23 cuisines represented in our Ghent guide. Click through to the entry to see editor picks, what to order and how to book. Want a wider lens? All cuisines in this country or global cuisines index.
23 cuisines, most places first
Belgian38 restaurantsBelgian cooking is the backbone of how Ghent eats, running from canal-side classics to some of the country's most ambitious kitchens.
Cocktail bar28 restaurantsGhent's drinking scene blends inventive cocktail bars with the city's deep jenever and beer traditions.
Cafe23 restaurantsCafe culture in Ghent ranges from old-school coffee houses to a serious new wave of specialty roasters.
Bakery19 restaurantsGhent takes its bread and patisserie seriously, from market-square institutions to precise modern chocolatiers.
Street food15 restaurantsGhent's street food is steeped in local tradition, from frites and stoverij to the city's own sweets.
Wine bar14 restaurantsGhent's wine bars range from natural-wine specialists to dining rooms with a serious list, and they cluster through the old centre.
Vegan12 restaurants
Brewery10 restaurants
Vegetarian7 restaurants
Brunch5 restaurantsBrunch in Ghent is a relaxed, coffee-led affair clustered around the student streets and the Zuidstationstraat side of the centre.
Basque3 restaurants
French bistro3 restaurantsFrench bistro cooking turns up in Ghent as small, personal rooms rather than grand brasseries.
Modern European2 restaurantsModern European cooking in Ghent favours seasonal produce and a loose, cross-border palette over any single national tradition.
New American2 restaurantsThe new-American style, with its mix of comfort cooking and craft beer, is still finding its feet in Ghent.
Tasting menu2 restaurantsThe tasting-menu format gives Ghent's chefs room to show their full range over a sequence of small courses.
Thai2 restaurantsThai cooking is a long-standing fixture in Ghent's medieval centre rather than a recent arrival.
Vietnamese2 restaurantsVietnamese food gives Ghent a lighter, herb-forward counterpoint to its richer Belgian fare.
American1 restaurantAmerican comfort food sits at the edges of Ghent's dining scene rather than its centre, usually arriving alongside music and a long bar.
American BBQ1 restaurantLow-and-slow American barbecue found its Ghent foothold in the converted industrial sheds of Dok-Noord, north of the old harbour.
International1 restaurantGhent's most boundary-blurring cooking sits under the broad heading of international, where chefs draw freely from across the globe.
Italian1 restaurantItalian cooking in Ghent tends towards the modern and informal rather than the trattoria template.
Pizzeria1 restaurantPizza in Ghent has a quirky local signature thanks to the city's brewing heritage, where beer finds its way into the dough.
Spanish tapas1 restaurantSpanish tapas keep a modest presence in Ghent, more a relaxed sharing format than a citywide trend.
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