Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant

Het Waterhuis aan de BierkantHet Waterhuis aan de Bierkant
Het Waterhuis aan de BierkantHet Waterhuis aan de Bierkant
Bar, Eatery

Groentenmarkt 9
Gent, 9000
Belgium

+32 9 225 06 80 | map
waterhuisaandebierkant.be
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.97
Reviews:
26
Ratings:
47
pDev:
10.83%
View: Place Reviews
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Photo of AZgman
Rated by AZgman from Arizona

4.28/5  rDev +7.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 2
A true national treasure of Belgium. Next to the gin house as well!
Dec 06, 2022
 
Rated: 4.23 by MikeM75 from Virginia

Sep 09, 2019
Photo of jmdrpi
Reviewed by jmdrpi from Pennsylvania

4.17/5  rDev +5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.5
the vibe of the location is great - right on the canal in the business district in Ghent- but since it was December only indoor seating which was limited as the inside isn't very big. the bar area is decorated in dusty bottles and other old beer items. bartender was a bit gruff and wanted payment upon bringing our round of beers - I guess they don't do tabs? Anyway, the draft and bottle list was pretty good. the food menu was sparse, we didn't partake.
Dec 17, 2018
 
Rated: 3.73 by bierfonteintje from Belgium

Sep 29, 2018
 
Rated: 4.43 by He_was_a_wise_man from California

May 04, 2018
 
Rated: 3.99 by ntomich from Netherlands

Sep 01, 2017
 
Rated: 4.11 by HopBelT from Belgium

May 26, 2017
 
Rated: 3.69 by siebevl from Belgium

Apr 30, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by MattMorin from Illinois

Oct 21, 2016
 
Rated: 4.4 by DanielCseklye from Belgium

Feb 28, 2016
 
Rated: 4.03 by Highbury09 from North Carolina

Feb 12, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by Scamboogery from Texas

Sep 04, 2015
 
Rated: 4.2 by Dzu from Russian Federation

Aug 22, 2015
 
Rated: 4.21 by phingdong from New Hampshire

Jul 14, 2015
 
Rated: 4.08 by Whatup14 from Canada (QC)

Jun 09, 2015
Photo of herrburgess
Rated by herrburgess from South Carolina

4.74/5  rDev +19.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.25
A sentimental favorite in Ghent. Love the vibe and the great service.
Jun 03, 2015
Photo of Rifugium
Reviewed by Rifugium from North Dakota

3.63/5  rDev -8.6%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.75
Nice place. Inside is a small, classic bar, or you can sit outside with the canal in view. Good selection of Belgian beers, not surprisingly. Cantillon Kriek 750ml was out of stock, but I opted for a 375 of that side by side with a Drie Font Kriek (the latter always my favorite of the two anyway), to share with the wife. I'm pretty sure one of the buildings in that little square is an actual restaurant, but at this bar, food was basically meat and cheese plates, and they were actually good, and quite filling at a decent price of less than 10e. Service was a little awkward. We wandered around the outside area while the server stared at us from the bar, until finally we gave up and asked if we could sit outside. She spoke English, but still looked at me like I had ten heads. But overall, not too bad. There were only two other people there, but I'd imagine this place being a bit crazy during busy hours. It was fun, and I'd recommend it, just don't expect good service.
Apr 21, 2015
 
Rated: 4.2 by spointon from Illinois

Apr 20, 2015
 
Rated: 3.78 by simoen from Belgium

Dec 28, 2014
Photo of aleigator
Reviewed by aleigator from Germany

2.5/5  rDev -37%
The bar in Ghent with the largest variety of beers. Directly located in the center of the city, this place is always very crowded, no matter if its in the middle of the day or at nighttime. Has a cozy atmosphere, not too much room, it got two levels, the second one was more pleasant, because of the nice view.

They sell many different beers, including three home-made brews, which are very recommendable. Also you can buy tasty cheese with mustard, which goes very well with most of their beers.

