24 hours in Ghent: the hotspots to visit
Say wine, snacks or haute cuisine and the gourmands at online food magazine FavorFlav know where to drink, how to eat it and what to cook. This time our cheffies serve you: 24 hours in Ghent, what a great idea (and these are the places you want to visit).
The friendly and hospitable Ghent residents know what good living is, because in this incredibly fun city you can eat and drink wonderfully. Are you in the mood for a weekend getaway, but without having to step on a plane: go to Europe’s best-kept secret: Ghent.
Are you a foodie? You’re in luck in Ghent, because you can eat and drink deliciously here! Or as they say in Ghent themselves: snacking. The young rock-and-roll chefs are making waves in the international food scene. More than that: Ghent is the veggie capital of Europe: it has the highest percentage vegan restaurants (in relation to the number of inhabitants) in Europe. And whether you want to eat vegan or not, you definitely want to stop by these places when you go for a weekend in Ghent.
Breakfast: Belgian waffles, to die for
Forget all the trendy coffee shops from the Randstad where you get strange looks if you like regular coffee , because in Belgium it’s not about the complicated milk in your coffee, but about what you eat alongside your coffee: waffles. At the intersection of Graslei and Pensmarkt at the foot of the bridge over the Leie, you must go for this Belgian street food. After such a crispy fresh waffle with a generous scoop of fresh strawberries, whipped cream, and chocolate sauce, you have a good base for the rest of the day.
Cold coffee in between? In the Donkersteeg you will find hands down the best ice coffee in Ghent: at the Mokabon, the original coffee shop of Ghent. It can sometimes be difficult to secure a spot in this small place, but nice: it has become customary to sit close together. Cosiness guaranteed.
Typical Ghent: cuberdons
You can’t stroll through Ghent without eating one of those typical candies with a soft raspberry core. An even cuter name for the cuberdons: Ghent noses. Be sure to take a bag home. Better: two bags, that first one will be empty before you reach the border. You can get them at such a cheerful stall or at Confiserie Temmerman, where you can also find Ghent delicacies like mugs, knopkes, and muilentrekkers alongside cuberdons (here in the form of a mask).
Lunch: Flemish classics
Nele and Jan participated in the VTM program My pop-up restaurant, and they have now secured a permanent spot. At Mémé Gusta you can taste the real Flemish cuisine from grandmother's time. Especially the stew is a recommendation. A full pot of pork cheeks with a killer gravy and various garnishes. Other classics include eel in green, the queen's bite (pie with ragout), and buttermilk mashers (buttermilk puree with poached egg and shrimp).
Drinks: beer!
A visit to Belgium is not complete without a real Belgian pint. Find a spot in the traditional de Dulle Griet, the brown café in an old but beautiful medieval interior with cartwheels. With more than 500 beers on the menu, the choice is more than huge, but especially the Ghent beers are recommended. If you dare: your shoe in exchange for a Max beer, served in a boot-shaped glass. If you really want to drink like a local, order some cubes of young cheese with celery salt. Want to lay a base first? Then order a shrimp croquette with tartar sauce at the fish stall Drakkar Delicatessen across from Dulle Griet. Incredibly delicious.et meer dan 500 bieren op de kaart is de keuze meer dan reuze, maar vooral de Gentse bieren zijn aan te raden. Als je durft: je schoen in ruil voor een Max-bier, geschonken in een laarsvormig glas. Wil je echt als een local borrelen, dan bestel je er blokjes jonge kaas met selderijzout bij. Eerst een bodempje leggen? Bestel dan een garnaalkroket met tartaarsaus bij de viskraam Drakkar Delicatessen aan de overkant van de Dulle Griet. Waanzinnig lekker.
Dinner: Lebanese
After a traditional Flemish lunch and traditional snacks, it’s time for something modern. Golden tip: the popular Lebanese restaurant Beiruti. Here you can really enjoy amazing Lebanese food! Take a seat upstairs in the restaurant, or better: take a seat on the terrace at the back of the building where you sit wonderfully sheltered, even if it’s pouring rain you’ll stay dry here. And then just order a whole table full of delicious dishes to share. The tastiest Mana’eesh (Lebanese flatbread, loaded with the delicious spice mix za’atar, Shish Taouk (juicy grilled chicken), Labneh (strained yogurt), Makanek Mar’ouk (spicy sausages with pomegranate seeds), Fattoush (fresh salad with pieces of fried Lebanese flatbread), Tabbouleh (salad with lots of finely chopped parsley, onion, and tomato), and of course you also order hummus, Falafel and Halawe, a dessert made from tahini and pistachio. Tip: definitely make a reservation, because Beiruti is incredibly popular.
After dinner cocktail
A cocktail before or after your dinner is done at the always cozy Café Gomez on the Oude Beestenmarkt. Here you will find a multicultural mix of people, drinks, and dishes, with just one goal: good times! The name is a nod to the former Portuguese star footballer Nuno Gomes, the eye-catcher of the place is the ceiling inspired by Russian ‘prison tattoos’. Are you going here before your dinner? Then definitely order some of the delicious tapas. Prefer a bit more anonymity of a narrow, dimly lit bar? Then visit The Drifter and order a tropical tiki cocktail.
Sleeping in the heart of the city
The newly opened B&B Hotel in the heart of Ghent is the perfect base for a weekend in this lovely city. Not only is the location perfect (the hotel is located in the Voldersstraat where you can shop wonderfully and find numerous restaurants, such as the Lebanese restaurant Beiruti which is located right next to it), but the staff is super friendly, the rooms are nice, and the shower is amazing (yes, this is always worth mentioning, because how nice do you wake up after a fantastic shower?). The hotel also has a rooftop bar with natural wines. You can book a room for just €55 per night, speaking of a great price-quality ratio! You can make a reservation here.
Fries from Sergio
Just floor it and you'll be here in just 2.5 hours from Amsterdam: so much fun, you should definitely do it! And before you drive home, grab a french fry from Sergio Herman to take with you. Fries from a star chef, that's obviously not an ordinary snack bar fry, no, in these fries flavor, craftsmanship, skill, and personality have come together, and really: you can taste it. From the potato to the toppings, everything is fully thought out and irresistibly delicious. The best way to end a lovely weekend in Ghent.
