The elegant commercial square at the city's south end, anchored by the Sunday flower market. Good for brunch cafes and wine bars around the perimeter.
Knees to Chin makes fresh Vietnamese spring rolls to order: rice paper wrappers filled with seasonal greens, herbs and your choice of protein. Lactose-free.
Order: Customise-your-own spring roll bowl: pick proteins, sauces and sides from the menu board.
Tip: Popular weekday lunch spot; the queue at midday moves fast but the room fills.
Take Five is a compact espressobar with a jazz soundtrack and a loyal following of specialty-coffee drinkers in the city centre. The baristas pull clean.
Order: Espresso macchiato: the extraction is dialled in daily and the ratio is always right.
Tip: Open seven days a week from 08:30 (09:00 weekends); the small counter fills on weekend mornings.
Barista has two central Ghent locations, serves organic-soy milk across its espresso range and has made its brunch pancake stack a weekend signature.
Order: Pancake stack with seasonal fruit compote: the batter is light and the fruit sauce is made in-house.
Tip: The Sint-Jacobs location has a sunnier terrace; the Lippensplein branch is more central for museum-hopping.
Take Five sources from multiple Belgian and European specialty roasters and rotates them through its two grinders. The jazz soundtrack, the focused espresso.
ONA is a wine bar near the Kouter square with a carefully curated list of authentic European wines from smaller producers. The format is intimate: a few bar.
Wine focus: Artisanal European wines, smaller producers
Order: Ask for a producer flight: three glasses from one region, poured side by side to show terroir differences.
Tip: Open Wednesday to Sunday from 16:00; the Sunday noon opening makes it an unusual afternoon wine destination.
The Kouter hosts Ghent's Sunday flower market alongside food stalls selling Flemish vegetables, preserves, artisan bread and seasonal specialities year-round.
Tip: The market spills into nearby streets on the largest spring market days; arrive early for the best parking and produce.
The Gent Jazz Festival in July runs a food and drink fringe at the Kouter with Belgian artisan producers, pop-up restaurant kitchens and terrace bars.
Tip: Many evening concerts are free and the food fringe runs late into the night; book the seated dinners well ahead of the festival.
Knees to Chin serves Vietnamese banh mi rolls and rice noodle bowls under €12 in a compact fast-casual format near the Kouter and Sint-Baafsplein.
Order: Banh mi with Vietnamese pork: the house roll that started the Knees to Chin following in Ghent.
Tip: The queue at lunch peaks between 12:00 and 13:30; a ten-minute wait is worth it for the freshness of the rolls.
Barista serves organic-soy espresso and has made its brunch pancake stacks a weekend signature at two central Ghent locations near the Kouter flower market.
Order: The pancake stack: Barista's weekend signature, with seasonal fruit compote and the house organic soy latte.
Tip: The Kouter branch is calmer on Sunday mornings; the Sint-Baaf branch is busier but better positioned for the cathedral walk.