62 editor-picked belgian restaurants across 8 cities.
Belgian cuisine sits between French technique and Dutch heartiness, with its own distinct grammar built on beer, frites, slow-cooked meats, and seasonal seafood from the North Sea. Belgium is roughly split between Flanders (Dutch-speaking, north) and Wallonia (French-speaking, south), and each side cooks slightly differently, but the national repertoire is unified: moules-frites, carbonnade flamande, waterzooi, stoemp, and the world's most ambitious beer scene.
Frites are taken seriously enough to have their own museum in Bruges. They are double-fried in beef tallow, served in a paper cone with mayonnaise or one of dozens of sauces from the friterie. The Belgian claim to having invented the french fry is disputed by the French but defended fiercely at home. Mussels arrive in black pots heaped with shells in white wine, celery, leek, and shallot, with frites alongside. The combination is the national dish in everything but formal designation.
Beer is the other anchor. Trappist abbeys (Westmalle, Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Westvleteren, Achel) still brew commercially, alongside a vast lambic, witbier, dubbel, tripel, and gueuze tradition. A serious Belgian beer menu runs 200 to 400 labels, each in a brewery-specific glass. The relationship between beer and food in Belgium is as developed as wine pairing in France.
Dutch-speaking north. Carbonnade flamande (beef braised in dark beer with mustard and bread), waterzooi (chicken or fish in cream broth with vegetables), Flemish asparagus in spring, North Sea shrimp croquettes (garnaalkroketten), and stoemp (potato mashed with vegetable). Ghent and Antwerp lead the modern Flemish scene.
French-speaking south. Heartier game, wild boar, Ardennes ham (jambon d'Ardenne), trout from cold mountain streams, escavèche (cold marinated freshwater fish), and the regional cheese Herve. Closer in style to French Lorraine than to Flemish cooking.
The capital pulls from both sides plus French haute cuisine. Stoemp, vol-au-vent, choesels (offal stew), and the city's lambic breweries (Cantillon being the most famous) define the Brussels palate.
At a friterie, the menu is the sauce list; the fries are assumed. Order a small (klein, petit) or large (groot, grand) cone and pick one sauce. Mayonnaise is the default; andalouse (mayo with tomato and peppers) and samurai (spicy) are popular regional sauces. At a brasserie, moules-frites comes in pot sizes (typically 750g or 1kg per person) with broth variations: marinière (wine, shallot), provençale (tomato, garlic), à la bière (Belgian beer). Belgian portions are large, and a single pot of mussels is a full meal. Bread arrives free; service is included in the bill, and a small rounding-up tip is the norm. The rookie mistake is ordering french fries thinking they will be a side, then receiving an enormous standalone cone.
Belgian beer is the universal pair. Trappist dubbels and brown ales go with carbonnade and game; witbier with mussels and salads; lambic and gueuze with rich, fatty dishes; tripel with stronger cheeses. Each beer has a brewery-specific glass, and serious bars enforce the matching. Belgian wine is minor; French Bordeaux and Burgundy dominate the wine list in Wallonia. Genever (juniper-based distillate, the ancestor of gin) is the traditional digestif. Coffee with speculoos closes most meals; the biscuit comes on the saucer.
Brussels is the most concentrated Belgian-food city, with everything from market friteries to two-starred kitchens like Bon-Bon and La Villa Lorraine. Bruges and Ghent for Flemish classics; Antwerp for the most adventurous modern Belgian scene. Liège for waffles and Walloon cooking; Namur and the Ardennes for game. Outside Belgium, Paris has the strongest Belgian presence (several century-old brasseries), and New York and London each host a few credible brasseries. Belgian beer travels everywhere; Belgian food travels rarely.
Belgian cuisine took its modern shape after independence in 1830, fusing Flemish farmhouse cooking with French bourgeois technique and the Spanish-colonial inheritance of frites (the Belgian origin claim dates the fry to the Meuse valley around 1680, predating the French version). Trappist brewing dates from the 12th century but commercialized in the 19th. UNESCO inscribed Belgian beer culture on the Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2016.
