Gent - local tips from your hosts :)

Eline
Gent - local tips from your hosts :)

Food

Best fries in town! Sit down and have our signature Bicky Burger. Or you can order my personal favorite: fries with stoofvleessaus (stew sauce), saté kruiden (spices) and a viandel (sausage) For vegan/veggie snacks we have better options for fry houses like the Frietketel or Frietcultuur.
8 locals recommend
Frituur St Jacobs Sympa
3 Walter De Buckplein
8 locals recommend
Best fries in town! Sit down and have our signature Bicky Burger. Or you can order my personal favorite: fries with stoofvleessaus (stew sauce), saté kruiden (spices) and a viandel (sausage) For vegan/veggie snacks we have better options for fry houses like the Frietketel or Frietcultuur.
Lobster or crab in a sandwich. Delicious snack!
Judith’s Lobster Shack
80 Dampoortstraat
Lobster or crab in a sandwich. Delicious snack!
Best ramen in town! Book ahead.
24 locals recommend
Golden Gai
11 Dampoortstraat
24 locals recommend
Best ramen in town! Book ahead.
All you can eat RIBS with a signature sauce in a vintage setting. Book ahead!
39 locals recommend
Amadeus Gent 1
8 Plotersgracht
39 locals recommend
All you can eat RIBS with a signature sauce in a vintage setting. Book ahead!
Breakfast nearby our house :)
De Mokke - Ontbijt, lunch, brunch, take-away, koffie - (Vergader) Zaal
219 Antwerpsesteenweg
Breakfast nearby our house :)
Turkish bakery on your way to the center. Nice breads filled with potatoes or cheese or ask for the stuffed pizzas on the left. Everything can be warmed on the spot
Yaren
73 N70a
Turkish bakery on your way to the center. Nice breads filled with potatoes or cheese or ask for the stuffed pizzas on the left. Everything can be warmed on the spot
Supermarket nearby
15 locals recommend
Carrefour Market
22 Pilorijnstraat
15 locals recommend
Supermarket nearby
Supermarket nearby
15 locals recommend
Carrefour Market
22 Pilorijnstraat
15 locals recommend
Supermarket nearby
Coffee bar nearby
80 locals recommend
clouds in my coffee
104 Dendermondsesteenweg
80 locals recommend
Coffee bar nearby
Nice and cheapTurkish restaurant nearby
7 locals recommend
Dedeoglu
141 Dendermondsesteenweg
7 locals recommend
Nice and cheapTurkish restaurant nearby
Nice Breakfast. Be lucky or book ahead.
26 locals recommend
FranzGustav
163 Ham
26 locals recommend
Nice Breakfast. Be lucky or book ahead.
Highly recommended breakfast / lunch buffet which will stuff you for the day! Be lucky or book ahead.
7 locals recommend
AMOUR Gent
18 Sint-Salvatorstraat
7 locals recommend
Highly recommended breakfast / lunch buffet which will stuff you for the day! Be lucky or book ahead.
Belgian bakery where you can have breakfast (croissant and coffee)
Himschoot
7 Dok-Noord
Belgian bakery where you can have breakfast (croissant and coffee)
Belgian bakery on your way to the center (take away, no coffee)
Uw Warme Bakkerij Filip & Sofie
17 Antwerpsesteenweg
Belgian bakery on your way to the center (take away, no coffee)
Pasta bar nearby, mostly take away
Pomodoré - pastabar
487 Kasteellaan
Pasta bar nearby, mostly take away
Bar / restaurant with belgian dishes where locals meet. Be lucky or book ahead.
48 locals recommend
Café de Buffel
19 A Gandastraat
48 locals recommend
Bar / restaurant with belgian dishes where locals meet. Be lucky or book ahead.
Cheap (€10) and giant pad thai.
Yaki Noodle
115 Vlaanderenstraat
Cheap (€10) and giant pad thai.
