There are three drinking holes in Leuven that have become regular spots for me to sip and socialise.

In summer, all of the Oude Markt (old market square) becomes one giant outside bar. One spectacular Thursday afternoon Adrian organised to meet me “at the Oude Markt” and it took us over 30 minutes to find each other. This place is perfect for scoffing some Kriek cherry beer and soaking up the sunlight.

For late nights with a local flavour, we often take visitors to Seven Oaks. The place doesn’t come alive until well after midnight, so when we visit early we usually have the place to ourselves. They have a wide range of flavoured jenever (jin), Laurent-Perrier champagne on tap, plus they let you play a fun party game that involves hammering nails into a tree trunk.

However, my top bar in Leuven is Mattiz. They make the most amazing cocktails I have every tasted. There is a whole page just dedicated to chocolate flavoured mixtures, and I am methodologically working my way down the list. So far, my favourites are Tootsie Roll and After Dinner Mint. It’s a small place, but if you can score the table at the front it makes for the perfect place for a few after dinner drinks.