The arts-and-music quarter south of the centre, home to SMAK and the Design Museum. Independent restaurants and bars follow the creative crowd; brunch culture and natural wine bars are strong here.
Pain Perdu bakes wood-fired sourdough and runs a sunny rear garden that has made this Walpoortstraat cafe one of Ghent's most loved brunch destinations.
Order: Avocado sourdough tartine with poached egg: the bread is the reason to come.
Tip: The garden fills fast on sunny weekends; aim to arrive before 11:00 to get an outdoor table.
Full Circle was one of Belgium's first fully plant-based specialty coffee bars, with oat or rice milk for all drinks and vegan pastries throughout.
Order: Oat flat white with the seasonal espresso blend: the non-dairy execution here is among the best in the city.
Tip: The Zuid location is the larger; the Astridlaan branch is a useful stop near the train station.
Vandekerckhove has roasted coffee in Ghent since 1854. The fifth-generation family roasts on-site and the bar brews espressos and slow coffees daily.
Order: Slow coffee on V60: the house blend of Brazilian and Ethiopian beans, brewed with patience.
Tip: Open every day except public holidays from 10:00-18:00; the bean shop sells the house blend in 250g bags.
Madam Bakster is a guilt-free bakery and cafe using only natural sweeteners: oats, nuts and dates replace refined sugar in the cakes. Priced at €€.
Order: Granola bowl with plant yoghurt: house-made granola with seasonal fruit, naturally sweet.
Tip: Open Thursday to Sunday only; the weekend brunch fills up, so booking ahead is wise.
Alice is a light-filled weekend brunch cafe in the Zuid quarter with a following for egg dishes, pancakes and long-table communal seating on lazy mornings.
Order: Shakshuka: eggs baked in a North African spiced tomato sauce with fresh herbs and crusty bread.
Tip: Open Saturday and Sunday only; arrives early or queues develop by 11:00.
Pastry chef and chocolatier Joost Arijs opened this specialist sourdough bakery in 2022, with slow-fermented wheat, rye and multigrain loaves.
Order: Country sourdough loaf: 24-hour fermentation, open crumb, caramelised crust.
Tip: Open Tuesday to Saturday 08:00-18:00; the croissants are best in the first two hours of opening.
Joost Arijs won best patisserie in Belgium from Gault and Millau: the showcase holds intricate tarts, entremets and seasonal pralines year-round.
Order: Praline selection box: six to eight seasonal pralines with unusual flavour pairings that change regularly.
Tip: A few doors down from The Bakery, both run by Arijs. Do both in one visit on a Tuesday morning.
Baba Jacquet is a 30-year-old family bakery reinvented as a brunch bar: the gentse bolus (caramel spiral bun) is the best version in the city today.
Order: Gentse bolus: the city's sticky caramel spiral bun in its most authentic current form.
Tip: Closed Tuesdays; open all weekend from 08:00 with a sunny terrace that fills fast.
Pain Perdu bakes wood-fired sourdough daily and serves it as tartines, sandwiches and toast across its full breakfast and lunch menu. The large rear garden.
Order: Sourdough tartine: house bread spread with local butter and seasonal market toppings.
Tip: The garden fills fast on sunny weekend mornings; the bread sells out by early afternoon. Arrive before 10:00.
Madam Bakster bakes using only natural sweeteners: oats, nuts and dates replace refined sugar across croissants, brownies and the full pastry range.
Order: Banana bread slice with hazelnut cream: dense, moist and naturally sweet.
Tip: Open Thursday to Sunday only; the weekend brunch queue suggests booking ahead.
SMORBRØD brings a Scandinavian open-sandwich sensibility to Ghent: sourdough baked on premises, served with pickled fish, house butter and seasonal toppings.
Order: Smørbrød with smoked salmon and dill cream: dark rye bread, cured fish and a properly acidic dressing.
Tip: A newer arrival in the Zuid area; check their Instagram for the week's bread types before visiting.
Vandekerckhove has roasted coffee on the Brabantdam since 1854. The fifth-generation family roasts on a visible drum roaster inside the shop. The house blend.
Full Circle was one of Belgium's first fully plant-based specialty roasters. Located in Zuidstationstraat. Priced at €€. At Zuidstationstraat 5.
Chocolatier Joost Arijs teaches praline assembly, ganache preparation and moulding techniques in his Vlaanderenstraat workshop, with tastings throughout.
Tip: Participants take home a box of eight pralines they make; book via the Joost Arijs website on the education page.
The Bakery by Joost Arijs runs sourdough workshops covering starter management, bulk fermentation and scoring, with participants taking a baked loaf home.
Tip: Open Tuesday to Saturday; book the earliest morning slot for the most time to complete and taste the full bake cycle.
Wood-fired sourdough bakery with breakfast and lunch tartines under €12 in a Zuid garden setting: the house bread makes every sandwich memorable.
Order: Sourdough tartine with seasonal toppings: house bread spread with local butter and morning market produce.
Tip: The garden fills fast on sunny weekend mornings; arrive before 10:00 or accept a 15-minute wait for an outdoor seat.
Pain Perdu serves wood-fired sourdough brunch in a large rear garden: tartines, eggs and seasonal toppings on house bread that is the best in the city.
Order: Sourdough tartine with egg and seasonal toppings: the house bread is the reason this kitchen shines at brunch.
Tip: The garden fills fast on sunny weekend mornings; arrive before 10:00 or accept a 15-minute wait for an outdoor seat.
Alice is a light-filled weekend brunch cafe in the Zuid quarter with a following for egg dishes, pancakes and long-table communal seating on lazy mornings.
Order: Eggs Benedict or avocado toast: the two dishes Alice has refined most completely for its loyal weekend crowd.
Tip: Weekend-only opening; arrive at 10:00 when the doors open for a table without a wait on busier Saturdays.
Baba Jacquet is a 30-year-old family bakery reinvented as a brunch bar: the gentse bolus (caramel spiral bun) is the bakery's centrepiece and best eaten warm.
Order: Gentse bolus with coffee: the city's caramel spiral bun in its most authentic form, with the house espresso.
Tip: Closed Tuesdays; open all weekend from 08:00 with a sunny terrace that fills before 10:00 on warm mornings.
Full Circle is Belgium's first fully plant-based specialty coffee bar: the vegan brunch with in-house donuts, cakes and seasonal plates stands alone in Ghent.
Order: Vegan avocado toast or the house donut: the two items that define Full Circle's plant-based brunch philosophy.
Tip: Open from 08:30 on weekends; the in-house vegan donuts sell out before 11:00, so arrive early to guarantee the full range.
Cafe Video in the Zuid has been the haunt of Ghent's art and underground crowd since the 1980s: art-covered walls, cheap Belgian beer and absolutely no social media presence.
Tip: No Google listing, no sign on the door; the only way to find it is to walk down Bagattenstraat and check if the light is on.