The odd thing about this place was a houserule which doesn’t make any sense to me. We revisted on the day we were leaving, to buy a bottle of Gandavum, their housebeer, but weren’t able to get it, because they only sell it from 4 p.m. in the afternoon. Seeing all those people around that space already drinking their beer, that rule seemed kind of unreasonable. Working in the Altbiertown Duesseldorf I made the opposite experience, breweries sell their beer only till the early evening, because then, their taproom gets too crowded, and they don’t want the botteled beer to interfere with the ones on tap. That actually made sense to me.
Nov 02, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Brushkanna from New Jersey

Oct 16, 2014
 
Rated: 3.68 by desint from Belgium

Sep 22, 2014
Photo of Jackofallbrews
Reviewed by Jackofallbrews from Minnesota

4.56/5  rDev +14.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5
A large canal-side restaurant and pub with an incredible array of great beer selections. We ended up sitting outside on the patio overlooking the canal. I ordered a Hercule Stout--a roasty but mild stout with some Belgian yeast character. After sharing sips of our various beers, with my wife swigging Cantillon out of the bottle like a heathen, we really enjoyed our trip here!

Dinner later that same night was in the attached Chez Liontine, which luckily had the same impressive beer list as at the outdoor pub. We were seated in a warm and crowded upstairs dining room. I ended up ordering a Flemish stew with pig cheeks, braised in Trappist ale. It was fantastically flavored and the pork was beyond tender, and went amazingly well with a Rochefort 10. We then had a Kriek-Off between a few of us, comparing several of the local cherry sours. One of us had the Beersel Kriek--I gave it a 3/5 because it was back sweetened too much. My wife had the Girardin Kriek--I gave it a 4, but it had a little skunky aroma I didn't love. And I won this round with the Hanssens Oude Kriek rated at 4.5--almost no carbonation, but so tart and puckering!
May 22, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by mklisz from New Hampshire

May 19, 2014
Photo of DannyTomlinson
Reviewed by DannyTomlinson from England

4.7/5  rDev +18.4%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 5
Great place to just sit down and have a drink next to the canal. Amazing selection of beers, I think it is over 180! They have almost every single glass for every single drink they have. Great place to go! The staff are great and really helpful about what beer is what.
Aug 17, 2013
Photo of DoubleJ
Reviewed by DoubleJ from Wisconsin

3.91/5  rDev -1.5%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 3 | selection: 4.25
It isn't the interior of Het Waterhuis which makes the high atmosphere mark, it's the fact that you're right next to the canal with enough old sites around which leaves you to unwind. Al fresca seating is right outside the enterance, and during the daylight is totally worth sitting at. And as a bonus, there's that beer thing....

Carry over proper glassware, cool serving of the beer, 16 draft selections (ex. Boon, Augustijn, Gulden Draak, Piraat, Klokke) plus 150 bottles (ex. De Dolle, Tilquin, Val Duei, Floreffe) at reasonable prices and you have yet another good Belgian beer bar. It did have one flaw during my visit though, the service is rather slow. It took many minutes before I was approached by a waitress to make my beer selection. If you can tolerate that, this would be a good place in Ghent to stop at for a beer.
May 18, 2013
Photo of FightingEntropy
Reviewed by FightingEntropy from Minnesota

3.54/5  rDev -10.8%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.25 | selection: 3.5
From a couple of different sources, we were told to visit Ghent over Bruges. Enamored with the movie In Bruges, we spent our overnight time in Bruges before heading to Poperinge to drink Westvleteren. So we hit Ghent for the day on the way to Antwerp for a disappointing trip at the Kulminator. After our short day in Ghent, it is the top of our next trip list for Belgium.

