Dwight's Guidebook
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Top Restaurants
For the juiciest burgers you have to go to Uncle Babe's Burger Bar at the Sluizeken. The new American neighbor of Simon Says and Villa Bardon makes everything themselves. Burgers, ketchup, crispy onion rings and fries. Not hungry? Order a delicious cocktail or an American beer at the bar.
34 locals recommend
Uncle Babe's
2 SluizekenstraatFor the juiciest burgers you have to go to Uncle Babe's Burger Bar at the Sluizeken. The new American neighbor of Simon Says and Villa Bardon makes everything themselves. Burgers, ketchup, crispy onion rings and fries. Not hungry? Order a delicious cocktail or an American beer at the bar.
Stepping into Otium is like stepping into Italy: a short vacation. The scent of the south. The flavors of every region: from Piedmont to Tuscany to Puglia. La vera Italia.
Otium Cucina Italiana , Restaurant, Lunch & Dinner
16 AjuinleiStepping into Otium is like stepping into Italy: a short vacation. The scent of the south. The flavors of every region: from Piedmont to Tuscany to Puglia. La vera Italia.
Travel cafe/eatery near the Town Hall that makes you dream of distant, adventurous and exotic destinations. Colourful cocktails as well as local beers, finger food and world cuisine, a nice mixture from far and near. Weather permitting, you can also sit in the backyard or the terrace.
84 locals recommend
Mosquito Coast
28 HoogpoortTravel cafe/eatery near the Town Hall that makes you dream of distant, adventurous and exotic destinations. Colourful cocktails as well as local beers, finger food and world cuisine, a nice mixture from far and near. Weather permitting, you can also sit in the backyard or the terrace.
Pleasant restaurant located in a corner of the centre in a former director’s home. The interior is rustic and cosy and the large patio is very lovely. The meals are substantial, the portions ample and the cook flirts with the classic recipes. Extra cosy rooms for groups.
Vast selection of veggie dishes.
55 locals recommend
MULTATULI
40 HuidevetterskaaiPleasant restaurant located in a corner of the centre in a former director’s home. The interior is rustic and cosy and the large patio is very lovely. The meals are substantial, the portions ample and the cook flirts with the classic recipes. Extra cosy rooms for groups.
Vast selection of veggie dishes.
Lovely place to lunch, have some nice aperitifs or taste the excellent brunch
7 locals recommend
GIRI Café
18 Jan BreydelstraatLovely place to lunch, have some nice aperitifs or taste the excellent brunch
Ghent’s most typical chip shop is right in the centre, against the wall of the Great Butchers’ Hall. A small counter, no frills, just good frites with a generous dollop of mayonnaise, escargots at a great price and all sorts of croquettes and frikadels. All served by Filip in a wonderful Ghent accent.
Frituur Bij Filip
8 PensmarktGhent’s most typical chip shop is right in the centre, against the wall of the Great Butchers’ Hall. A small counter, no frills, just good frites with a generous dollop of mayonnaise, escargots at a great price and all sorts of croquettes and frikadels. All served by Filip in a wonderful Ghent accent.
Gourmet restaurant in the historical city centre. Flemish food with a nice view on the Graslei
De Witte Leeuw
6 GrasleiGourmet restaurant in the historical city centre. Flemish food with a nice view on the Graslei
Street full of Turkish restaurants where you can find good food for cheap prices. Personal Favourites are GÖK restaurants
Sleepstraat
SleepstraatStreet full of Turkish restaurants where you can find good food for cheap prices. Personal Favourites are GÖK restaurants
Favourite Pubs
My favourite pubs
A golden oldie to many Gentenaars, Het Spijker on the Pensmarkt boasts one of Ghent’s most popular terraces. Inside it’s smokey, with an Old World interior that matches the 12th-century building’s status as a monument – the oldest on the Graslei. The former grain silo now stays open late, serving a pleasant mix of night owl locals and visitors.
19 locals recommend
het Spijker
3 PensmarktA golden oldie to many Gentenaars, Het Spijker on the Pensmarkt boasts one of Ghent’s most popular terraces. Inside it’s smokey, with an Old World interior that matches the 12th-century building’s status as a monument – the oldest on the Graslei. The former grain silo now stays open late, serving a pleasant mix of night owl locals and visitors.
One of the last real brown cafés in the heart of Ghent where owner Jacques has been doing whatever he pleases for the past three decades. Your drinks are served with cooked eggs on the side, following an old tradition. Building dating back to 1667 that has known quite a few historical owners, filled with stories and decorated with chamber pots on the ceiling. Jukebox with six catchy tunes for 1 euro.
Folklore
69 Lange SteenstraatOne of the last real brown cafés in the heart of Ghent where owner Jacques has been doing whatever he pleases for the past three decades. Your drinks are served with cooked eggs on the side, following an old tradition. Building dating back to 1667 that has known quite a few historical owners, filled with stories and decorated with chamber pots on the ceiling. Jukebox with six catchy tunes for 1 euro.
