Gust is a cafe in Binnenstad, Ghent.
Gust is a spiced brunch and lunch bar on Papegaaistraat using ingredients from local farms: the freshness shows in everything from the bread to the eggs.
Must order: The farmer's breakfast: the most direct expression of the sourcing ethos and the most-requested dish at Gust.
Tip: Weekend queues form before opening; arrive early or accept a 20-minute wait on a sunny Saturday.
Address: Papegaaistraat 55, 9000 Gent, Ghent
Cafe Labath is the city's best-known specialty cafe, occupying a corner building steps from Sint-Michielsbrug with floor-to-ceiling windows and a big-city.
Order: Flat white with the seasonal single-origin espresso: well-extracted, properly textured milk.
Tip: Open from 08:00 Tuesday to Saturday; the weekday morning slot before 09:00 is the quietest.
Peaberry sits at the foot of Sint-Baafskathedraal: a compact, vegan-friendly coffee bar serving specialty brews, bread rolls and fresh salads daily.
Order: Cold brew in summer; the house espresso blend is clean and not over-roasted.
Tip: Take-away focussed; if you want to sit stay, come at opening before the cathedral tourist flow starts.
Cafe Labath is the city's best-known specialty cafe, occupying a corner building steps from Sint-Michielsbrug with floor-to-ceiling windows and a big-city.
Order: Flat white with the seasonal single-origin espresso: well-extracted, properly textured milk.
Tip: Open from 08:00 Tuesday to Saturday; the weekday morning slot before 09:00 is the quietest.
WAY is run by Belgian barista champion Charlene De Buysere in a converted warehouse at Dok Noord. Belgium's first Diedrich IR12 roaster sits visible behind.
Order: Filter coffee of the day: WAY rotates single-origins every few weeks with precise tasting notes on each.
Tip: Open weekdays only (08:30 to 16:30); plan a Dok Noord visit on a Tuesday to Thursday morning.
Pain Perdu bakes wood-fired sourdough and runs a sunny rear garden that has made this Walpoortstraat cafe one of Ghent's most loved brunch destinations.
Order: Avocado sourdough tartine with poached egg: the bread is the reason to come.
Tip: The garden fills fast on sunny weekends; aim to arrive before 11:00 to get an outdoor table.
Full Circle was one of Belgium's first fully plant-based specialty coffee bars, with oat or rice milk for all drinks and vegan pastries throughout.
Order: Oat flat white with the seasonal espresso blend: the non-dairy execution here is among the best in the city.
Tip: The Zuid location is the larger; the Astridlaan branch is a useful stop near the train station.
Peaberry sits at the foot of Sint-Baafskathedraal: a compact, vegan-friendly coffee bar serving specialty brews, bread rolls and fresh salads daily.
Order: Cold brew in summer; the house espresso blend is clean and not over-roasted.
Tip: Take-away focussed; if you want to sit stay, come at opening before the cathedral tourist flow starts.
Vandekerckhove has roasted coffee in Ghent since 1854. The fifth-generation family roasts on-site and the bar brews espressos and slow coffees daily.
Order: Slow coffee on V60: the house blend of Brazilian and Ethiopian beans, brewed with patience.
Tip: Open every day except public holidays from 10:00 to 18:00; the bean shop sells the house blend in 250g bags.
