The Cafe Carillon on the main square in Oudenaarde occupies two small gable houses built against the walls of a Gothic church.
The cafe looks old. But the interior was reconstructed in 1921 after the original building was destroyed by shelling during the First World War. The style is a mix of half timbering and Art Deco, with nostalgic paintings of pre-war Oudenaarde by the local artist Edgar Fobert.
The menu includes local beers like Ename Blonde and Adriaan Brouwer Bruin. But you can also ask for a cheeky beer called Klootzakske (Asshole, might be the best translation). It is described on the menu as ‘a blond beer with balls’. So you have been warned.
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.
