Bar Stan

There’s no point in looking for Stan behind the Formica counter: the Stan in question comes from Sanskrit, meaning “place” or “country.” Now you know where the terms “stand” in English or “stan” in Dutch come from… and what Bar Stan is all about, the eatery in Leuven par excellence (mismatched furniture, a sunny terrace), which is located a bit off the beaten path but is still always busy. Young kids, older kids and much, much older kids head there in the wee hours of the morning and stay late. In other words, they come for both a coffee with a bowl of granola and an after-dinner drink. What about in between? Croque monsieurs dripping with quality cheese, seriously stacked sandwiches (like the one that combines pumpkin dip, fried mushrooms, herb coulis and walnuts on toasted bread from Korst bakery) and small, bright vegetarian dishes, which you can wolf down on the fly. Add to that the friendly and relaxed staff, and you’ll definitely want to come back ASAP! // Watsounet

FEELING THIRSTY? A seemingly endless beer list, which features options like Stella on tap (€2.80 for a half-pint) and a Gimme Some Mo from La Source (€6.50 for 330 ml), along with a few brews from further away – like The Sup, a porter from Dublin (€6.20 for 330 ml). In addition to all that, there are living wines (from Italy mainly, like the Umbrian orange wine from Il Signor Kurtz at €7.80 a glass), homemade lemonade that’s not overly sweet (€3.80) and locally-roasted Mok coffee (€3 for an espresso).

PRICE: Sandwiches €12.50 to €15.50 (lunch), plates €12.50 to €21, brunch buffet €29 (every other Sunday).