Basque€€€€€45-€85dok-noordMon-Fri 18:00-23:30; Sat-Sun closedBook 1-2 weeks ahead
Bib Gourmand-rated Bask converts a former petrol station into a fire-lit Basque asador, with turbot, txuleta and guinea fowl from their own farm.
Order: Txuleta from the Basque-style charcoal grill, served to share with market vegetables from their own farm.
Tip: Book the counter seats facing the asador for the full show; the smoke and theatrics are the point.
Belgian€€€€€35-€65sint-amandsbergWed-Fri 12:00-14:00, 18:00-21:00; Tue 18:00-21:00; Sat-Mon closedBook 1 week ahead
Bib Gourmand-rated bistro in Sint-Amandsberg run by two former colleagues, with a seasonally refreshed menu that leans on local producers strongly.
Order: The daily changing lunch menu, the most honest expression of what the kitchen is doing with today's delivery.
Tip: Call ahead to confirm this day's menu style; it shifts more frequently than most similarly-priced kitchens.
Vegan Fine Dining€€€€€45-€65binnenstadWed 18:00-21:30; Thu-Sat 12:00-14:00, 17:00-21:30; Sun 12:00-15:00; Mon-Tue closedBook 1 week ahead
Ghent's most serious vegan fine-dining room: a sharing-plate format built around seasonal organic produce from local farms, served in a calm space opposite.
Order: The full sharing menu, timed to arrive in waves so you never have too much on the table at once.
Tip: Book Thursday through Saturday evenings for the full menu; the Sunday lunch is shorter but equally well-sourced.
Belgian€€€€€40-€75binnenstadTue-Fri 12:00-13:30, 18:30-22:30; Sat 18:00-22:30; Sun-Mon closedBook 1 week ahead
A French-influenced bistro in a handsome historic building near Sint-Jakobs church on Steendam, with confident cooking that plays classical French technique.
Order: The fish main course, which shows the kitchen at its most focused and technically rigorous.
Tip: The lunch menu is shorter and represents excellent value against the dinner format.
Italian€€€€€18-€45dok-noordTue-Fri 12:00-14:00, 18:00-22:00; Sat 18:00-22:00; Sun-Mon closedBook 1 week ahead
Tucked inside the Hal 16 food hall at Dok Noord, Officina Raffaelli serves fresh Italian pizza and Tuscan regional dishes sourced as close to the Italian.
Order: The fresh pizzas and pasta dishes, where the Tuscan sourcing ethos shows most clearly.
Tip: Combine a meal here with a beer from Dok Brewing Company next door for the full Dok Noord experience.
Belgian€€€€€50-€85sint-amandsbergTue-Thu 19:30-22:30, Fri 12:00-14:30, Fri-Sat 19:30-22:30Book 1 week ahead
A Michelin Guide-listed creative restaurant in Sint-Amandsberg, where the kitchen takes seasonal Belgian produce in directions that borrow from across Europe.
Order: The menu of the day, which changes frequently and tracks the kitchen's best current thinking.
Tip: The Friday lunch is the one daytime service and often has more availability than the evening slots.