How Ghent Eats
What to know before you book in East Flanders.
Ghent is the Flemish city that decided vegetables were the point. In 2009 it launched Donderdag Veggiedag — a weekly veggie day the city promoted to its own residents — and the dining culture absorbed the idea so thoroughly that the country's most celebrated near-vegetarian kitchen, Vrijmoed, now holds both a Michelin star and a green star here. That is the surprise of eating in Ghent: a medieval town of canals and a vast university student body that punches far above its weight at the stove, with three one-star rooms inside a compact centre.
The local plate is unapologetically Flemish underneath the fine dining. Waterzooi — a creamy stew of chicken or river fish — is the Ghent classic; stoverij braises beef in dark Belgian beer; and cuberdons, the cone-shaped purple sweets locals call neuzekes, are sold from carts on the squares. Service is included in Belgian bills, so tipping is a round-up rather than a percentage. Most serious kitchens close Sunday and Monday and run set menus rather than long à la carte lists, so build a midweek-to-Saturday trip and book the stars ahead.
Best Neighbourhoods for Dinner
Patershol — the cobbled medieval quarter behind Gravensteen castle, the most atmospheric place to eat in the city. Graslei & Korenlei — the postcard quays along the River Lys, where Allegro Moderato's waterfront terrace sits. Vlaanderenstraat — slightly out of the tourist core, home to Vrijmoed. Ham & the eastern centre — quieter streets that hold Publiek and a run of contemporary bistros near the university.
Reservations & Practical Notes
Vrijmoed and Publiek, both small and starred, want three to four weeks for a weekend seat and serve set menus. Oak needs a couple of weeks. Allegro Moderato's River Lys terrace is the toughest summer-evening booking in the city — reserve well ahead in warm weather. Ghent is walkable and largely car-free in the centre; arrive on foot or by tram. English is widely spoken, and most starred rooms handle dietary requests gracefully given the city's vegetable leanings.
The Ghent List
Five editorial picks, ranked by the only filter that matters: why you are dining.
Vrijmoed
Michaël Vrijmoed's one-star, green-star kitchen on Vlaanderenstraat — Belgium's reference for vegetable-led fine dining. Book a month ahead.
Publiek
Olly Ceulenaere's one-star, market-driven set menu on Ham — the most quietly confident cooking in the city. Reserve three weeks out.
Oak
Marcelo Ballardin's one-star room in the city centre — ambitious, technically precise cooking in a warm, intimate setting. Two weeks ahead is wise.
Roots
A seasonal, produce-led contemporary bistro that fits Ghent's vegetable-forward grain without the starred formality. A relaxed table for a group.
Allegro Moderato
The most romantic view in Ghent — a River Lys waterfront position with French-Belgian cooking that matches the setting. Book the terrace early in summer.
The Top Five, Ranked
If you had one night in Ghent, in what order would you spend it?
Vrijmoed
Michaël Vrijmoed turned vegetables into the centre of the plate and earned a green star for it — the city's essential table, worth a month's planning to impress a client who notices these things.
Publiek
Olly Ceulenaere cooks a market-driven set menu with no wasted gesture — go for a birthday where the food, not the spectacle, is the gift.
Oak
Marcelo Ballardin pairs ambitious technique with a genuinely warm room — the Ghent star to choose for a proposal you want to feel intimate rather than grand.
Roots
A seasonal bistro that carries the city's vegetable-forward instinct without the formality — the easy choice when the group wants serious food and a relaxed table.
Allegro Moderato
The waterfront view does half the work and the French-Belgian kitchen handles the rest — reserve the terrace for a first date on a warm Ghent evening.
Not For
Ghent is not the city for a spur-of-the-moment Sunday or Monday dinner at the top end — Vrijmoed, Publiek and Oak all close at the start of the week and run set menus, so a walk-in with dietary demands and no booking will be turned away. Confirmed steak-and-spectacle diners may find the city's vegetable-forward leaning underwhelming; the kitchens here reward curiosity about produce more than appetite for a 16oz cut. And skip Allegro Moderato's terrace expectation in cold or wet weather — the magic is the River Lys view, which a winter evening simply does not deliver.
Ghent Dining FAQ
Which Ghent restaurant holds a Michelin star?
Ghent carries a tight cluster of one-star kitchens. Michaël Vrijmoed's Vrijmoed on Vlaanderenstraat holds a Michelin star and a green star for sustainability. Olly Ceulenaere's Publiek on Ham runs a market-driven set menu and also holds a star, and Marcelo Ballardin's Oak completes the trio. For most diners, Vrijmoed and Publiek are the two essential tables.
What is Ghent known for eating?
Ghent is Belgium's vegetable-forward city — it launched the weekly Donderdag Veggiedag movement in 2009, which is part of why Vrijmoed's near-vegetarian cooking feels native. The local classics are waterzooi (a creamy chicken or fish stew), stoverij (beef braised in dark Flemish beer), and cuberdons — the purple cone-shaped 'neuzekes' sweets sold from carts on the squares.
Where is the best dining neighbourhood in Ghent?
Patershol, the medieval lattice of cobbled lanes behind Gravensteen castle, is the historic restaurant quarter and the most atmospheric place to eat. The Graslei and Korenlei quays along the River Lys hold the postcard waterfront tables, including the terraces that make Allegro Moderato a romantic booking. The starred kitchens sit slightly out of the tourist core, on Vlaanderenstraat and Ham. See also best for a first date.
How far ahead should you book in Ghent?
Vrijmoed and Publiek, both small and starred, book three to four weeks ahead for a weekend table and run set menus rather than à la carte. Oak needs a couple of weeks. Allegro Moderato's River Lys terrace is the hardest seat to get on a warm evening. Most Ghent kitchens close Sunday and Monday, so plan a Tuesday-to-Saturday trip.
Is Ghent a good city for vegetarians?
Yes — arguably the best in Belgium. Ghent invented the weekly veggie-day campaign, and Vrijmoed's Michelin star rests on a near-vegetarian style that treats vegetables as the centre of the plate rather than a garnish. Beyond the starred rooms, the university-city centre carries an unusual density of plant-forward bistros and cafés, so a vegetarian rarely has to compromise here.