The Belgian claim places the origin around the Meuse valley in the late 17th century, when villagers fried thin potato strips as a substitute for the small fish they normally fried in winter. The French dispute it. Either way, the modern double-fry-in-tallow method is unmistakably Belgian.
Brussels waffles are rectangular, light, crisp, and topped with powdered sugar or fruit. Liège waffles are smaller, oval, denser, and made from a brioche dough with pearl sugar that caramelizes during cooking. Both are sold as street food, but they are different dishes.
Beer glass shape is considered part of the beer in Belgium. The glass controls foam, aroma release, and serving temperature, and breweries license their glasses with the same protection as the beer itself. Most serious cafés will refuse to pour a beer if the matching glass is in the dishwasher.
Le Pristine in Antwerp is Sergio Herman's modern Belgian-Italian dining room in a 1960s modernist building. Crudo, wood-grilled fish and pasta.
Signature: Crudo plates, Wood-grilled fish, Pasta of the day
Order: The crudo of the day and a wood-grilled fish; the pasta course rotates with what was shopped that morning.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. The Cafe two doors down is the better-value breakfast and lunch option.
Marolus in Antwerp is a lunch restaurant on Hendrik Conscienceplein, a tree-lined square between the cathedral and the Carolus Borromeus church.
Signature: Belgian lunch plates, Pasta, Salads
Order: The Belgian dish of the day; the kitchen rotates a stoofvlees, a fish plate and a vegetarian option.
Tip: Lunch only, no dinner. The square's terrace seating is the better seat in summer.
Mampoko in Antwerp is an all-day brasserie in a restored corner building on Amerikalei. Located in Het Zuid. Kitchen leans belgian brasserie.
Signature: Brasserie classics, Mussels in season
Order: The mussel pot in season and a glass of Bolleke from the De Koninck tap.
Tip: The corner terrace opens with the weather. Lunch is busier than dinner with the local office crowd.
Otomat in Antwerp on Van Schoonbekeplein serves pizzas built on Belgian beer-dough and beer-paired toppings. Each pizza is matched to a specific Belgian brew.
Signature: Beer-dough pizza, Belgian craft beer pairings
Order: The Lupulus pizza; the kitchen pairs every pie with a specific Belgian brew named on the menu.
Tip: The Antwerp branch is the original; chain expansion came later. Walk-in friendly mid-week.
Bistrot L'îlot in Antwerp is a 30-seat seasonal bistro on Eilandje. Chef Sander De Saegher runs the kitchen with a tight short-menu approach.
Signature: Seasonal small plates, Natural-wine pairings
Order: The four-course seasonal menu with a natural-wine pairing; the kitchen leans Loire and Burgundy.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Book a fortnight ahead; only 30 covers per service.
Marolus in Antwerp is a lunch restaurant on Hendrik Conscienceplein between the cathedral and Carolus Borromeus church. Located in Historisch Centrum.
Signature: Belgian lunch plates, Pasta, Salads
Order: The Belgian dish of the day; the kitchen rotates stoofvlees, a fish plate and a vegetarian option.
Tip: Lunch only, no dinner. The square's terrace seating is the better seat in summer.
Mampoko in Antwerp is an all-day brasserie in a restored corner building on Amerikalei. Bistro plates from breakfast through to late dinner.
Signature: Brasserie classics, Mussels in season
Order: The mussel pot in season; pair it with a glass of Bolleke on tap.
Tip: The corner terrace opens with the weather. Lunch fills with the local office crowd.
Otomat in Antwerp on Van Schoonbekeplein serves pizzas built on Belgian beer-dough with beer-paired toppings. Located in Het Zuid. Priced at €€.
Signature: Beer-dough pizza, Belgian craft beer pairings
Order: The Lupulus pizza; the kitchen pairs every pie with a specific Belgian brew.