To maximize our day, we left early and got on the first canal boat tour of the morning.
Our tour guide Matthew gave us a personalized tour of the city because we were the only ones to buy a ticket. While chatting, Matthew told us of a local beer named after the largest bell of the city center clocktower: Klokke Roeland. We saw the famous bell while walking. Google the image to check it out—it's a bell. This part of Belgium is known for it's clock towers, especially to the west around Bruges. In Bruges the day before, there was a list of historic Belgian clock towers in the area. Evidently, some people collect clock towers like I collect beer. We missed a lot of small breweries in this area, so a combination clock tower tour while beer hunting is definitely a good vacation possibility.

At the conclusion of our tour, Matthew sent us to the Bierhuis to taste Klokke Roeland. The bar's proper name is Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant, which seems to mean beer on the water's edge (according to google translate). Right on the canal in the historic center of Ghent, the Bierhuis is clearly the place of choice for thirsty tourists. We had two drafts. First, Augustijn Blonde. Straw gold with an off white head, slight spice in the nose with a solid light malt. Smooth flavor, easy drinking.

Next, Klokke Roeland. Shimmering amber beer with a dirty white head served in the same styled glass as the house tripel at Staminee de Garre. Earthy malt nose with a little spice and only a trace to betray the high alcohol. Sweet malt and a light spiciness from the alcohol in the taste. Easy and dangerous to drink, it's slightly off balanced but a nice beer. BA rating is less than stellar, but I thought the beer to be a bit better than the reviews. The reviews I looked at seemed to be of stateside kegs at east coast bars; I would guess drinking local probably helped improve my sample.

I'm glad we stopped to try the Klokke Roeland, but the fourteen taps are of middling range of standard Belgians. The beer was well served and I wouldn't hesitate to have a quick, easy draft here again when being a tourist in the heart of this historic city. However, a perusal of BA bars in Ghent implies that a savvy beer geek could find better with some time and effort. However, it's our first bar after our day at Westvleteren and we are suppose to drink at the world famous Kulminator tonight, so the Bierhuis may have suffered by comparison. I look forward to giving it another try on our next trip to Ghent.

Pictures at http://pintsizedrevelations.blogspot.com/2013/03/het-waterhuis-aan-de-bierkant-ghent.html.
Mar 05, 2013
Photo of skypup
Reviewed by skypup from Germany

3.98/5  rDev +0.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
Visited this during a trip to Ghent in September, 2011.

Located in a high tourist area. Comfortable atmosphere, wooden booth inside and tables with stools outside. We sat at a table inside, but seating was available outside that overlooks the river.

Had several beers on tap and an extensive beer menu. Sampled a bottled Tatras Bulba and a Steen Brugge Triple.

Service was prompt and friendly, Even with most of the tables occupied. Waitress spoke decent English.

Prices were competitive with other restaurants and beer sampling establishments.
Nov 07, 2011
Photo of OWSLEY069
Reviewed by OWSLEY069 from Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +5.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Went to this place the first night in Belgium, well the pub, and had lunch there a week later. A nice outdoor seating area right above the canal and inside the pub was just how I would expect a Belgian pub to look like. Lots of old signs and displays of bottles and glassware. The selection was very nice with all the Trappists (except Westvletern), Catillion, and well you get the picture. All the beer served in proper glassware and just below cellar temp. The service was good, they knew I was American and had tons of questions but answered everything. As for lunch a week later, inside the restaurant part, old home like feeling and had the waterzooi, man that was delicious. A definate stop if you get to Gent!
Sep 29, 2011
Photo of Ruds
Reviewed by Ruds from England

4/5  rDev +0.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Have visited this bar a number of times over the years, most recently in November 2010.

Popped in for a couple at 1am on a Saturday night/Sunday morning and actually managed to get a couple of seats at the bar (the place is always crowded)

Headed straight to the bottled menu as usual, which had around 100 options (4 or so on draft)

The bottled menu didn't contain too many rareities in my opinion, so I got stuck into a couple of hommel beers (as a palate cleansing interlude between stronger Belgian examples and jenever!!!)

