Wasbar is a cafe-bar belgian restaurant in Binnenstad, Ghent.
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.
Must 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.
Address: Korenmarkt 37, 9000 Gent, 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.
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.
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.
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.
