23 editor picks in Ghent.
23 cafe places in Ghent we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Ghent | Cafe across every city.
Cafe culture in Ghent ranges from old-school coffee houses to a serious new wave of specialty roasters. Mokabon, just off the Donkersteeg in the city centre, is one of the oldest coffee bars in town, while WAY Specialty Coffee Roasters in Dok-Noord and Cafe Labath on Oude Houtlei lead the modern end. Around Zuidstationstraat, Full Circle Coffee Bar and Vandekerckhove and Bar keep the focus firmly on the cup.
Cafe Labath is the city's best-known specialty cafe, occupying a corner building steps from Sint-Michielsbrug with floor-to-ceiling windows and a big-city.
OrderFlat white with the seasonal single-origin espresso: well-extracted, properly textured milk.
TipOpen from 08:00 Tuesday to Saturday; the weekday morning slot before 09:00 is the quietest.
WAY is run by Belgian barista champion Charlene De Buysere in a converted warehouse at Dok Noord, rotating single-origin filters every few weeks in Ghent.
OrderFilter coffee of the day: WAY rotates single-origins every few weeks with precise tasting notes.
TipOpen weekdays only (08:30-16:30); plan a Dok Noord visit on a Tuesday to Thursday morning.
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.
OrderAvocado sourdough tartine with poached egg: the bread is the reason to come.
TipThe 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.
OrderOat flat white with the seasonal espresso blend: the non-dairy execution here is among the best in the city.
TipThe 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.
OrderCold brew in summer; the house espresso blend is clean and not over-roasted.
TipTake-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.
OrderSlow coffee on V60: the house blend of Brazilian and Ethiopian beans, brewed with patience.
TipOpen every day except public holidays from 10:00-18:00; 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.
OrderEspresso macchiato: the extraction is dialled in daily and the ratio is always right.
TipOpen 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.
OrderIced latte in summer: the house espresso holds its character over ice.
TipThe compact room means most visitors take away; the nearby Veldstraat benches are a common perch.
Madam Bakster is a guilt-free bakery and cafe using only natural sweeteners: oats, nuts and dates replace refined sugar in the cakes. Priced at €€.
OrderGranola bowl with plant yoghurt: house-made granola with seasonal fruit, naturally sweet.
TipOpen Thursday to Sunday only; the weekend brunch fills up, so booking ahead is wise.
IzyCoffee took over the Dok-Noord 7 warehouse unit when OR Coffee vacated, building a 100% arabica menu plus signature pistachio latte and pandan iced coffee.
OrderPistachio latte: IzyCoffee's most-ordered drink.
TipOpen seven days a week 08:00-18:00, Saturdays to 20:00. The Dok-Noord crowd makes weekend mornings busiest; weekday afternoons are quiet.
Barista has two central Ghent locations, serves organic-soy milk across its espresso range and has made its brunch pancake stack a weekend signature.
OrderPancake stack with seasonal fruit compote: the batter is light and the fruit sauce is made in-house.
TipThe Sint-Jacobs location has a sunnier terrace; the Lippensplein branch is more central for museum-hopping.
Mokabon has roasted coffee on Donkersteeg since 1937, when Erminio Mazzaro arrived from Italy. Located in City Centre. Reservations advised.
OrderSingle espresso of the house blend with a Belgian speculaas.
TipOpen Monday to Saturday 09:00-18:30, closed Sunday. The standing bar at the front turns over fastest; tables in back take longer.
The original Wasbar location mixes coin-op laundry machines with a bar serving Belgian beers, sandwiches and charcuterie. The eclectic clientele of Erasmus.
OrderA Trappist beer and a ham-cheese tosti while the washing spins: the whole Wasbar point in one order.
TipLess crowded than the Korenmarkt branch; better for a quiet coffee and laptop session on weekday afternoons.
BOON is a vegetarian lunch bar at the foot of the Gravensteen. Located in Patershol. Order the rhubarb soda. Specialty: vegetarian lunch and seasonal salads.
OrderRhubarb soda: the house-made pink fizz that has become a Ghent food signature.
TipKitchen closes in the early evening; this is a daytime spot. The counter fills at lunch so aim for 11:45.
Den Baudelo is a food hall inside a beautifully restored 17th-century chapel. Around 15 stalls run from Mexican and Indian to Italian and Belgian; the shared.
OrderPick one stall, take a seat at the communal tables.
TipBusiest at weekday lunchtime; the architecture alone is worth the visit even without eating.
OR Coffee's Sint-Pieters lab is the original Ghent location, serving slow brews and breakfast sandwiches in a bright room near the university campus.
OrderAeropress with the house Colombian: a clean, sweet cup that travels from bean to cup in under five minutes.
TipUniversity crowds make Monday mornings very busy; Thursday and Friday are the quietest weekday windows.
Korenlei Twee occupies a prime guild-house building on the Korenlei with direct views of the Graslei across the Leie. Coffee, brunch and light brasserie.
OrderCappuccino on the terrace with a view of the medieval guild houses: the most postcard-worthy coffee in Ghent.
TipTables fill by 10:30 on sunny days; weekday mornings before 10:00 are the quietest.
Soup Lounge runs a daily-rotating soup bar where a bowl of fresh soup, a bread roll and an apple costs under nine euros at a central Ghent address.
OrderSoup of the day with bread roll and apple: the combination changes daily and is always based on seasonal.
TipThe soup runs out by mid-afternoon; arrive before 13:00 to get the full daily choice.
Alice is a light-filled weekend brunch cafe in the Zuid quarter with a following for egg dishes, pancakes and long-table communal seating on lazy mornings.
OrderShakshuka: eggs baked in a North African spiced tomato sauce with fresh herbs and crusty bread.
TipOpen Saturday and Sunday only; arrives early or queues develop by 11:00.
Gust is a spiced brunch and lunch bar on Papegaaistraat using ingredients from local farms: the freshness shows in everything from the bread to the eggs.
OrderThe farmer's breakfast: the most direct expression of the sourcing ethos and the most-requested dish at Gust.
TipWeekend queues form before opening; arrive early or accept a 20-minute wait on a sunny Saturday.
Vandekerckhove has roasted coffee on the Brabantdam since 1854: five generations later, the drum roaster is still visible in the shopfront on a daily basis.
TipGo on a weekday morning when the drum is running; the smell of fresh roasting from the shopfront is the best possible advertisement.
Soup Lounge's daily-rotating bowl of fresh soup, a bread roll and an apple costs under nine euros at a central Ghent address near the Friday market square.
OrderDaily soup with bread roll and apple: the fixed-price combination that made this a Ghent workers staple.
TipThe soup changes daily and is announced on a chalkboard outside; the portions are filling enough for a full lunch.
Peaberry combines specialty coffee with vegan-friendly pastries and bread rolls at the foot of Sint-Baafskathedraal for under €8 all-in at the counter.
OrderVegan scone with coffee: the plant-based pastry and single-origin filter combination for under €7.
TipPrimarily take-away; the benches near the cathedral provide a seat for free without the restaurant overhead.
Guided tour · 2.5 hours
Join an entertaining local guide on a culinary and historical journey through the charming streets of Ghent. A culinary adventure through Ghent you will never forget!
1.5 hours
Join this workshop in Ghent to taste 3 Belgian beers, prepare waffle dough and bake Belgian waffles. Then enjoy your creations with toppings of your choice and eat as ...
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Private tour of the historic center including a food tasting: the best pralines, Belgian chocolate, the famous Ghent cuberdons, and other specialties.
