Ghent has done something rare: it became a serious food city while refusing to take itself too seriously. The medieval core hides two-Michelin-star kitchens alongside frituur stands where locals queue for frites in beef-stew sauce with a side of mayonnaise. The city declared Veggie Thursday in 2009, one of the first in Europe, and the vegetarian scene that grew from that nudge now rivals any comparable city in Belgium. Waterzooi, the creamy chicken-and-vegetable stew, appears on every traditional menu; so does Gentse stoverij, a deep amber beef braise that goes into the fat sauce on your frites. Cuberdons, the cone-shaped raspberry jellies, are sold at Groentenmarkt by vendors who have been at those stalls for decades. Tierenteyn-Verlent has ladled its grainy mustard from barrels at the same corner since 1790. The Patershol neighbourhood, a tangle of cobblestone lanes north of the castle, concentrated so many good kitchens in such a small space that it became the culinary shorthand for the whole city. Dok Noord, a revived industrial port area ten minutes walk away, adds a second pole with craft breweries, smoked-meat counters and specialty coffee roasters. The Gruut city brewery produces herb beers from a medieval recipe that has never used a single hop.

Where to eat in Ghent

All 24 restaurants

  1. Pakhuis

    Order The oysters: the kitchen sources them daily and the quality is the most consistent in the city.

  2. 't Klokhuys

    Order The Gentse stoverij, a dark-beer beef braise that defines the dish better than most kitchens in the city.

  3. Amadeus Gent 1

    Order The all-you-can-eat spareribs format, which is the reason most tables are booked before the week starts.

  4. Le Baan Thai

    Order Green curry with chicken: the in-house paste.

  5. Bar Bask

    Order The txuleta from the charcoal asador, available when the kitchen has sourced the right cut, which is most.

  6. Boris et Maurice

    Order Whatever the kitchen is most excited about that day, usually stated by the staff unprompted at the table.

Fine dining

Book food experiences in Ghent

See all 247 food experiences in Ghent

Food festivals coming up in Ghent

All Ghent food festivals

Going to Gentse Winterfeesten (Ghent Christmas Market)? Hotels for 3 Dec to 3 Jan, from USD 78 a night.

Hotels for these dates

Where to stay in Ghent

All Ghent hotels
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Getting there and around Ghent

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Signature dishes in Ghent

All 12 dishes
More dishes

Where to eat by neighborhood

All neighbourhoods
  • Patershol16 places Flemish classicsFine diningCocktail bars
  • Graslei and Korenlei6 places Terrace diningBrasseriesTourist-friendly Belgian
  • Dok Noord18 places Craft beerSpecialty coffeeStreet food
  • Vrijdagmarkt6 places Belgian beer barsFriday market stallsTraditional brasseries
  • Kouter5 places BrunchWine barsSunday market stalls
  • Sint-Pieters7 places CafesBudget eatingCasual bistros

Also in Ghent: tickets for the sights

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Map of Ghent

Every restaurant, cafe, market and bar we cover in Ghent, pinned. Click a pin for the page.

Trip planner

Plan your Ghent trip

Pick your dates: we line up the festivals on, what is in season, where to eat on the days you are in town, and experiences you can book for those dates.

In Ghent now? See what is open near you, and ask our AI

Everything in Ghent

Plan your eating trip

Browse Ghent

When to come hungry in Ghent

Peak food season
April to June and September to November. Summer sees Gentse Feesten in mid-July, ten days when the city eats and drinks outdoors. August is quiet; some kitchens close for two weeks.
Local dining hours
Lunch 12:00-14:30, Dinner 19:00-22:00. Kitchens in the Patershol often close earlier than city-centre brasseries. Most brown cafes open from early afternoon and stay open past midnight.
Tipping
Service is not automatically included. Rounding up or leaving 5 to 10 per cent for good service is appreciated. Cash tips are preferred; card tip prompts are rare.

Ghent food, FAQ

What food is Ghent known for?

Ghent's signature dishes include Waterzooi van Vis, Stoverij met Frites, Cuberdon (Gentse Neuzen), Tierenteyn Ghent Mustard, Gruut Inferno (Herbal Beer). See our signature dishes chapter for where to eat each.

What are the best food neighborhoods in Ghent?

TableJourney editors map Ghent by district. Patershol, Graslei and Korenlei, Dok Noord, Vrijdagmarkt are among the strongest for food, each with its own guide.

Where should I eat fine dining in Ghent?

Editor picks in Ghent include Vrijmoed, OAK, Publiek, plus the full fine dining chapter on TableJourney.

Are there food tours in Ghent?

TableJourney covers 4 editor-picked food tours in Ghent, with what each shows you and how much to budget.

Does Ghent have good vegetarian or vegan food?

TableJourney's Ghent dietary chapter covers vegan, vegetarian, gluten_free, halal, kosher venues, each editor-picked with what to order and how to ask.