All day breakfast! New and highly recommended place
11 locals recommend
luv l’oeuf
30 Nederkouter
11 locals recommend
All day breakfast! New and highly recommended place
Indian food sharing in a very nice atmosphere. Average prices. Not a traditional Indian (see Indian Curry House). Be lucky or book ahead.
7 locals recommend
Mission Masala Gent
19 Bij Sint-Jacobs
7 locals recommend
Indian food sharing in a very nice atmosphere. Average prices. Not a traditional Indian (see Indian Curry House). Be lucky or book ahead.
Best traditional Indian! Be lucky or book ahead.
9 locals recommend
Indian Curry House
10 Sint-Michielsstraat
9 locals recommend
Best traditional Indian! Be lucky or book ahead.
Best traditional Belgian restaurant in the city center (no tourist trap, we go there too :). Eat stoofvlees (beef stew in beer), vol au vent (creamy chicken stew), tartaar (raw beef) or mussels!
Brasserie Bridge
21 Sint-Baafsplein
Best traditional Belgian restaurant in the city center (no tourist trap, we go there too :). Eat stoofvlees (beef stew in beer), vol au vent (creamy chicken stew), tartaar (raw beef) or mussels!
OUDBURG is a nice street in the city center with lots of restaurant options (Sushi, Nepalese, Turkish, Belgian, Portugese, food sharing, Maroccan,...) If you can't decide on what to eat, walk this street :)
Little Asia Gent
5 Oudburg
OUDBURG is a nice street in the city center with lots of restaurant options (Sushi, Nepalese, Turkish, Belgian, Portugese, food sharing, Maroccan,...) If you can't decide on what to eat, walk this street :)
One of the better Italian restaurants in the center.
13 locals recommend
il Cortile
53 Kraanlei
13 locals recommend
One of the better Italian restaurants in the center.
PASTAAA. Very popular cheap local pasta place with their signature tomato cream sauce. Be lucky or book ahead
31 locals recommend
De Kastart
42 Onderbergen
31 locals recommend
PASTAAA. Very popular cheap local pasta place with their signature tomato cream sauce. Be lucky or book ahead
Good and cheap Turkish restaurant in the center. Whole street are nice restaurants, so if it's full or to noisy you can pick another one. They're all the same :)
10 locals recommend
Gök 2
65/A Sleepstraat
10 locals recommend
Good and cheap Turkish restaurant in the center. Whole street are nice restaurants, so if it's full or to noisy you can pick another one. They're all the same :)
All day breakfast and lunch in the middle of a lot of plants
6 locals recommend
STEK
129 Nederkouter
6 locals recommend
All day breakfast and lunch in the middle of a lot of plants
Nice lunchspot. Lunchmenu (starter, main, dessert) for €20
Brasserie HA'
29 Kouter
Nice lunchspot. Lunchmenu (starter, main, dessert) for €20
Maroccan place with good tajines. OUDBURG is also a nice street with lots of other restaurant options for if you can't decide
Mimosa
21 Oudburg
Maroccan place with good tajines. OUDBURG is also a nice street with lots of other restaurant options for if you can't decide
Best. Patisserie. Ever.
9 locals recommend
Les Tartes de Françoise - Gent
35 François Laurentplein
9 locals recommend
Best. Patisserie. Ever.
Just try the merveilleux. You’ll melt.
Aux Merveilleux de Fred
38 Mageleinstraat
Just try the merveilleux. You’ll melt.
Super nice hand made ice cream without additives, flavor enhancers, e numbers...
Bas ice cream
46 Dampoortstraat
Super nice hand made ice cream without additives, flavor enhancers, e numbers...

