There is a new home for gamers in Ghent, Barvatar.

20 gaming PC’s are the immediate eye-catcher when you walk into the e-sportsbar, that’s not all though as Barvatar has a separate training room with even more gaming pcs and a broadcast studio. During my stay, they were also streaming a League of Legends tournament over a beamer and a few monitors. If it wasn’t clear before, Barvatar is created for gamers.

We were welcomed by a very friendly English speaking girl who immediately gave a small tour of the place, it made you feel welcome. I was invited to the press and community opening but unfortunately couldn’t go because of being sick. But to be honest, I prefer to review a place when they don’t do anything special, now I really experienced the atmosphere on a normal opening day. I went with a non-gamer friend, which made me realise that Barvatar has one small issue. Visitors who don’t feel a connection with video games won’t be comfortable here. Me Personally? I absolutely loved the gaming atmosphere and clear focus on the gamers audience, but here lies a big difference with Comic Sans, another place in Ghent that gamers call home. This geek Comic Sans bar is more suitable for everyone, while Barvatar has a more niche audience. I think the timing is excellent though, I might call gamers who have a passion for e-sports niche but that audience is increasing on a daily basis.

Hidden gem in a perfect location

Barvatar is easy to reach as it is inside the shopping mall Gent Zuid, located at Wilsonplein. Pro-tip, use the bicycle sheds from the library to safely store your bike! There’s an entrance in the mall and outside the mall so they don’t have issues with opening hours. It is easy to miss if you don’t know the bar, despite clear indicators on the windows. (see picture, taking from inside the Krook library) So this place will really have to lure customers with mouth-to-mouth advertising and events that get high views on social media. I have no doubt that this will be the case!

Many things to do!

There’s a lot that you can do at Barvatar and I’m not even going, to begin with talking about the professional broadcast studio. Nah, Barvatar is the perfect place to come with your gaming friends! One thing I regularly plan to do is the Lunch Battle option, for 45min you can reserve a PC or game corner to play Fifa with friends or colleagues. You also get a drink, a Royco and a pizza, pasta or wrap for only €15! Prices, in general, are very gamer-friendly. We took the signature cocktail and paid €9, pretty decently priced and it tasted great! Beer lovers have something special too as they have a monthly special beer from Dok Brewing company. There’s a lot more though, every Sunday there is a brunch or you can play & learn with The Academy. The potential is huge and I’m very curious to see what they will do in the future.

Unique created decor

Barvatar doesn’t only stand out with the gaming possibilities but also the visual style of the decor. I love the mix from the raw ceiling and the playfulness of colour in the decor and choice of materials. If I need to give the feeling a name I would compare it a little with a Cyberpunk vibe. I felt right at home with all the LED lights, flashy computer screens and comfortable seats and I’m sure we’ll have a few lovely nights with LifeisXbox staff or other gamers.

I was positively surprised about Barvatar, my non-gamer friend kinda questions my taste of bars now but I’m okay with that. We, the gamers deserve a place like this and I’m sure that with enough time and effort Barvatar will become a home for many. Get in touch if you want to grab a beer sometime, I’m always looking forward to my next visit.