Pakhuis is a belgian brasserie restaurant in Binnenstad, 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.
Must 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.
Address: Schuurkenstraat 4, 9000 Gent, Ghent
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.
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.
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.
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.
