Guidebook for Gent
Food Scene
Solid good food, HUGE portions, reasonable prices. Very nice casual restaurant.
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Fabula Rasa
9 Koningin FabiolalaanSolid good food, HUGE portions, reasonable prices. Very nice casual restaurant.
Community run cafe, all "workers" are actually volunteers of the neighborhood. Always has loads of events and concerts, check their website for more info.
Herberg Macharius
1 CoyendansparkCommunity run cafe, all "workers" are actually volunteers of the neighborhood. Always has loads of events and concerts, check their website for more info.
Nice restaurant, mostly reservation required. Expensive but worth it if you are celebrating or romancing.
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Het Gouden Hoofd
96 SlachthuisstraatNice restaurant, mostly reservation required. Expensive but worth it if you are celebrating or romancing.
One of the two Irish pubs in town, my personal fav. Go here to get your fix of english over Nederlands. Good friendly staff as well. Be nice to Alex, the manager, cause he has a great name. ;)
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Patrick Foley's
10 RecollettenleiOne of the two Irish pubs in town, my personal fav. Go here to get your fix of english over Nederlands. Good friendly staff as well. Be nice to Alex, the manager, cause he has a great name. ;)
Nice touristy fish restaurant in the middle of the old city. Great place to go out dining after tourism. Good bar.
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Oude Vismijn
5 RekelingestraatNice touristy fish restaurant in the middle of the old city. Great place to go out dining after tourism. Good bar.
Cafe or Bar on the corner. Frequently has live music, always friendly people, veggie spaghetti & other foods of snack variety. Good drinks. Only closed on Monday. (owners are friends of mine)
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De Kleine Kunst
99 Ferdinand LousbergskaaiCafe or Bar on the corner. Frequently has live music, always friendly people, veggie spaghetti & other foods of snack variety. Good drinks. Only closed on Monday. (owners are friends of mine)
Super cute, looks like a hole in the wall, but great (semi-authentic) food. Very friendly vibe. Doesn't seem to fit the neighborhood but I love that it is there because you can walk home and its good quality w/ flavor. (personally I skip the lemon thing at the end, but I am not a fan in general) Friendly staff! More of a romantic or celebratory place than an every day.
Viva la Puglia
224 Sint-LievenspoortstraatSuper cute, looks like a hole in the wall, but great (semi-authentic) food. Very friendly vibe. Doesn't seem to fit the neighborhood but I love that it is there because you can walk home and its good quality w/ flavor. (personally I skip the lemon thing at the end, but I am not a fan in general) Friendly staff! More of a romantic or celebratory place than an every day.
Regular grocery store. Has a little bit of most things. Beware, like all shops in Belgium, check hrs first online! Nice for a quick run to the shop.
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Carrefour Express
Regular grocery store. Has a little bit of most things. Beware, like all shops in Belgium, check hrs first online! Nice for a quick run to the shop.
Nice little restaurant. I've only been once but I love the people and the food is good. Bright, fam friendly when not too busy. Solid wholesome food, good people. Every day kinda place.
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Ma & Ik
1 AannemersstraatNice little restaurant. I've only been once but I love the people and the food is good. Bright, fam friendly when not too busy. Solid wholesome food, good people. Every day kinda place.
Everything Else
Crossfit gym across the street from the apt on the Forelstraat side. Owner/manager also lives in Het Volk I think. Nice people, good workouts.
Crossfit Gent
2c WaterstraatCrossfit gym across the street from the apt on the Forelstraat side. Owner/manager also lives in Het Volk I think. Nice people, good workouts.
Train station. 10 min brisk walk from apt. SUPER easy. From station to apt, find water, follow it left. Done. :)
(Reverse, find water, follow right, at station!)
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Gand-Dampoort / Gent-Dampoort station
Train station. 10 min brisk walk from apt. SUPER easy. From station to apt, find water, follow it left. Done. :)
(Reverse, find water, follow right, at station!)
Arts & Culture
Oldest building in all of Gent, one of the two abbeys here. Open Sundays from May - November to the public. (Volunteers keep it open, same as the Herberg Macharius)
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Sint-Baafsabdij
Oldest building in all of Gent, one of the two abbeys here. Open Sundays from May - November to the public. (Volunteers keep it open, same as the Herberg Macharius)
Old style cinema. My mom grew up in Gent and she and her siblings used to go to the movies here. Super adorable, has a little bar to have a drink afterward. Either dead or packed depending on the night. Rarely in-between. Shows some artsy cultural films and some pop culture and family friendly stuff. I always come here for a movie if they are going to play it and stay away from the major cinema across town but they don't play everything, then a cheat and go with big business. ;)
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Studio Skoop
63 Sint-AnnapleinOld style cinema. My mom grew up in Gent and she and her siblings used to go to the movies here. Super adorable, has a little bar to have a drink afterward. Either dead or packed depending on the night. Rarely in-between. Shows some artsy cultural films and some pop culture and family friendly stuff. I always come here for a movie if they are going to play it and stay away from the major cinema across town but they don't play everything, then a cheat and go with big business. ;)
Drinks & Nightlife
One of the two dance clubs for adults in Gent. Don't bother going before 2 am, unless you are looking for a beer, business doesn't pick up till then. Great staff if you start off friendly.