Tip: The Antwerp branch is the original; chain expansion came later.
Le Pristine in Antwerp is Sergio Herman's modern Belgian-Italian dining room in a 1960s modernist building. Located in Theaterbuurt. Priced at €€€€.
Signature: Crudo plates, Wood-grilled fish, Pasta of the day
Order: The crudo course of the day, then a wood-grilled fish plate; both have been on the menu since the room opened in 2020.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. The casual sister Le Pristine Cafe shares the same Lange Gasthuisstraat 13 address for breakfast and counter lunch. The restaurant closes permanently end of December 2026.
Bistrot L'îlot in Antwerp is Sander De Saegher's seasonal bistro on Eilandje, opened end of 2017 after his Graanmarkt 13 sommelier years. Priced at €€€.
Signature: Seasonal small plates, Natural-wine pairings
Order: The four-course seasonal menu with the natural-wine pairing.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. The bistro seats only 30, book ahead even on a Tuesday.
Bistro Bruut sits on the Meestraat canal in Bruges, cooking modern Flemish food on regional produce. Gault&Millau rates the kitchen 16 points.
Signature: Regional Flemish plates, Seasonal tasting
Order: The set lunch menu; the kitchen runs a tight, produce-led card that changes with the season.
Tip: Open Monday to Friday only, lunch and dinner. Ask for a canal-side table when you book.
Locàle by Kok au Vin in Bruges is Jürgen Aerts's sharing-plates room on Ezelstraat, successor to his Kok au Vin, leaning on organic local produce.
Signature: Sharing plates, Local organic produce
Order: A spread of sharing plates; the kitchen is built for ordering across the table.
Tip: It sits in the quieter Sint-Gillis quarter north of the Markt. Book ahead for weekend dinner.
Bistro Refter in Bruges is Geert Van Hecke's contemporary bistro on Molenmeers, the relaxed counterpart to his fine-dining room. Good food at fair prices.
Signature: Daily bistro menu, Regional plates
Order: The daily three-course menu; it is the value way into Van Hecke's cooking.
Tip: Book ahead, the dining room fills fast at lunch. It sits near the Sint-Anna quarter.
Den Amand is a small family bistro off the Markt in Bruges, on car-free Sint-Amandsstraat, where Ann Vissers cooks seasonal vegetable, fish and meat dishes.
Signature: Seasonal vegetable plates, Fish and meat of the day
Order: Whatever the monthly menu is built around; vegetables get a generous hand here.
Tip: Closed Wednesday and Sunday. The room is tiny, so reserve, especially in summer.
L.E.S.S. Eatery on 't Zand in Bruges is chef Ruige Vermeire's sharing-plates room, running seasonal Belgian small plates with a terrace facing the square.
Signature: Sharing plates, Seasonal Belgian
Order: A spread of small plates; the format rewards a table that orders broadly.
Tip: The terrace on 't Zand is the spot in summer. Book for weekend evenings.
Tom's Diner sits on West Gistelhof in the residential Sint-Gillis quarter of Bruges, away from the tourist run, cooking honest Belgian bistro plates.
Signature: Daily bistro plates, Belgian comfort cooking
Order: The blackboard daily; the kitchen keeps it short and comforting.
Tip: A local room in a quiet quarter north of the centre. Book ahead, the dining room is small.
Freddy's by Kok au Vin opened in 2025 in the historic De Bottelier building on Sint-Jakobsstraat in Bruges, an honest Belgian-French bistro from the Kok au.
Signature: Flemish meat dishes, Refined fish plates, Honest bistro classics
Order: A Flemish meat plate; the kitchen leans on traditional preparations from Bruges-area farmers.
Tip: Open Tuesday to Saturday. The retro 1960s-70s dining room is the draw; book ahead.
De Jonkman in Bruges holds two Michelin stars under Filip Claeys, who builds menus around lesser-known North Sea fish from his room in Sint-Kruis.
