May 8, 2012
I have not eaten here, but have had a few beers on different occasions. Always a nice selection of beers, always some Dupont on tap. I really should try out the terrace out back this summer...

March 30, 2012
Modern, hip sort of bar, reminded me of a sixties style place, big stools and funky chairs. Clean and bright with pastel colours used throughout. The place is L shaped and you enter through a door that is set back from the road in a shop entrance/foyer. We walked through and sat at the rear which has views of the water and an outside area during warmer times. It was lunchtime but we didn’t eat, most people seemed to be on their own reading or just chilling. All very civilised and calm. Service with a smile, neat beer list and a complete contrast from all the other bars we visited in Gent.

November 26, 2011
Nice place to eat if you want to have some good beers too. Nice canalside location, although you can’t really see that much. Food is a touch on the pricey side, but it was very good. Service was great. We didn’t have a reservation but they fitted us in on a Saturday night. Attentive and friendly too. Beer selection is good, not massive choice, but plenty of good stuff, De Dolle bottles and Dupont draught.

August 28, 2011 [ Updated September 13, 2011 ]
The Patershol area, once one of Gent’s poorer quarters, is now a desirable city centre neighbourhood with its mediaeval street layout, attractive small houses, cobbled streets and a wide choice of restaurants. Aba-Jour has been a long-standing favourite of ours as a place to eat. It’s entered through a dark arcade off Oudburg, a main street running through the area parallel to the canal, and the door is flanked by two barrels and an old wooden juke box. There’s a long bar topped with an art deco panel from which the glasses hang, a low ceiling and a raised area at the back with views over the canal – not at its prettiest here as it’s mainly the backs of old warehouses, but interesting all the same. There’s also a narrow waterside terrace downstairs under the shelter of a large willow tree. The décor is quite minimal apart from some ferns, large round wall lights and a few pictures, including an intriguing 1920/30s photograph of two women holding a ladder. The staff are always friendly and there’s an extensive food menu. If you’re after hearty fare, look no further than the stoverij, a rich and delicious Flemish beef stew. The beer list is solid although unexceptional. There were six beers on draft when we last visited, including La Chouffe, Duvel Saison and Poperings Hommelbier. The bottle list of c.60 includes Westvleteren but whether they actually have it I don’t know. (Last visited 11 June 2011).