Ghent was possibly my favorite town to visit while in Belgium. While there we visited Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant which sits right by a canal just down from Gravensteen Castle which was my favorite tourist attraction of our trip. When we arrived at the bar it was crowded but we managed to snag the only open table outside. The chair was a little short for the table and not that comfortable but overall the atmosphere was very pleasant and lively. It was probably made even more authentic by the overpowering stench of European summer b.o. (I was amazed because I'm pretty sure it was coming from a guy at the table behind us which was a party of at least ten ... friends don't let friends smell like that). Anyways it had a very Euro feel. We scanned the beer list as the sun started to set.
The service was slow but eventually I was able to order the Gandavum Dry Hopping. I was really impressed with this 7.5% blond. It was hoppy and smooth and just really drinkable. I don't know if I'll get a chance to try it again because the menu says it is offered exclusively here. We drank our beers and relaxed. After we finished we decided to order another and it took quite a long time for a waiter to come take our drink order. The only thing that slightly offset the slow service is that you pay when you receive your beers so at least there was no waiting for the check.
For my second beer I went with the Augustijn Donker which is a local bruin beer. This beer was also 7.5%. Overall I didn't find this beer very impressive. It was easy to drink with a light smooth taste and some malty fruit flavors but, it was too watery. After drinking so many interesting and complex beers this one missed the mark.
I looked around before we left and it was also quite busy inside. This is a cool little bar with a solid beer selection and a great location. The main detraction was the service which was just too slow and uncaring. I'm sure their business won't suffer but there is definitely room for improvement. If you are in Ghent then I think this is a bar to visit.
Overall: 8/10
Bad service, unfriendly and rude staff. Avoid
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