Bado Bado is an indonesian-belgian fusion restaurant in Patershol, Ghent.
Bado Bado fuses Indonesian and Belgian flavours: rendang with local beef, satay with Belgian sourced pork, and a nasi goreng that uses Ghent's own pickled.
Must order: Rendang of the day: a slow-cooked Belgian beef or lamb in an Indonesian spice paste, served with steamed rice.
Tip: Reservations are advised: the room is small and the word-of-mouth following keeps it full on weekends.
Address: Corduwaniersstraat 12, 9000 Gent, Ghent
Pakhuis fills a converted 19th-century warehouse behind a central alley. The cavernous glass-roofed interior keeps a menu of daily-fresh oysters, moules.
Order: Moules frites: the mussels arrive in a deep cast-iron pot and the frites alongside are fried to order.
Tip: Book ahead for weekend dinner; the warehouse vibe is worth it for a big-group celebration.
Amadeus is Ghent's most committed rib restaurant, piling all-you-can-eat spareribs onto wooden boards for tables that stretch across its belfry-square.
Order: All-you-can-eat spareribs with the house sauce: the price is fixed, the refills are real.
Tip: Book for Sunday lunch; the all-you-can-eat format fills the room and walk-ins are turned away most evenings.
Memee Gusta runs a grandmother-recipe kitchen in a cosy vintage room near the castle. The signature pork cheek stew is cooked low and slow in a deep brown.
Order: Pork cheek stew: buttery and intense, with frites and salad included.
Tip: Closed Sundays; lunch service is Tuesday to Saturday only. Book a day ahead for dinner.
Otomat makes pizza dough with Duvel beer yeast, giving the base a bready depth. Around 20 Belgian beers on tap and original toppings make it unmissable.
Order: The Otomat house pizza: Duvel yeast dough with seasonal toppings and a crisp edge.
Tip: Open daily including Sundays and late on Fridays and Saturdays until 23:00; no reservation needed.
Wasbar is a launderette and bar rolled into one: leave your washing in the machines and order beer, coffee or charcuterie at the bar while you wait.
Order: Kaasplank (cheese board) with a local Belgian beer while your laundry runs.
Tip: Open daily 9am to 9pm; the Korenmarkt location is the most central and busiest of the three Ghent branches.
Chef Wim Ballieu built a restaurant around the meatball, stuffing oversized balls with seasonal fillings and serving them on stoemp or a simple salad.
Order: Meatball of the day on stoemp: whatever the chef has stuffed into the ball changes weekly.
Tip: No reservations; arrive early to avoid queuing. Compact space fills fast at lunch.