Signature: North Sea bycatch courses, Seasonal tasting menu
Order: The full tasting menu; Claeys structures it around bycatch and West Flemish produce of the week.
Tip: Closed Sunday through Tuesday. Lunch is the more accessible entry; book six weeks out for a Friday or Saturday dinner.
Zet'Joe in Bruges holds one Michelin star under Geert Van Hecke, who ran three-star De Karmeliet for twenty years before opening this warmer Langestraat room.
Signature: Refined seasonal menu, Classical preparations
Order: The seasonal tasting menu; Van Hecke cooks a refined Flemish-French register honed across decades.
Tip: Open Tuesday through Saturday, lunch and dinner; closed Sunday and Monday. The lunch menu is the value entry.
De Stove in Bruges has cooked fresh Zeebrugge fish since 1998, a few steps off the Markt. The room seats barely twenty, so the kitchen stays personal.
Signature: Zeebrugge fish of the day, Grey shrimp dishes
Order: The fish of the day off the Zeebrugge boats; sea bass, cod and grey shrimp recur.
Tip: Tiny room, book ahead. Closed Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday; lunch sittings are short.
Menssa in Brussels is chef Christophe Hardiquest's second act in the building that held his two-star Bon Bon until 2022. Located in European Quarter.
Signature: Cuisine instinctive tasting menu, Belgian seasonal seven-course dinner
Order: The tasting menu in full; the wine pairing draws heavily on small Belgian and German growers.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Book the counter for the open-kitchen view; the dining room takes parties up to six.
La Paix in Brussels has run since 1892 in a neo-classical building opposite the Anderlecht abattoir. Priced at €€€. Kitchen leans modern belgian.
Signature: Slow-cooked Belgian beef, Seasonal grill plate
Order: Whatever the menu calls the day's slow-cooked beef course; the kitchen is butcher's-row by lineage.
Tip: Closed Saturday and Sunday. Lunch only on Friday; the dining room runs Japanese-minimalist with origami above the tables.
Au Vieux Saint Martin in Brussels has held the corner of Place du Grand Sablon since 1968. The Niels family invented Belgian filet americain here.
Signature: Filet americain, Shrimp croquettes
Order: Filet americain prepared at the table, and shrimp croquettes to start.
Tip: Open every day from noon to midnight. The terrace looks straight at the Sablon church; book ahead for Sunday lunch.
Chez Leon in Brussels has run on Rue des Bouchers since 1893, when Leon Vanlancker opened five tables. Located in Sainte Catherine. Priced at €€.
Signature: Moules-frites, Carbonnade flamande
Order: Moules marinieres with frites, and a glass of gueuze from the beer list.
Tip: Open every day from noon to 23:00. Ask for the original 1893 dining room over the recent expansions on either side.
Aux Armes de Bruxelles on Rue des Bouchers has been running since 1921, with Calixte Veulemans opening as a brasserie. Located in Sainte Catherine.
Signature: Waterzooi de poulet, Moules-frites
Order: Chicken waterzooi in the broth, with a Trappist beer or a glass of Sancerre.
Tip: Open Tuesday to Sunday from noon to 22:30, closed Monday. The salon at the back is quieter than the front dining room.
In 't Spinnekopke in Brussels is an 18th-century estaminet on Place du Jardin aux Fleurs. Located in Dansaert. Kitchen leans belgian estaminet.
Signature: Rabbit in gueuze, Eels in green sauce
Order: Rabbit braised in gueuze, with bloempanch on the side and a Cantillon Geuze to drink.
Tip: Closed Sunday. The wooden banquettes are 1762 vintage; the cellar lambic list runs 30 bottles deep.
Restaurant Vincent in Brussels has run on Rue des Dominicains since 1905, with Maurice Grimme's 1912 ceramic murals still on the walls. Priced at €€€.
Signature: Chateaubriand, Flambeed steak
Order: Chateaubriand flambeed at the table, with a side of pommes pailles.
Tip: Open seven days. The narrow row of side tables along the open grill is the seat to ask for at dinner service.