Drinks & Party

Party, Party, Party! Dance the night away! Entrance is around €5, depending on the night. Go between 12AM - 2AM and expect a qeue to get in (no longer than 20min usually). Today you need covid vaccination proof, which you’ll have to show at the door. After partying, get a nighttime snack at Frituur Sympa ;)
133 locals recommend
Charlatan
6 Vlasmarkt
133 locals recommend
Party, Party, Party! Dance the night away! Entrance is around €5, depending on the night. Go between 12AM - 2AM and expect a qeue to get in (no longer than 20min usually). Today you need covid vaccination proof, which you’ll have to show at the door. After partying, get a nighttime snack at Frituur Sympa ;)
Nice place to start the evening. Nice terrace but also room upstair. Try some cocktails here before dancing ;)
10 locals recommend
Bar Albatros
34 Vrijdagmarkt
10 locals recommend
Nice place to start the evening. Nice terrace but also room upstair. Try some cocktails here before dancing ;)
After The Cobbler, the best cocktailplace in town. Book ahead or be lucky
66 locals recommend
Jigger's
16 Oudburg
66 locals recommend
After The Cobbler, the best cocktailplace in town. Book ahead or be lucky
Best cocktail place in town. Entrance on the waterside (Graslei). Google maps points at the wrong corner of the building. Find an iron gate at the corner closest to the Sint Michielsburg and enter. Take the small door on your right side and climb 3 flights of stairs. Book ahead of be lucky.
19 locals recommend
The Cobbler
16 Graslei
19 locals recommend
Best cocktail place in town. Entrance on the waterside (Graslei). Google maps points at the wrong corner of the building. Find an iron gate at the corner closest to the Sint Michielsburg and enter. Take the small door on your right side and climb 3 flights of stairs. Book ahead of be lucky.
BEERS. They have a beer menu with I don’t know how many beers on there. Ask the waiter for advice ;) There is a basement and an upper level.
42 locals recommend
Trollekelder
4 Walter De Buckplein
42 locals recommend
BEERS. They have a beer menu with I don’t know how many beers on there. Ask the waiter for advice ;) There is a basement and an upper level.
Have a drink on the terrace or party on the weekends. Mostly less crowded than the Charlatan.
32 locals recommend
VenTura
35 Vrijdagmarkt
32 locals recommend
Have a drink on the terrace or party on the weekends. Mostly less crowded than the Charlatan.
Hip place where gender is a broad spectrum. Some nights, men can’t enter :)
7 locals recommend
Blond
2 Edward Anseeleplein
7 locals recommend
Hip place where gender is a broad spectrum. Some nights, men can’t enter :)
Small club with mainstream music. Expect to pay a small entrance fee, but mostly less crowded than the Charlatan and a small qeue.
12 locals recommend
Club 69
5 Oude Beestenmarkt
12 locals recommend
Small club with mainstream music. Expect to pay a small entrance fee, but mostly less crowded than the Charlatan and a small qeue.
Nice brown bar with normal drinks menu but a nice terrace in summer :)
19 locals recommend
Marimain
17 Walpoortstraat
19 locals recommend
Nice brown bar with normal drinks menu but a nice terrace in summer :)
Café, Restaurant, Culture house, Club You can drink something on their terrace You can order a small snack (spaghetti or sandwich) Check out their website for parties and cultural events. One of the most beautiful buildings in Gent in my opinion.
178 locals recommend
Vooruit
23 Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat
178 locals recommend
Café, Restaurant, Culture house, Club You can drink something on their terrace You can order a small snack (spaghetti or sandwich) Check out their website for parties and cultural events. One of the most beautiful buildings in Gent in my opinion.
Students party in this street. De overpoortstraat is the center of the students area. Expect to feel 19 again.
't Kofschip
96 Overpoortstraat
Students party in this street. De overpoortstraat is the center of the students area. Expect to feel 19 again.
Party place for people who like to dance to mainstream music and are not in their 20’s anymore ;)
Kaffee Plansjee
61 Hoogpoort
Party place for people who like to dance to mainstream music and are not in their 20’s anymore ;)
Play games (airhockey, pinball, nintendo,…) whilst sipping cocktails or beers :p
Comic Sans
8 Klein Turkije
Play games (airhockey, pinball, nintendo,…) whilst sipping cocktails or beers :p
Gaming bar where you can play together on playstations, computers, nintendo switch
Barvatar
4 Woodrow Wilsonplein
Gaming bar where you can play together on playstations, computers, nintendo switch
Play board games from their collection, eat someting and have a drink :)
17 locals recommend
Café de loge
5 Annonciadenstraat
17 locals recommend
Play board games from their collection, eat someting and have a drink :)
BEERS! Nice terrace and a beer menu
27 locals recommend
Het Waterhuis aan de Bierkant
9 Groentenmarkt
27 locals recommend
BEERS! Nice terrace and a beer menu

