Vrijmoed is a contemporary belgian fine-dining restaurant in Binnenstad, Ghent.
Two Michelin stars in central Ghent: chef Michaël Vrijmoed pushes Belgian produce through fermentation and global technique, with a dedicated Purs vegetarian.
Must 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.
Address: Vlaanderenstraat 22, 9000 Gent, Ghent
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.
Inside the Pillows Grand Boutique Hotel Reylof on Hoogstraat, chef Paul de Groote delivers a five or six-course gastronomic experience trained under.
Order: The six-course menu on a Wednesday or Thursday, when the kitchen is at full concentration.
Tip: The Sunday lunch at €17.50 to €27.50 per course is the most accessible way into this kitchen.
Housed in a converted turbine hall at Nieuwewandeling, Volta serves confident Belgian brasserie cooking with an upmarket edge and a wine list that rewards.
Order: The seasonal set lunch, which delivers the kitchen's quality at its most accessible price.
Tip: The terrace along the canal is one of Ghent's finest outdoor dining spots on a warm evening.
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.
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.
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.
Inside the Pillows Grand Boutique Hotel Reylof on Hoogstraat, chef Paul de Groote delivers a five or six-course gastronomic experience trained under.
Order: The six-course menu on a Wednesday or Thursday, when the kitchen is at full concentration.
Tip: The Sunday lunch at €17.50 to €27.50 per course is the most accessible way into this kitchen.
Housed in a converted turbine hall at Nieuwewandeling, Volta serves confident Belgian brasserie cooking with an upmarket edge and a wine list that rewards.
Order: The seasonal set lunch, which delivers the kitchen's quality at its most accessible price.
Tip: The terrace along the canal is one of Ghent's finest outdoor dining spots on a warm evening.
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.
