Gentse Bolus at the Market is a street-food stop in Groentenmarkt, Ghent.
The Gentse bolus is a sticky caramel-coated spiral bun unique to Ghent. Market bakers sell them warm from trays at the Saturday and Friday markets. The Baba.
Must order: Fresh warm bolus from the market tray: the caramel coating is still tacky and the dough inside is pillowy.
Tip: Available at the Friday Vrijdagmarkt and Saturday Groentenmarkt; also sold year-round from Himschoot at Groentenmarkt 1.
Address: Groentenmarkt 1, 9000 Gent, Ghent
Sergio Herman's upmarket frites counter at the Groentenmarkt has marble counters and stainless sauces pumped from brass-spigot barrels. The frites are fried.
Order: Classic frites with andalouse sauce: the house sauce is tangier than most and justifies the queue.
Tip: Expect a queue at lunch; the Groentenmarkt location is the busiest. The frites cool fast so eat immediately.
The competing cuberdon stalls at the Groentenmarkt are one of Ghent's most famous food rivalries. De Echte Gentse Neuzen sells the authentic cone-shaped.
Order: Classic raspberry cuberdons: eat them within minutes of buying to get the right texture contrast.
Tip: Buy a small bag and eat them standing at the stall; they are best at market temperature, not carried around in a bag.
ROK BBQ at Dok Noord smokes brisket, ribs and lamb in a wood-fired pit and serves it at outdoor tables in the industrial port setting. Weekend afternoons.
Order: Half brisket plate with house pickles and white bread: the 12-hour smoke is the entire operation.
Tip: Weekend afternoons only; comes before noon on Saturdays to guarantee brisket availability.
Marijn Coertjens' shop near the Gravensteen produces what Gault and Millau considers the best pralines in Ghent. The seasonal praline range changes monthly.
Order: Seasonal praline tasting box of six: ask for the team's current recommendation.
Tip: Buy pralines here and eat them in the Patershol lanes. They travel better than cuberdons.
Soup Lounge is a counter-service lunch spot where a bowl of daily-changing fresh soup, a bread roll and an apple costs under €9. The formula has been.
Order: Soup of the day plus bread roll: the combination is filling, seasonal and under budget.
Tip: Arrives before 13:00 to get the full daily soup choice; a second or third type runs out first.
Sergio Herman's upmarket frites counter at the Groentenmarkt has marble counters and stainless sauces pumped from brass-spigot barrels. The frites are fried.
Order: Classic frites with andalouse sauce: the house sauce is tangier than most and justifies the queue.
Tip: Expect a queue at lunch; the Groentenmarkt location is the busiest. The frites cool fast so eat immediately.
The Sint-Jacobs friturkot has stood on the Friday Market square for generations: double-fried frites and the city's Gentse beef stew sauce served from a green and white wagon.
Order: Frites with stoverij sauce: the Gentse beef stew sauce on twice-fried frites is the dish locals defend as the city's defining street snack.
Tip: Friday morning during the antique market the queue is longest but the frites are freshest. Cash still moves the line faster than card.
The competing cuberdon stalls at the Groentenmarkt are one of Ghent's most famous food rivalries. De Echte Gentse Neuzen sells the authentic cone-shaped.
Order: Classic raspberry cuberdons: eat them within minutes of buying to get the right texture contrast.
Tip: Buy a small bag and eat them standing at the stall; they are best at market temperature, not carried around in a bag.