Les Brigittines in Brussels sits on Place de la Chapelle in the Marolles in an Art Nouveau dining room. Priced at €€€. Kitchen leans belgian bistro.
Signature: Carbonnade flamande, Pied de cochon
Order: Carbonnade flamande with frites, or whichever offal cut is on the chalkboard menu that night.
Tip: Closed Saturday lunch and Sunday. The terrace at the back is the quietest seat in summer.
Le Varietes in Ixelles sits on the ground floor of the Flagey Liner on Place Sainte-Croix. Brasserie-rotisserie cooking off a Belgian classics carte.
Signature: Spit-roasted chicken, Belgian beef tartare
Order: Spit-roasted chicken with house jus.
Tip: Kitchen runs lunch and dinner Mon-Fri, then non-stop noon to 22:00 Saturday and Sunday. Book a window seat for the Flagey square view.
Le Selecto on Rue de Flandre runs a bistronomie carte in the Sainte-Catherine quarter. Bib Gourmand listed, modern Belgian cooking off a short seasonal card.
Signature: Belgian beef tartare, Seasonal market plate
Order: The lunchtime two-course set; the kitchen leans on Belgian sourcing and the daily ardoise.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. Friday and Saturday dinner runs through to 23:00; book a week ahead for weekend service.
Brasserie de l'Expo in Brussels sits on the Heysel plateau in Laken, two metro stops from the Atomium. Priced at €€. Kitchen leans belgian brasserie.
Signature: Stoemp with sausage, Vol-au-vent
Order: Stoemp with sausage and bacon, or vol-au-vent with frites for two.
Tip: Open seven days, lunch and dinner. The 1958 marquetry in the back room is worth the seat; closes at 22:00 on weekends.
Garage a Manger in Brussels' Ixelles is the wood-fire restaurant on Rue Washington, in a former mechanical workshop. Kitchen leans modern belgian.
Signature: Open-fire grilled mains, Seasonal small plates
Order: Whichever fire-cooked main is on the chalkboard, with charred greens and the natural wine pairing.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday. The counter seats give the best view of the open fire; bookings recommended.
Chez Leon in Brussels has run on Rue des Bouchers since 1893. Located in Sainte Catherine. Kitchen leans belgian brasserie. At Rue des Bouchers 18.
Signature: Moules-frites, Carbonnade flamande
Order: Moules marinieres with frites and a glass of Cuvee Rene gueuze on the house list.
Tip: Open seven days. Ask for the original 1893 dining room; the side rooms feel like a tourist trap.
Aux Armes de Bruxelles in Brussels has run on Rue des Bouchers since 1921. Located in Sainte Catherine. Priced at €€€. Kitchen leans belgian brasserie.
Signature: Waterzooi de poulet, Moules-frites
Order: Chicken waterzooi in cream broth, with a Westmalle Tripel from the bottle list.
Tip: Closed Monday. The back salon is the quietest seat; the front spills onto the busy restaurant row.
Au Vieux Saint Martin in Brussels' Sablon has run since 1968. The Niels family invented Belgian filet americain at this corner of the square.
Signature: Filet americain, Shrimp croquettes
Order: Filet americain prepared at the table, and shrimp croquettes to start.
Tip: Open every day from noon to midnight. The terrace looks straight at the Sablon church; book ahead for Sunday lunch.
In 't Spinnekopke in Brussels is an 18th-century estaminet on Place du Jardin aux Fleurs. Located in Dansaert. Kitchen leans belgian estaminet.
Signature: Rabbit in gueuze, Eels in green sauce
Order: Rabbit braised in gueuze, with bloempanch on the side and a Cantillon Geuze to drink.
Tip: Closed Sunday. The wooden banquettes are 1762 vintage; the cellar lambic list runs 30 bottles deep.
Les Brigittines in Brussels sits on Place de la Chapelle in the Marolles in an Art Nouveau dining room. Priced at €€€. Kitchen leans belgian bistro.