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Café Video
7 Oude BeestenmarktOne of the two dance clubs for adults in Gent. Don't bother going before 2 am, unless you are looking for a beer, business doesn't pick up till then. Great staff if you start off friendly.
One of two dance clubs for adults in Gent. Don't bother going before 2am. Darker club than Video. There is often a dress code.
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Club 69
5 Oude BeestenmarktOne of two dance clubs for adults in Gent. Don't bother going before 2am. Darker club than Video. There is often a dress code.
The first & last stop on a night out on the town. Nice place to drop by, everyone out at 6 am is here, or thinking about it. Don't be too late w/o being drunk too.
older crowd than overpoort, mixed
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Charlatan
6 VlasmarktThe first & last stop on a night out on the town. Nice place to drop by, everyone out at 6 am is here, or thinking about it. Don't be too late w/o being drunk too.
older crowd than overpoort, mixed
het Spijker
3 PensmarktLocal young adult cafe. Good place from 20-35 yrs.
Beer bar. If you want to explore Belgian beer, move into this place for a week. After that you might have an idea. Classic place to go for tourists and with reason. I still go and its a favorite of many locals. If you go, be sure to get a large Kwak (quwaack)!
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Dulle Griet
50 VrijdagmarktBeer bar. If you want to explore Belgian beer, move into this place for a week. After that you might have an idea. Classic place to go for tourists and with reason. I still go and its a favorite of many locals. If you go, be sure to get a large Kwak (quwaack)!
This is a liquor store, but not like your regular liquor store. Here you can try before you buy and you can buy in multiple portions that he bottles for you in the shop. Timon and his wife are pretty amazing and know more about all their products than I thought was possible good english and dutch, not sure about french. Tastings scheduled regularly for 25 Euro, but you can always go in and request one on the spot and they will work something small out for 10 euro or so. Great spot! Enjoy the tiny terrace out back!
PROOF - Shop & Tasting Room
This is a liquor store, but not like your regular liquor store. Here you can try before you buy and you can buy in multiple portions that he bottles for you in the shop. Timon and his wife are pretty amazing and know more about all their products than I thought was possible good english and dutch, not sure about french. Tastings scheduled regularly for 25 Euro, but you can always go in and request one on the spot and they will work something small out for 10 euro or so. Great spot! Enjoy the tiny terrace out back!
Sightseeing
Castle! What more? Oh, the mote, the turrets, the dungeon!
Plus, good cafes & restaurants about in this very tourist part of town. Best gift shop straight out the castle, take the left ahead, on R.
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Gravensteen
11 Sint-VeerlepleinCastle! What more? Oh, the mote, the turrets, the dungeon!
Plus, good cafes & restaurants about in this very tourist part of town. Best gift shop straight out the castle, take the left ahead, on R.
Pretty much the center of the tourist part of town or the old town or the shopping (for life or pleasure) of the city. Find Starbucks and go around the corner for better coffee.
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Korenmarkt, Ghent
KorenmarktPretty much the center of the tourist part of town or the old town or the shopping (for life or pleasure) of the city. Find Starbucks and go around the corner for better coffee.
Museo Comunale d'Arte Contemporanea
1 Jan HoetpleinModern art museum.
Shopping
Shopping mall in Gent. Across from city admin building and has a parking garage. Also houses many shops, cafe/restaurants, and a grocery store!
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Shoppingcenter Gent Zuid
4 Woodrow WilsonpleinShopping mall in Gent. Across from city admin building and has a parking garage. Also houses many shops, cafe/restaurants, and a grocery store!
THE shopping street in Gent. No matter what you are looking for you can find it here, or on one of its side streets.
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Veldstraat
VeldstraatTHE shopping street in Gent. No matter what you are looking for you can find it here, or on one of its side streets.
Essentials
2nd shopping street, but here you can also buy from the elite fish shop, butcher shop, and produce shop in addition to clothing. Also a really good pancake (euro style) restaurant here.
Voldersstraat
Voldersstraat2nd shopping street, but here you can also buy from the elite fish shop, butcher shop, and produce shop in addition to clothing. Also a really good pancake (euro style) restaurant here.