Did you think ordering a beer was a pretty simple affair? In Ghent, a pub has decided to complicate things just a little… At De Dulle Griet, beer lovers who order the famous Max must, in fact , hand over… one of their shoes before receiving their glass. And no, this isn’t an urban legend. Bruxelles Secrète tells you all about it.
A shoe for a beer
Head to the Vrijdagmarkt, right in the heart of Ghent, where De Dulle Griet keeps this tradition—as strange as it is effective—alive. The rule applies to the Max, the house beer served in an impressive 1.2-liter glass. Since the glass is particularly recognizable—and tempting enough to take home as a souvenir—the bar has found a way to prevent its glasses from disappearing into customers’ bags.
When you order, you have to leave a shoe as a deposit. The server places it in a small basket, which is then hoisted up to the bar’s ceiling. Your shoe stays up there until you finish your beer and obediently return the glass.
Belgium’s weirdest storage facility?
, the scene has become a real attraction in its own right. Patrons know they’ll be drinking a beer with a socked foot, while their shoe watches the evening unfold from above . And the more shoes there are hanging there, the more outlandish the pub’s decor becomes.
Above all, the idea has given De Dulle Griet a reputation that goes far beyond that of a simple beer bar. In a country where every beer seems to have its own designated glass, the bar has taken the concept of a deposit glass to the extreme: here, the deposit isn’t a coin or a credit card, but your shoe. So, if you’re planning a trip to Ghent and want to try the Max, choose your shoes wisely. You might end up spending part of the evening looking at them… from the ceiling!
📍Address: De Dulle Griet, Vrijdagmarkt 50, 9000 Ghent