Signature: Carbonnade flamande, Pied de cochon
Order: Carbonnade flamande with frites, or whichever offal cut is on the chalkboard menu that night.
Tip: Closed Saturday lunch and Sunday. The terrace at the back is the quietest seat in summer.
Brasserie Ploegmans in Brussels' Marolles is the wood-panelled local that runs Belgian standards: meatballs, shrimp croquettes, choucroute garnie.
Signature: Carbonnade flamande, Shrimp croquettes
Order: Carbonnade flamande with frites, and a Westvleteren 12 if it is on the board.
Tip: Closed Monday. Book ahead for Sunday lunch when the Jeu de Balle flea market is in full swing.
Volle Gas in Brussels' Ixelles is a 1924 Art Deco brasserie on Place Fernand Cocq. Kitchen leans belgian brasserie. At Place Fernand Cocq 21.
Signature: Mussels, Carbonnade flamande
Order: Whichever mussel preparation looks new on the chalkboard, with frites and a Tripel Karmeliet.
Tip: Open seven days, kitchen runs late. The Art Deco interior is the seat; book the corner banquette.
Au Stekerlapatte in Brussels' Marolles is the wood-panelled bistro on Rue des Pretres. Boudin noir with caramelised apples, shrimp croquettes.
Signature: Boudin noir with apples, Shrimp croquettes
Order: Boudin noir with caramelised apples, and shrimp croquettes to start.
Tip: Closed Sunday. Open evenings only; the dining room fills with the same Marolles regulars night after night.
Le Varietes in Ixelles sits on the ground floor of the Flagey Liner on Place Sainte-Croix. Brasserie-rotisserie cooking off a Belgian classics carte.
Signature: Spit-roasted chicken, Belgian beef tartare
Order: Spit-roasted chicken with house jus.
Tip: Kitchen runs lunch and dinner Mon-Fri, then non-stop noon to 22:00 Saturday and Sunday. Walk-in for lunch, book for weekends.
Taste of Belgium on Vine Street in OTR is Cincinnati's all-day Belgian bistro, with Liege waffles, mussels, frites and a Reds-game brunch crowd.
Signature: Liege waffle, Chicken and waffles
Pakhuis occupies a converted warehouse behind a historic alley in central Ghent. The soaring glass-ceiling interior holds a kitchen that has stayed focused.
Signature: Oysters, Moules frites, Smoked salmon
Order: The oysters: the kitchen sources them daily and the quality is the most consistent in the city.
Tip: Weekday lunch is the most relaxed way in; Saturday evening needs a booking made well in advance.
't Klokhuys is an authentic Patershol brasserie with mirror-and-blackboard interiors, serving stoverij, waterzooi and zurkelplets without compromise.
Signature: Gentse stoverij, Waterzooi, Zurkelplets
Order: The Gentse stoverij, a dark-beer beef braise that defines the dish better than most kitchens in the city.
Tip: Groups of 15 or more can book Monday evening rates; for smaller parties, any other weekday works well.
Volta occupies a converted turbine hall on Nieuwewandeling, serving confident Belgian brasserie cooking with a well-annotated wine list and a canal-side.
Signature: Seasonal Belgian brasserie classics
Order: The seasonal set lunch, which gives the kitchen's quality at its best accessible price.
Tip: The terrace reservations fill first in summer; book the canal side when available and come before golden hour.
Roots is a Michelin-listed gastro-bistro in Patershol where chef Kim Devisschere's West Flemish heritage drives menus that change with the seasons.
Signature: Seasonal set menus based on West Flemish produce
Order: Six-course dinner menu with wine pairing: West Flemish seasonal sourcing at its fullest expression.
Tip: Book at minimum three weeks ahead; this is one of the most consistently difficult tables to secure in Ghent.
Haddok near the Oude Dokken waterfront at Dok Noord serves contemporary Belgian brunch and lunch plates with water views and a convivial mood.
