Stoverij met frites is the canonical Ghent pub dish: beef slow-braised in Flemish dark beer with onion and bay leaf, darkened with a mustard-spread slice of bread on top, served over a cone of double-fried frites.

Stoverij is the Ghent dialect name for the Flemish beef-and-beer braise known elsewhere as carbonade flamande. The dish uses dark Flemish ales and is distinguished from the Bruges and Antwerp versions by the use of Ghent mustard from Tierenteyn-Verlent in the bread crust on top. Every brown cafe in Ghent serves it; the version at 't Klokhuys uses Gruut amber for the braise. The dish is at its most authentic when eaten in the Patershol or the Vrijdagmarkt brasseries.

Where to eat Stoverij met Frites in Ghent

3 editor picks for Stoverij met Frites in Ghent, ranked by editorial score. All Ghent signature dishes · Stoverij met Frites across every city.

  • Pakhuis

    Order The oysters: the kitchen sources them daily and the quality is the most consistent in the city.

    Pakhuis occupies a converted warehouse behind a historic alley in central Ghent.

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  • 't Klokhuys

    Order The Gentse stoverij, a dark-beer beef braise that defines the dish better than most kitchens in the city.

    't Klokhuys is an authentic Patershol brasserie with mirror-and-blackboard interiors, serving stoverij, waterzooi and zurkelplets without compromise.

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  • Amadeus Gent 2

    Order All-you-can-eat spareribs with the house sauce: the price is fixed, the refills are real.

    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.

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Make it at home

Serves 43 hrEasy

Ingredients

  • 1.2kg beef chuck, cut in 4cm cubes
  • 500ml Flemish dark ale (Kasteel Rouge, Westmalle Dubbel or similar)
  • 2 large onions, sliced thin
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 slices sourdough or country bread
  • 2 tablespoons Ghent mustard (or Dijon)
  • 2 bay leaves, fresh thyme
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Double-fried frites to serve

Method

  1. Season beef chunks with salt and pepper. Brown in batches in butter in a heavy casserole over high heat. Set aside.
  2. Add onions to the same pan; cook slowly over low heat for 20 minutes until soft and lightly caramelised.
  3. Return beef to pan. Pour over the beer. Add bay leaves and thyme. The liquid should just cover the meat.
  4. Spread mustard on one side of each bread slice. Lay them mustard-side down on top of the meat.
  5. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook over the lowest possible heat for 2.5 hours until beef is tender.
  6. Remove bread (it dissolves and thickens the sauce). Stir and taste. Serve over frites.

Editor tip. The bread is not decorative: it dissolves into the braise and thickens the sauce. Do not skip it.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Mustard.