The old Ghent bar Dulle Griet on Vrijdagmarkt takes its name from a mediaeval cannon on a nearby square. The cluttered interior looks as if it might be as old as the cannon. It is decorated with heavy wooden stools, antique beer signs and beer kegs used as tables.
The beer menu lists more than 500 Belgian brews that are kept down in the cellar. The list includes the house beer Max, which is served in a long glass supported on a wooden stand.
But first, before you are served a Max, there is a little ritual to get out of the way. You have to hand over a shoe which goes into a basket that is then raised to the ceiling. The shoe stays there until you return the empty glass.
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.