Signature: Weekend brunch plates, Seasonal Belgian dishes
Order: The weekend brunch menu, when the kitchen is fully focused and the water view is at its best.
Tip: The terrace tables facing the dock fill first in good weather; phone ahead to request one.
Et Alors near the Graslei brings Parisian bistro energy to Ghent: animated room, seasonal French-Belgian food and a weekend brunch worth booking.
Signature: Weekend brunch, French-inspired lunch plates
Order: The weekend brunch menu, which brings the Parisian concept into the sharpest focus.
Tip: Book at least a week ahead for Saturday or Sunday brunch; the reputation has outgrown the walk-in capacity.
Pakhuis fills a converted 19th-century warehouse behind a central alley. The cavernous glass-roofed interior keeps a menu of daily-fresh oysters, moules.
Order: Moules frites: the mussels arrive in a deep cast-iron pot and the frites alongside are fried to order.
Tip: Book ahead for weekend dinner; the warehouse vibe is worth it for a big-group celebration.
Memee Gusta runs a grandmother-recipe kitchen in a cosy vintage room near the castle. The signature pork cheek stew is cooked low and slow in a deep brown.
Order: Pork cheek stew: buttery and intense, with frites and salad included.
Tip: Closed Sundays; lunch service is Tuesday to Saturday only. Book a day ahead for dinner.
Du Progres has been run by three generations of the De Baets family and remains one of the most honest Belgian brasseries in the city. Waterzooi, stoverij.
Order: Gentse waterzooi: the chicken version, made to the family recipe with the creamiest stock in the city.
Tip: Open Tuesday to Saturday; arrive before 12:30 for lunch without queuing.
Vrijdagsgevoel occupies the most prominent corner of Ghent's historic Friday market square. Open seven days a week, it serves brasserie classics, Ghent.
Order: Gentse stoverij with frites: the beef stew is the neighbourhood classic and this version does it justice.
Tip: The Friday morning market wraps up by midday; this is the place to recover with lunch and watch the stalls pack down.
't Klokhuys runs out of a narrow Patershol house and is one of the most cited places in the city for Gentse waterzooi. The room seats fewer than 30 people.
Order: Gentse waterzooi with chicken: the stock is rich, the vegetables are cooked right through.
Tip: Book at least two days ahead; the room is tiny and fills weeks ahead in summer.
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.
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.
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.
Cafe Hollander on State Street in Wauwatosa Village is a Lowlands Group Belgian cafe with frites, croque madame and a long Belgian beer list since 2009 open.
Signature: Belgian frites, Croque madame
Order: Croque madame with Belgian frites and Andalouse sauce.
Tip: Brunch is bottomless mimosas on weekends; the patio fills mid-afternoon in warm weather.
Cafe Centraal on South Kinnickinnic Avenue in Bay View is the Lowlands Group Belgian cafe with mussels and frites, croque monsieur and a deep Trappist list.
Signature: Mussels and frites, Croque monsieur
Order: Moules-frites with white wine broth and a pour of Westvleteren if it's on the list.
Tip: Sister Hollander rooms run the same menu; this is the original Lowlands location.
Point Brugge Cafe in Point Breeze serves Belgian moules frites and bistro food in Pittsburgh. A corner cafe near Frick Park with a deep Belgian beer list.
Signature: Moules frites, Belgian beer
Order: Moules frites and a Belgian ale on the corner patio.
Tip: No reservations; put your name in. The patio near Frick Park is the seat.
Cafe Olivier occupies a former hidden Catholic church from 1860, with original vaults, altar and pipe organ still in place. Belgian food and beer daily.
Signature: Belgian mussels, Stoemp
Order: Moules frites with a Trappist beer from the house selection
Former hidden Catholic church from 1860 with vaulted ceilings and pipe organ intact. Belgian food and an extensive beer list. Open daily for lunch and dinner.
Signature: Belgian mussels, Stoemp, Belgian beer selection
Order: Classic moules with Belgian Trappist beer
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