It gets busy in Ghent at this time of year, but not many tourists get beyond the historical heart of the city. One area that deserves to be explored lies on the edge of the Oude Dokken, or old docks.
Look out for the abandoned garage opposite De Centrale cultural centre where Ghent architect Jan Dekeyser has created a vast industrial canteen. Known as Entr, it takes its name from the standardised classification for shipping containers.
The architect has played on the name by incorporating containers into the interior design. Opened in 2016, it’s a buzzing multicultural place with industrial fittings, formica tables and cutlery stacked in old tomato tins. You can drop in any time of the day for a coffee, a simple bowl of soup or a Gruut beer.
Derek Blyth’s hidden secret of the day: Derek Blyth is the author of the bestselling “The 500 Hidden Secrets of Belgium”. He picks out one of his favourite hidden secrets for The Brussels Times every day.
