Mokabon is a cafe in City Centre, Ghent.
Mokabon has roasted coffee on Donkersteeg since 1937, when Erminio Mazzaro arrived from Italy. The narrow vintage room still serves espresso to a steady flow of locals.
Must order: Single espresso of the house blend with a Belgian speculaas: the unchanged 1937 recipe is the reason regulars still queue at the bar.
Tip: Open Monday to Saturday 09:00 to 18:30, closed Sunday. The standing bar at the front turns over fastest; tables in back take longer.
Address: Donkersteeg 35, 9000 Gent, Ghent
The original Wasbar location mixes coin-op laundry machines with a bar serving Belgian beers, sandwiches and charcuterie. The eclectic clientele of Erasmus.
Order: A Trappist beer and a ham-cheese tosti while the washing spins: the whole Wasbar point in one order.
Tip: Less crowded than the Korenmarkt branch; better for a quiet coffee and laptop session on weekday afternoons.
BOON is a vegetarian lunch bar at the foot of the Gravensteen. The daily changing salad compositions, seasonal soups and freshly pressed rhubarb soda have.
Order: Rhubarb soda: the house-made pink fizz that has become a Ghent food signature.
Tip: Kitchen closes in the early evening; this is a daytime spot. The counter fills at lunch so aim for 11:45.
Den Baudelo is a food hall inside a beautifully restored 17th-century chapel. Around 15 stalls run from Mexican and Indian to Italian and Belgian; the shared.
Order: Pick one stall, take a seat at the communal tables, and work through at least one Belgian frites cone while.
Tip: Busiest at weekday lunchtime; the architecture alone is worth the visit even without eating.
OR Coffee's Sint-Pieters lab is the original Ghent location, serving slow brews and breakfast sandwiches in a bright room near the university campus.
Order: Aeropress with the house Colombian: a clean, sweet cup that travels from bean to cup in under five minutes.
Tip: University crowds make Monday mornings very busy; Thursday and Friday are the quietest weekday windows.
Korenlei Twee occupies a prime guild-house building on the Korenlei with direct views of the Graslei across the Leie. Coffee, brunch and light brasserie.
Order: Cappuccino on the terrace with a view of the medieval guild houses: the most postcard-worthy coffee in Ghent.
Tip: Tables fill by 10:30 on sunny days; weekday mornings before 10:00 are the quietest.
Soup Lounge runs a daily-rotating soup bar where a bowl of fresh soup, a bread roll and an apple costs under nine euros at a central Ghent address.
Order: Soup of the day with bread roll and apple: the combination changes daily and is always based on seasonal.
Tip: The soup runs out by mid-afternoon; arrive before 13:00 to get the full daily choice.