The layout of this bar is akin to an English/Irish pub with various artifacts and ols books strewn around and is table service.

However as we were sat around the bar we proffered from a much faster bar service and didn't go thirsty (top tip, as on previous visits the table service can be somewhat slow - normally due to the fact the bar is jam packed!)

As is our tradition on a Ghent visit, we piled into the Dreupelkot next door for good night Jenevers :P
Mar 19, 2011
Photo of ViveLaChouffe
Reviewed by ViveLaChouffe from Georgia

4.56/5  rDev +14.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5
Visited 10/2008

We headed back across the Leie River to Het Waterhuis, a café right on the river that had a good reputation for beer. It did not disappoint.

They offered three different house beers. I stuck with a hoppy blonde called Gandavum, my friend grabbed a tawny colored strong ale Klokke Roeland. Both were surprisingly excellent. The cafe was lots of brick and timber, old dusty glasses on a ledge above the bar, beer signs galore and false vines draped from the ceiling. Nice view of the river too.

But there was more! What should I spy on the chalkboard but Rodenbach Foederbier. Fantastic! I ordered one and the server asked me if I was sure I wanted one because this beer was very, very sour. I reaffirmed that, yes, this was the beer I desired. She warned me again about the extreme sourness and asked me if I was really sure about this choice.Again, I assured her that I had an idea what it would be like and said that I was prepared. A third time she tried to warn me..."Bring it on!" I said. I am guessing she has had to take this beer back from unsuspecting tourists in the past...

Good service, decent prices, a great atmosphere and a fantastic beer list. Maybe the best all-around beer bar in Gent.
May 27, 2010
Photo of DaPeculierDane
Reviewed by DaPeculierDane from Wisconsin

3.65/5  rDev -8.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4
Visited: 8-22-08

A wonderful bar with ample history and a fine atmosphere. Great beer list with lots of lambic, geuze, and sour browns. Also features a fair number of house beers including the very good Gandavum Dry Hopping, a Belgian IPA brewed exclusively for Waterhuis by De Proef. I was pleased to see Timmermans Witte Lambic on tap when I visited. Service was a little slow. The lower level was jam packed so we sat upstairs. The view was good and the space interesting so that was nice but unfortunately it meant having to rely on an older lady to serve us. She was less than prompt but otherwise friendly.
Nov 29, 2009
Photo of Travlr
Reviewed by Travlr from District of Columbia

3.93/5  rDev -1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
Right on one of the canals in Ghent, this is a great place to sit outside if the weather is good. Easy to watch the canal boats go by while you're choosing from a nice selection of geuze and interesting house beers. Just a few steps from the city center. Didn't try the food. Staff was very helpful in choosing decent beers and avoiding the lesser ones. They do have wireless internet, although the staff didn't know it. Beer prices are very good. A few rare finds, including a Moriau Geuze (brewery has closed). Definitely one of the beer highlights of a visit to Ghent.
Nov 18, 2009
Photo of jfunkk79
Reviewed by jfunkk79 from Massachusetts

4.06/5  rDev +2.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Visited in March '08 on a tour of Belgium with some fellow beer nerds.

We sat at a small table by the bar. Real homey feel with all the dark wood everywhere. The bar was really small, made of brick with huge glassware rack. The glassware hung from above and extended out to over the serving area. Lots of glasses.

The dry hop vines lining the top of the bar and extending around to the side of the room are a really nice touch. In any other bar it may seem out of place and forced but here it definitely lends itself nicely to the rustic interior.

The beers were great and pretty inexpensive. They had a nice mix of your standard Belgians with a few lambics from each of about 5 different breweries. Very cool.

Service was friendly, spoke great english and was happy to answer questions.

If you find yourself in Ghent this is a must visit. Especially when it's nice out.
Mar 21, 2009
Photo of BlackHaddock
Reviewed by BlackHaddock from England

3.68/5  rDev -7.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Visited twice during a long weekend over New Year (08-09). On the first visit we had to go upstairs because the small groundfloor bar was full.