Neighborhoods

Students party street with many many clubs. Busy most nights, but the main partying is taking place on Wednesday and Thursday evening. Fun starts around 1 AM.
7 locals recommend
Overpoortstraat
Overpoortstraat
7 locals recommend
Students party street with many many clubs. Busy most nights, but the main partying is taking place on Wednesday and Thursday evening. Fun starts around 1 AM.
FOODSTREET. If you can’t decide on what to eat, walk this street. There are many many options ranging from Sushi to Maroccan, to Portugese to Nepali,…
Oudburg
Oudburg
FOODSTREET. If you can’t decide on what to eat, walk this street. There are many many options ranging from Sushi to Maroccan, to Portugese to Nepali,…
Nice park where you can chill in summer
Het Zuid
Nice park where you can chill in summer
very cute cobblestone streets where you’ll catch the vibe of old Gent. Walk the ballenstraat, hertogstraat, corduwaniersstraat, vrouwebroersstraat, plotersgracht, rodekoningstraat. Amadeus ribs is also locaded here :)
110 locals recommend
Patershol
61 Corduwaniersstraat
110 locals recommend
very cute cobblestone streets where you’ll catch the vibe of old Gent. Walk the ballenstraat, hertogstraat, corduwaniersstraat, vrouwebroersstraat, plotersgracht, rodekoningstraat. Amadeus ribs is also locaded here :)

Vegan / Vegetarian Gent

Vegan bakery & coffee house
13 locals recommend
Madam Bakster
142 Brabantdam
13 locals recommend
Vegan bakery & coffee house
Vegetarian restaurant in the city center. Nice & surprising food.
15 locals recommend
Lokaal
100 Brabantdam
15 locals recommend
Vegetarian restaurant in the city center. Nice & surprising food.
Vegan snacks / brunch / breakfast. Check opening times.
V-BOX
7 Dok-Noord
Vegan snacks / brunch / breakfast. Check opening times.
Vegan and glutenfree pizza!
45 locals recommend
Eat Love Pizza
10 Ajuinlei
45 locals recommend
Vegan and glutenfree pizza!
Veggie / Vegan lunch - highly recommend the wraps!
17 locals recommend
Greenway Gent
42 Nederkouter
17 locals recommend
Veggie / Vegan lunch - highly recommend the wraps!
Nice vegan breakfast spot in the center with good pancakes and large vegan lattes
7 locals recommend
O'yo
82 Brabantdam
7 locals recommend
Nice vegan breakfast spot in the center with good pancakes and large vegan lattes
Vegan food / snacks in the center
MiE ViE
28 Serpentstraat
Vegan food / snacks in the center
Vegan fry house (frituur) with a variety of snacks. They fry their fries in vegan fats. Check opening times as they close on saturday.
33 locals recommend
De Frietketel
89 Papegaaistraat
33 locals recommend
Vegan fry house (frituur) with a variety of snacks. They fry their fries in vegan fats. Check opening times as they close on saturday.

