Creative sharing plates€35-€60binnenstadBook 1 week ahead
A sharing-plates concept on Ottogracht with a strong vegetable focus: the menu rotates with the season and the kitchen splits its attention evenly between.
Order: Two or three sharing plates of whatever the kitchen is most excited about that week.
Tip: Come with a group of four to maximise the number of plates you can try without over-ordering.
Vegan creative€30-€55patersholBook 1 week ahead
Dedicated vegan restaurant in central Ghent with a kitchen that goes beyond bean patties: creative preparations of plant proteins and seasonal vegetables.
Order: The full set menu if available, where the kitchen's commitment to texture and flavour contrast shows most.
Tip: Check their social media for the current week's menu before booking; it changes more often than the printed card suggests.
Contemporary BelgianChef Michaël Vrijmoed€115-€185binnenstadBook 3-4 weeks ahead
Two Michelin stars in central Ghent: chef Michaël Vrijmoed pushes Belgian produce through fermentation and global technique, with a dedicated Purs vegetarian.
Order: The Purs vegetarian tasting menu, seven courses built around single seasonal vegetables.
Tip: Book the 7-course format on a Friday evening, when the kitchen serves its most ambitious version of the menu.
OAK 1 ★ ★ 4.8
Contemporary globalChef Marcelo Ballardin€85-€175patersholBook 2-3 weeks ahead
One Michelin star and 24 seats in a Ghent medieval lane: Marcelo Ballardin fuses Italian-Brazilian roots with North Sea ingredients and Asian technique.
Order: The dinner seven-course menu, where the international combinations are given fullest expression.
Tip: Lunch Tuesday to Friday offers a four-course format at a gentler price, and the room is equally relaxed.
Contemporary BelgianChef Olly Ceulenaere€109-€160binnenstadBook 1-2 weeks ahead
One Michelin star in a loft-style bistro on Ham street: Olly Ceulenaere champions lesser-known Belgian vegetables and local produce at every turn.
Order: The five-course dinner menu, where the vegetable-led cooking is most focused.
Tip: Lunch is three courses from €55 and usually has last-minute availability where dinner books out weeks ahead.
Modern Belgian bistroChef Kim Devisschere€35-€95patersholBook 3-4 weeks ahead
Michelin Guide-listed bistronomic gem in Patershol: Kim Devisschere applies rigorous seasonal sourcing and West Flemish heritage to five-course menus.
Order: The six-course dinner menu with wine pairing, where the produce quality is given room to speak at length.
Tip: Book at least three weeks ahead; this is one of the hardest tables in Ghent to secure.