The oldest residential quarter of Ghent, a tangle of cobblestone lanes between the castle and the canal. Restaurants are packed so tightly here that choosing one means turning down twenty others.
Order The Gentse stoverij, a dark-beer beef braise that defines the dish better than most kitchens in the city.
't Klokhuys is an authentic Patershol brasserie with mirror-and-blackboard interiors, serving stoverij, waterzooi and zurkelplets without compromise.
Order The all-you-can-eat spareribs format, which is the reason most tables are booked before the week starts.
Amadeus in Patershol built its reputation on all-you-can-eat spareribs served in warm candlelit rooms since it opened in the city's oldest quarter.
Order Green curry with chicken: the in-house paste.
Le Baan Thai has anchored Thai cooking in the Patershol since 1988 and earned the 2026 Michelin Bib Gourmand for a short menu run. Priced at €€.
Order Six-course dinner menu with wine pairing: West Flemish seasonal sourcing at its fullest expression.
Roots is a Michelin-listed gastro-bistro in Patershol where chef Kim Devisschere's West Flemish heritage drives menus that change with the seasons.
Order The full set menu, which shows the kitchen's texture and flavour-contrast discipline across multiple courses.
Epiphany's Kitchen serves 100% gluten-free vegan cooking on Burgstraat with optional meat or fish add-ons for mixed-preference groups to share.
Order The dinner seven-course menu, where the international combinations are given fullest expression.
One Michelin star and 24 seats in a Ghent medieval lane: Marcelo Ballardin fuses Italian-Brazilian roots with North Sea ingredients and Asian technique.
Also on this listRootsEpiphany's Kitchen
Order Patatas bravas with the house aioli: crunchy outside, fluffy inside, sauce perfectly balanced.
Casa de las Tapas has been feeding the Patershol cobblestones with Spanish-style small plates for years. The menu runs from jambon iberico to patatas bravas.
Also on this list't KlokhuysLe Baan Thai
Order Rhubarb soda: the house-made pink fizz that has become a Ghent food signature.
BOON is a vegetarian lunch bar at the foot of the Gravensteen. Located in Patershol. Order the rhubarb soda. Specialty: vegetarian lunch and seasonal salads.
Order Seasonal fruit tart: made with pastry cream and whatever fruit is ripe that week.
Julie's House overlooks the Leie canal near Patershol and the Gravensteen, making artisanal pies, cupcakes, breakfast pastries and seasonal jams.
Order Seasonal praline gift box: six pieces, flavours announced weekly on Instagram, always unexpected.
Marijn Coertjens opened his patisserie at the foot of the Gravensteen in 2016. The pralines are built on unusual flavour combinations; the seasonal pastry.
Order Afternoon glass of the current house natural red with home-made madeleines: the most Ghentian pre-dinner.
Win is a compact natural wine bar on Burgstraat near the Gravensteen castle, with a weekend brunch menu and an afternoon coffee service in a renovated room.
Order Wine pairing with the seasonal menu: four to five small pours matched by the kitchen to each course.
Roots is a farm-to-table Patershol bistro that treats its natural wine list as seriously as its food. Priced at €€. At Vrouwebroersstraat 5.
Order The house seasonal cocktail: the team rotates the signature list every few months based on what is growing.
Jigger's is a subterranean cocktail bar in the Patershol, listed on the World's 50 Best Discovery list. The cellar bar uses seasonal produce and locally.
Order Whatever is on draught: the focus here is atmosphere, not the beer list.
Rococo is Betty's candlelit bar on the Patershol cobblestones. The single room is lit entirely by candles; the atmosphere is intimate and the conversation.
Order Seasonal praline tasting box of six: ask for the team's current recommendation.
Marijn Coertjens' shop near the Gravensteen produces what Gault and Millau considers the best pralines in Ghent. The seasonal praline range changes monthly.
On this list, shown aboveJulie's House
On this list, shown aboveJigger'sRococo
