and global ales.