Good beer menu that is a decent representation of Belgium’s beers. We have Trappists, commercial abbey beers, pilseners and sweet kriek, but also real geuze, saisons, etc... If you come in with a large group, go to the second floor (not the pool table, even higher!) where there are pieces of tree trunk to sit on around two large wooden tables. Great atmosphere, but during my last visit, a couple of weeks ago, there were people smoking at the bar. Since Belgium bars are supposed to be smoke free since summer 2011, this was a major turn-off.

Not to be confused with ‘t Gebed Zonder Einde, the upmarket restaurant in Walpoortstraat, this café-bar is in a small square sandwiched between the imposing Gravensteen castle and the newly renovated fish market. It was recommended to us by David K, who said it was a nice place to visit although he didn’t think we’d find any “scoops” there. He was right on both counts. They have 42 bottles in fridges behind the bar and six taps, all with beers from Haacht. The Keizer Karel is served in a “Pot van Olen”, a traditional pottery three handled mug for which you pay a five euro deposit if you’re going to sit outside. There’s a legend that an innkeeper called Olen made a three handled mug (or a “mug with three ears”) especially for Charles V (aka Keizer Karel, who was born in Gent) and there’s a legend attached to it which I haven’t quite been able to fathom. ‘t Einde has a narrow, typically Flemish frontage with a few tables outside on the square and a longish room inside. The front area has cherry wood panelling and yellow colour washed walls with black and white prints of local scenes and a mirror ball, such as those found in nightclubs, rather incongruously attached to the high ceiling. At the back it has a more intimate feel, with high top tables for two tucked against a slate wall opposite the bar. There weren’t many people there when we visited on a Sunday afternoon but I got the impression that it’s a locals’ sort of place where you could easily while away time playing games (they have cards, Scrabble and Monopoly available) fortified by nibbles such as the ubiquitous cubes of cheese. I see that it’s listed in “375 Originele Café’s in Vlaanderen” (see http://originelecafes.wordpress.com/) - only available in Dutch / Flemish but worth a look if you’re travelling in the area. Service was efficient, with really good teamwork in evidence from the two bar staff. I noticed that there were four “Erkende Meester Bierschenke” diplomas on the wall. I think this translates roughly as “approved master beer servers”, which would be about right. (Visited 12 June 2011).