My favourite bars in Bruges

Here is a listing of the wonderful drinking holes I went to in Bruges. All of these bars have bags of character and a relaxed atmosphere. The selection of beers is just overwhelming and it's all such great quality. Well, I'll have to admit that I didn't have any of the cherry or strawberry beers, just good honest local beers. These bars are great places to hang out and most of them also offer vegetarian snacks. If nothing else, then local cheese cubes, which are just delightful to be enjoyed with beer.

My favourite beers that I had during this trip included Brugse Zot, Carolus Winter, Steen Brugge, Arabier and Special Brew brewed by De Dolle Brouwers for ’t Brugs Beertje. I might review some of these at a later stage.

’t Brugs Beertje, Kemelstraat 5 – This is a bar with real atmosphere and special beers, a must-visit for every beer lover. De Dolle Brouwers have brewed a special brew exclusively for this bar, which is already reason enough to visit. Here good chats can be had with the staff and locals. I was disappointed to find the bar closed when I returned the next day. It's good to have a good look at the opening times, as at least off season the bars can be closed on several days.

Comptoir des Arts, Vlamingstraat 53 – This bar is also a music and performance cellar. We saw a great open mic night for blues bands there and the standard of the performances was outstanding. What could be better than listening to local talents while drinking tasty beer! We also went on a quieter night without a live act and it was also very nice.

Brouwerij De Halve Maan, Walplein 26 – De Halve Maan is a brewery pub with modern interior and the brewing tanks on the show. We didn't go for a brewery tour this time, but it would've been very interesting. This is a good place for some daytime beer drinking and they seemed to have some vegetarian food options as well.

Le Trappiste, Kuipersstraat 33 – The interior of this bar is a cosy medieval vault and in my mind it's one of the best bar locations of all time. Maybe just the decoration could be more subtle, as there are many beer signs hanging here and there. They have a good selection of beers, some of which are international.

2 be, Wollestraat 53 – 2 be is quite a touristy place given its beer wall and shop at a prime location. However there is a nice canal view from the terrace while drinking outdoors, and it wasn't too cold to sit there even in February.