WAY Specialty Coffee Roasters is a cafe in Dok Noord, Ghent.
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.
Must 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.
Address: Dok-Noord 4E/001, 9000 Gent, Ghent
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.
Take Five is a compact espressobar with a jazz soundtrack and a loyal following of specialty-coffee drinkers in the city centre. The baristas pull clean.
Order: Espresso macchiato: the extraction is dialled in daily and the ratio is always right.
Tip: Open seven days a week from 08:30 (09:00 weekends); the small counter fills on weekend mornings.
Koffeine is a warm coffee bar tucked behind Sint-Baafsplein with iced lattes, americanos and a short food menu of banana bread and seasonal pastries.
Order: Iced latte in summer: the house espresso holds its character over ice.
Tip: The compact room means most visitors take away; the nearby Veldstraat benches are a common perch.
