Balls and Glory is a belgian meatballs restaurant in Binnenstad, Ghent.
Chef Wim Ballieu built a restaurant around the meatball, stuffing oversized balls with seasonal fillings and serving them on stoemp or a simple salad.
Must 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.
Address: Jakobijnenstraat 6, 9000 Gent, Ghent
Du Progres has been run by three generations of the De Baets family and remains one of the most honest Belgian brasseries in the city. Waterzooi, stoverij.
Order: Gentse waterzooi: the chicken version, made to the family recipe with the creamiest stock in the city.
Tip: Open Tuesday to Saturday; arrive before 12:30 for lunch without queuing.
Du Progres has been run by three generations of the De Baets family and remains one of the most honest Belgian brasseries in the city. Waterzooi, stoverij.
Order: Gentse waterzooi: the chicken version, made to the family recipe with the creamiest stock in the city.
Tip: Open Tuesday to Saturday; arrive before 12:30 for lunch without queuing.
Casa de las Tapas has been feeding the Patershol cobblestones with Spanish-style small plates for years. The menu runs from jambon iberico to patatas bravas.
Order: Patatas bravas with the house aioli: crunchy outside, fluffy inside, sauce perfectly balanced.
Tip: Closed Wednesdays; kitchen closes at 21:30 so this is an earlier dinner spot than most Patershol restaurants.
Knees to Chin makes fresh Vietnamese spring rolls to order: rice paper wrappers filled with seasonal greens, herbs and your choice of protein. Lactose-free.
Order: Customise-your-own spring roll bowl: pick proteins, sauces and sides from the menu board.
Tip: Popular weekday lunch spot; the queue at midday moves fast but the room fills.
Vrijdagsgevoel occupies the most prominent corner of Ghent's historic Friday market square. Open seven days a week, it serves brasserie classics, Ghent.
Order: Gentse stoverij with frites: the beef stew is the neighbourhood classic and this version does it justice.
Tip: The Friday morning market wraps up by midday; this is the place to recover with lunch and watch the stalls pack down.
Allegro Moderato occupies a canal-side house on the Korenlei, with views of the guild houses across the Leie. The kitchen produces carefully plated modern.
Order: Seasonal fish from the market with local vegetable sides: the kitchen changes with what arrives each morning.
Tip: Book the window table for the guild-house view. Closed weekday lunches.
't Klokhuys runs out of a narrow Patershol house and is one of the most cited places in the city for Gentse waterzooi. The room seats fewer than 30 people.
Order: Gentse waterzooi with chicken: the stock is rich, the vegetables are cooked right through.
Tip: Book at least two days ahead; the room is tiny and fills weeks ahead in summer.