Service up there was poor, the lad forgot our order and then only brought 3 beers, forgetting my on tap Gulden Draak Vintage. The lovely cheese platter we also ordered came only after reminding him. On leaving I found him downstairs texting someone instead of doing his job, very annoying. Everyone upstairs seemed to be tourists, no Flemish spoken at all, just French and English. The view from the windows however are great, the room and furniture all wooden and rickety.

The second visit was quieter and we found seats downstairs, the bar is very pleasant and again wood is the main stuff used throughout. The staff were more attentive and my on tap NIce Chouffe was in fine order. Everyone in the place on this occasion appeared to be local apart from us.

The bar is part of a business that has four distinct parts, this bar, Chez-Leontine, which is a posh looking Flemish eating house next door. Next door to that is 't Dreupelkot, purely a Jenever Bar with 215 to choose from and lastly across the river on Kraanlei is their Beer and Jenever shop, which I also used to buy some rare beers before heading home.

In short, a good choice of well kept beers, pleasant atmosphere and surroundings, hope the staff are the ones we encounted second!
Jan 22, 2009
Photo of JEdmund
Reviewed by JEdmund from Kansas

4.2/5  rDev +5.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
Located right on a river, Waterhuis has a great vantage point for taking in the sights of Ghent. We sat outside both times we came, and we were there during the summer festival, so there was lots going on. During the afternoon, there was a live band and a lot of people, making it more crowded--and more festive--than in the evening when we had no trouble finding a table. The house beer, Gandavum Dry Hopping, was extremely drinkable and a hophead's delight in Belgium. We also had the Timmerman's Lambic, which was equally drinkable. The beer menu wasn't too extensive, but the options were all good. Service was very good as waitresses make frequent rounds. Prices were typical, though expensive when you're converting from dollars...
Aug 21, 2008
Photo of ggaughan
Reviewed by ggaughan from Pennsylvania

4.16/5  rDev +4.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Visited with my wife on a trip about a month ago. The location is great, right along a nice canal. We tried to get a table outside but the day was great so all tables were taken. We came back after dinner for some drinks.

We found a nice table in the corner. Great atmosphere, small bar and nice breweriana on the walls.

Very extensive bottle list. I settled on their house beer which was served in a great glass that had a huge handle on the bottom, very heavy and cool. The beer rang in at about 10% or so, very nice. We stayed and had a few other beers.

Very enjoyable time, very reasonable prices I thought. Definitely have to visit again and get a table outside to enjoy the city and people watching.
May 17, 2008
Photo of msboyd
Reviewed by msboyd from Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -16.9%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5
I've only been in the off-season, but it certainly seemed we were the only tourists there when we visited. It has a lovely canal-side location and while there are certainly places with longer lists, the 100+ beers on offer are well-chosen and the specials they featured when we were there were very interesting indeed.

My only complaint is one that can easily refer to all of continental Europe - it was far too smoky. I would love a smoke-free beer bar with such a beautiful location and half the beer list if it meant I could actually breathe and enjoy my beer!

But on the whole, it's a nice place and worth a visit if you are looking for a nice place to enjoy a good beer along the canal.
Jun 22, 2007
Photo of Estarrio
Reviewed by Estarrio from Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev -6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5
This place was rather small but atmosphere was pleasant. Wooden tables, hop vines and a wonderful view of the waterfront. The service was forgettable.

The selection was pretty average in comparison to some of the bigger bars in Gent, leaving very little reason to come here aside from the location. I do recommend trying the house beer, which was a pleasantly, hoppy Belgian IPA.

Again, this is a decent place to stop in for one or two and watch the waterfront. That being said, there are far better places to spend your time and Euros in the fine city of Gent.
Mar 05, 2007
Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant in Gent, Belgium
Place rating: 3.97 out of 5 with 47 ratings