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An enticing café-bar with a long history and, many say, the best setting on the Leie. It lies next to the old sas (a drawbridge over the lock), and this was where the bridge controller once lived. The café even contains a small museum of maritime paintings and relics of a time when these waters were among the busiest in Belgium. Now it's just a great spot to rest up when strolling the riverbank between Ooidonk and Deinze. Try the pate, which has been flavored with the house Schobiak beer.
Hellestraat 20, Deinze, Flanders, 9800, Belgium
Known For
- A welcome rest stop while walking the Leie
- House-brewed beers
- A blissful setting by the water's edge
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You'll find an absolute sea of bakeries selling mattentaarts, the iconic local curd pastry that errs decidedly on the sweet and dry side. Everyone has their favorite bakery, though the more mean-spirited might argue there's little difference in quality. Nevertheless, this artisanal bakers high up on Vestin is well-loved by locals, and makes a fine pick-me-up when walking the Muur.
Vesten 92, Geraardsbergen, Flanders, 9500, Belgium
Known For
- Friendly staff
- There's a nice selection of other cakes
- The finest mattentaarts in town
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues.
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This now ubiquitous "fast food" meatball joint has found plenty of love across Belgium but it all started here in Ghent in 2012 with a simple pop-up. The idea is simple: pick from a choice of large meatballs (as well as a veggie option), served with either stoempe (Belgian-style mash and vegetables) or salad. Communal tables and bowls brimming with apples tick the right boxes, while the meatballs themselves have an array of fillings, from a mushroom and truffle to the classic liégeoise style. It just works!
Jakobijnenstraat 6, Ghent, Flanders, 9000, Belgium
Known For
- Darn fine meatballs
- Bowls of free fruit on tables
- Free jugs of water---a rarity in the parched restaurants of Belgium
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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Perched over the road from the river, this waterfront café-restaurant is a popular brunch spot, dishing up warm soups, casseroles, and plenty of breakfast treats, from shakshouka to salmon brioche. Even its coffees are on the indulgent side: latte with honey and stroopwaffel, anyone?
Tussenbruggen 20, Oudenaarde, Flanders, 9700, Belgium
Known For
- Friendly staff
- A good lunch spot with some hearty eating
- Nice views over the river and across to the historical buildings
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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This health-conscious café majors in vegetarian and vegan treats, largely in the form of plate-sized salads, quiches, and soups. It's a charming location, having been sculpted out of an old ice-cream parlor; the Art Deco moldings lend it a distinguished air and there's a quiet courtyard at the rear.
Geldmunt 6, Ghent, Flanders, 9000, Belgium
Known For
- Healthy eating in a nice café setting
- The veggie-dumpling soups are particularly good
- Great coffees
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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Here, you'll find the kind of food typical of a Flemish table, with plenty of steaks and classic stews accompanied by less local dishes, just in case, with an array of pastas. Staff are friendly and will happily translate the Dutch menu, but bring an appetite because portions are huge. It can get quite busy, though, especially at noon, since the restaurant's size makes it popular with tour groups.
Vrijdagmarkt 47, Ghent, Flanders, 9000, Belgium
Known For
- Hearty Flemish food and a friendly face
- Good for large groups
- A pretty good beer selection
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon., Reservations essential
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Hidden away among the museum streets of Deurle, this brasserie is best known for its "grandma cooking." Expect veal kidneys lashed with sharp Ghentish Tierenteyn mustard, a hearty stoofvlees of stewed pork cheeks with a side of rough-cut apple sauce, and beef from the Basque Country.
Philippe de Denterghemlaan 31, Deurle, Flanders, 9831, Belgium
Known For
- Its quiet location
- An interesting sharing-plates menu
- A covered terrace that escapes the rather echoey interior
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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An old favorite among locals. Its village-center location, spilling onto the cobbles beneath the church, sets a convivial scene. Inside, the "The Old Farm," as it's known, is nothing of the sort; it was originally built some 300 years ago as a rectory, then repurposed as a school before settling as the town inn. Opt for either a sharing menu (all oysters, chicken wings, and mussels) or the usual brasserie favorites, with big steaks, beery stews, and the addition of the lesser-seen "lobster Belle Vue" (a more costly take on a prawn cocktail) catching the eye.
Dorpsstraat 48, Deurle, Flanders, 9831, Belgium
Known For
- Charming village location
- The terrace makes for a pleasant escape in warm weather
- A good standard of cooking
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A beautiful old mansion house is the home of this charming organic bakery and café. Its courtyard terrace is a pleasant spot on a sunny day, though the menu is typically geared towards cold weather: think heavy pastas and Flemish staples alongside a few salads. Its stoempe (veggie mash) and sausage is hearty in all the right ways.
Plein 12, Kortrijk, Flanders, 8500, Belgium
Known For
- The terrace is delightful
- Interesting daily specials
- Sweet treats like pain d'epice
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Wed.
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The setting is everything here. The beautiful terrace, on the doorstep of Ooidonk Castle, makes for a delightful retreat for the walkers, cyclists, and day-trippers that make up the clientele. Its menu is a solid mix of brasserie standards with a few twists, including an Ostend-style fish stew, truffle-flavored croque monsieur, and a game ragout. Be warned though: it stops serving dinner at 6:30 pm, so it's one for early birds.
Ooidonkdreef 28, Deinze, Flanders, 9800, Belgium
Known For
- There are plenty of walking trails nearby to work off the food
- It's a great spot for when you're visiting the castle
- Brasserie-style comfort food in a countryside setting
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Wed. and Thurs.
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This lovely family-run café is nestled in the corner of the Vlasmarkt. There's a good choice of teas, coffees, and great hunks of homemade cakes to tide you over.
Vlasmarkt 33/7, Dendermonde, Flanders, 9200, Belgium
Known For
- Nice little terrace off the main street
- Good choice (and portion size) of cakes
- Well-made coffees
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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Drop by Het Groot Vleeshuis (Great Meat Hall) for coffee or lunch and a little shopping. The wood-beamed hall dates from the early 15th century and was used as a covered meat market. It's an impressive blend of ancient and modern; the metal-and-glass restaurant has been cleverly constructed without affecting the old hall itself. Both the shop and restaurant focus on East Flemish specialties such as Ganda ham, local mustard, and O'de Flandres jenever. The food hall is open Tuesday--Sunday 10--6.
Groentenmarkt 7, B9000, Unknown
Known For
- A wonderful setting in a medieval marketplace
- Traditional Flemish cuisine
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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Just off the Korenmarkt, the scent of fresh coffee beans is enough to draw you to this charming backstreet roastery, complete with a café, neighboring take-away stall, and decent waffles.
35-37 Donkersteeg, B9000, Unknown
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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Just off the Korenmarkt, the scent of fresh coffee beans is enough to draw you to this charming backstreet roastery complete with a café, neighboring take-away stall, and decent waffles.
Donkersteeg 35, Ghent, Flanders, 9000, Belgium
Known For
- It's the city's most reliable hit of caffeine
- A great choice of roasted blends
- It's a good place to sit with a book
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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One of the endearing eccentricities of Ghent is its number of soup-theme cafés. There are four in the center alone: all cheap, satisfying, and popular with students. This is clearly the local pick; by lunchtime, the queues outside are positively daunting. The menu changes regularly but usually dishes up a half-dozen soups, including the likes of creamy leek and Breydal bacon or tomato and meatball, alongside salads and sandwiches.
Sint-Niklaasstraat 9, Ghent, Flanders, 9000, Belgium
Known For
- It's just good, cheap food
- The choice of soups changes regularly
- It's a popular spot for locals
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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