A bar in Maastricht has been named the best drinking spot in the Netherlands by trade magazine Misset Horeca.

After 11 years in the top 10, In de Karkol has finally made it to number one, the magazine said on Tuesday, after mystery guests, jury members and judges all raved about this ‘southern gem’.

It adds that the bar’s 37 square metres are filled with artists, students, pensioners, warm smiles, kind words with strangers and ‘perfectly drawn lager’.

The magazine has published a list of the Netherland’s ‘100 best cafés’ – where beer as well as coffee is served, and which are not to be confused with ‘coffee shops’.