15 Best Restaurants in Ghent and the Leie, Belgium

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.

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!

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 (poached eggs in a spicy tomato sauce) to salmon brioche. Even its coffees are on the indulgent side: latte with honey and stroopwaffel (waffles cookies with a layer of caramel in between), anyone?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

This mouthwatering bakery makes both bread and sweet treats, and has a tearoom on one side for those who want to eat in. Savory filled rolls are available, but most people are here to indulge in the homemade éclairs and fruit tarts.

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.  

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 hand-cranked drawbridge over the lock), and this was where the bridge controller once lived---try to arrive in fine weather as the terrace is the big draw, and the café is often closed at other times. 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.