From an eyeglass-wearing fox to an imposing mounted deer, De Alchemist is another gentlemanly option in the heart of Ghent. Black Hendrick’s bottles serving as candle holders on small wooden tables hint at several fine gin-and-tonic combinations on the menu. The atmosphere at this intimate place swings from genial to buoyant depending on the night.
30 locals recommend
De Alchemist
3 RekelingestraatFrom an eyeglass-wearing fox to an imposing mounted deer, De Alchemist is another gentlemanly option in the heart of Ghent. Black Hendrick’s bottles serving as candle holders on small wooden tables hint at several fine gin-and-tonic combinations on the menu. The atmosphere at this intimate place swings from genial to buoyant depending on the night.
The oldest café in Ghent with a beautiful brown interior and some of that typical Ghent arrogance, known for pouring the best draught beers in Ghent. Whiskies, cognacs and sandwiches ‘mee uufflakke’ (brawn). The regular haunt of many local councillors who go and enjoy a pint there after council meetings.
30 locals recommend
Cafe Den Turk
35 VrijdagmarktThe oldest café in Ghent with a beautiful brown interior and some of that typical Ghent arrogance, known for pouring the best draught beers in Ghent. Whiskies, cognacs and sandwiches ‘mee uufflakke’ (brawn). The regular haunt of many local councillors who go and enjoy a pint there after council meetings.
As Ghent’s first tiki bar, The Drifter has gone all out. Bamboo furniture, Hawaiian leis, palm trees, kitschy tiki mugs in the form of ‘o’-mouthed faces or totems – the mandatory over-the-top décor is checked off. Even more importantly though, owner and mixologist Tom has observed enough of these California-originated watering holes to sidestep the mistakes made by the many tiki imposters out there. At The Drifter, drinks are carefully concocted with just the right quality rums and fresh juices to enhance those vacation daydreams.
6 locals recommend
The Drifter
53 OudburgAs Ghent’s first tiki bar, The Drifter has gone all out. Bamboo furniture, Hawaiian leis, palm trees, kitschy tiki mugs in the form of ‘o’-mouthed faces or totems – the mandatory over-the-top décor is checked off. Even more importantly though, owner and mixologist Tom has observed enough of these California-originated watering holes to sidestep the mistakes made by the many tiki imposters out there. At The Drifter, drinks are carefully concocted with just the right quality rums and fresh juices to enhance those vacation daydreams.
Brown beer pub with a 15th-century basement where you can enjoy a quiet, intimate chat.
Here you can’t order a normal pint, only top-quality Belgian specialty beers!
42 locals recommend
Trollekelder
4 Walter De BuckpleinBrown beer pub with a 15th-century basement where you can enjoy a quiet, intimate chat.
Here you can’t order a normal pint, only top-quality Belgian specialty beers!
Hotsy Totsy has jazz in its veins and it shows. The charming 20s interior of the corner café alone attests to an illustrious past: booths covered in lush fabrics, dimmed lights hanging low and lots of dark wood. It’s no wonder Flemish author Hugo Claus chose to introduce the world to his magnum opus The Sorrow of Belgium in this particularly atmospheric nook of Ghent. Today the artist café is still a go-to for long talks, poetry readings, live jazz, blues, and even swing parties on Sundays. Lazy evenings are well-spent playing pool or scrabble with friends.
41 locals recommend
Hotsy Totsy
1 HoogstraatHotsy Totsy has jazz in its veins and it shows. The charming 20s interior of the corner café alone attests to an illustrious past: booths covered in lush fabrics, dimmed lights hanging low and lots of dark wood. It’s no wonder Flemish author Hugo Claus chose to introduce the world to his magnum opus The Sorrow of Belgium in this particularly atmospheric nook of Ghent. Today the artist café is still a go-to for long talks, poetry readings, live jazz, blues, and even swing parties on Sundays. Lazy evenings are well-spent playing pool or scrabble with friends.
Bezienswaardigheden
Gravensteen
11 Sint-Veerlepleinhttps://visit.gent.be/en/see-do/castle-counts
Sint-Baafsplein
Sint-Baafspleinhttps://visit.gent.be/en/see-do/st-bavos-cathedral-majestic-tower
https://visit.gent.be/en/see-do/smak-contemporary-art-ghent
230 locals recommend
Municipal Museum of Contemporary Art
1 Jan Hoetpleinhttps://visit.gent.be/en/see-do/smak-contemporary-art-ghent
Citadel Park
Citadelpark
Graslei
GrasleiSint-Pieters-abdij
9 Sint-Pietersplein
Graffiti Street
WerregarenstraatBlaarmeersen
Bourgoyen-Ossemeersen
32 Driepikkelstraat
Rabot
https://visit.gent.be/en/see-do/rabot