Himschoot is a bakery in Groentenmarkt, Ghent.
Himschoot has been baking at the Groentenmarkt since 1880, making it the oldest bakery in Ghent. The original stone-oven recipes produce koeken, sugar bread.
Must order: Suikerbrood (sugar bread): a sweet enriched loaf studded with pearl sugar, eaten at room temperature.
Tip: Arrive by 08:00 for the warmest bread and the shortest queue. The Dok Noord branch opens later.
Address: Groentenmarkt 1, 9000 Gent, Ghent
The Dok Noord branch of Ghent's oldest bakery brings Himschoot's 1880 recipes into a contemporary warehouse space at the revived port. Morning buns, seeded.
Order: Rozijnenbrood (raisin bread): the house enriched loaf with plump raisins baked into the dough.
Tip: Shares the Dok Noord complex with WAY Coffee Roasters; the coffee-and-pastry pairing is the obvious move.
Pastry chef and chocolatier Joost Arijs opened this specialist sourdough bakery in 2022, with slow-fermented wheat, rye and multigrain loaves.
Order: Country sourdough loaf: 24-hour fermentation, open crumb, caramelised crust.
Tip: Open Tuesday to Saturday 08:00 to 18:00; the croissants are best in the first two hours of opening.
Joost Arijs won best patisserie in Belgium from Gault and Millau: the showcase holds intricate tarts, entremets and seasonal pralines year-round.
Order: Praline selection box: six to eight seasonal pralines with unusual flavour pairings that change regularly.
Tip: A few doors down from The Bakery, both run by Arijs. Do both in one visit on a Tuesday morning.
Boulangerie Bloch has been baking at this Sint-Pieters address since 1899, with an Alsatian-influenced range: diverse breads, quiches and cheese rolls.
Order: Cheese roll: a dense, savoury roll with a strong Gruyere filling, sold warm from 07:30.
Tip: The food truck runs at Latem market on Fridays and Saturdays if you miss the flagship store.
Julie's House overlooks the Leie canal near Patershol and the Gravensteen, making artisanal pies, cupcakes, breakfast pastries and seasonal jams.
Order: Seasonal fruit tart: made with pastry cream and whatever fruit is ripe that week.
Tip: The canal-view terrace in front fills on sunny mornings; the jam and granola are worth taking home.
Baba Jacquet is a 30-year-old family bakery reinvented as a brunch bar: the gentse bolus (caramel spiral bun) is the best version in the city today.
Order: Gentse bolus: the city's sticky caramel spiral bun in its most authentic current form.
Tip: Closed Tuesdays; open all weekend from 08:00 with a sunny terrace that fills fast.