Oostende

Easy 50 minute trainride to the seaside. Some trains go straight from Gent Dampoort but some trains go straight. Very large town with a casino and nice beach.
Bruges is one of the most popular and romantic spots in Europe (after Gent of course ;) Highly recommended to visit at night for extra romance! Short 40 minute train ride from Gent Dampoort (train station closest to us). Some trains go straight, some trains you’ll have to switch in Gent Sint Pieters (main train station). Check the www.belgiantrain.be for schedules and buy your ticket at the machines at the train station. Trains go from around 6 AM to midnight.
554 locals recommend
Bruges
554 locals recommend
Bruges is one of the most popular and romantic spots in Europe (after Gent of course ;) Highly recommended to visit at night for extra romance! Short 40 minute train ride from Gent Dampoort (train station closest to us). Some trains go straight, some trains you’ll have to switch in Gent Sint Pieters (main train station). Check the www.belgiantrain.be for schedules and buy your ticket at the machines at the train station. Trains go from around 6 AM to midnight.
50 minute trainride from Gent Dampoort and no switching trains. Nice shopping city (maybe even better than Gent?) where you can find lots of designers and all the main stores but larger.
168 locals recommend
Antwerp
168 locals recommend
50 minute trainride from Gent Dampoort and no switching trains. Nice shopping city (maybe even better than Gent?) where you can find lots of designers and all the main stores but larger.
50 minute trainride from Gent Dampoort. Some trains go straight but most trains require a switch at Gent Sint Pieters. Check the schedule on www.belgianrail.be and buy tickets at the trainstation.
189 locals recommend
Brussels
189 locals recommend
50 minute trainride from Gent Dampoort. Some trains go straight but most trains require a switch at Gent Sint Pieters. Check the schedule on www.belgianrail.be and buy tickets at the trainstation.
My favorite beachside town. Visit the birds in Het Zwin and enjoy the good restaurants. 2h trainride, car recommended.
81 locals recommend
Knokke-Heist
81 locals recommend
My favorite beachside town. Visit the birds in Het Zwin and enjoy the good restaurants. 2h trainride, car recommended.
Epicenter of our Ardennes region. Highly recommended for hikes and warm chocolate milk :) Definitly visit if you like hiking and adventure. 3h by train but a car is recommended to get around locally.
206 locals recommend
Durbuy
206 locals recommend
Epicenter of our Ardennes region. Highly recommended for hikes and warm chocolate milk :) Definitly visit if you like hiking and adventure. 3h by train but a car is recommended to get around locally.

Sightseeing

It’s very touristy buuut super relaxing and very informative. We even do this with family who are not from Gent.
24 locals recommend
De Bootjes Van Gent - Rederij Dewaele
4/A Korenlei
24 locals recommend
It’s very touristy buuut super relaxing and very informative. We even do this with family who are not from Gent.
City museum with a very informative exposé on the origins of Gent. Dutch, French, English and German. If you visit one museum, pick this one :)
143 locals recommend
STAM Ghent City Museum
2 Godshuizenlaan
143 locals recommend
City museum with a very informative exposé on the origins of Gent. Dutch, French, English and German. If you visit one museum, pick this one :)
Visit the tower! You can go up by elevator and down by stairs. It’s a small entrance fee to go up (€3 I think) but you’ll get fantastic views.
67 locals recommend
Belfry of Ghent
Sint-Baafsplein
67 locals recommend
Visit the tower! You can go up by elevator and down by stairs. It’s a small entrance fee to go up (€3 I think) but you’ll get fantastic views.
Castle of the counts, simply a must :)
210 locals recommend
Gravensteen Castle
11 Sint-Veerleplein
210 locals recommend
Castle of the counts, simply a must :)
Visit the famous Lam Gods painting by the Van Eyck brothers.
19 locals recommend
Saint Nicholas Church
4 Cataloniëstraat
19 locals recommend
Visit the famous Lam Gods painting by the Van Eyck brothers.
Nice folklore museum
55 locals recommend
House of Alijn
65 Kraanlei
55 locals recommend
Nice folklore museum

Shops

Best chocolats / pralines in town. Joost Arijs creates his own flavours. Ideal gift to take home.
19 locals recommend
Joost Arijs
24 Vlaanderenstraat
19 locals recommend
Best chocolats / pralines in town. Joost Arijs creates his own flavours. Ideal gift to take home.
Ethical clothing and gadget store
Swapfiets Gent
54 Vlaanderenstraat
Ethical clothing and gadget store
With every book, the owner pairs a bottle of booze :) Very nice bookstore with books in different languages. Catch the vibe.
Bookz & Booze
35 Hoogpoort
With every book, the owner pairs a bottle of booze :) Very nice bookstore with books in different languages. Catch the vibe.
Nice kitchen gadget store with lots. ideal for gifts.
8 locals recommend
Dille and Kamille
15 Hoornstraat
8 locals recommend
Nice kitchen gadget store with lots. ideal for gifts.