12 Best Restaurants in Ghent and the Leie, Belgium

The reputation of D'Oude Schuur often sees Ghentians make a weekend of their visit just to indulge here. As its name (The Old Barn) suggests, it was once part of a farm, though there’s little rustic about its neat, spare interior. The menu does make the most of the country setting, however, dishing up partridge and pheasant alongside the fussier asides of French cooking. Much of the restaurant's reputation lies in its well-stocked cellar, for which the selection of Burgundy wines is especially celebrated.

A fair contender for the best meal in Ghent, Oak more than deserves the Michelin star it bagged in 2018. Chef Marcelo Ballardin worked previously in the lauded Vrijmoed before setting up on his own, and demand is high: with just 24 seats, it's wise to book far in advance. Inside, it's pretty intimate, with Ballardin himself often coming out to greet diners. Dinner is a seven-course menu that changes with the seasons. Small portions come exquisitely prepared, with every trick in the gastronomic cookbook used, and its surprisingly simple dishes are huge in flavor, from sumptuous dry-aged beef to halibut drizzled in Champagne sauce. A true delight.

Dishes at this Michelin-starred bistro from established Ghent chef Olly Ceulenaere are intricately prepared with a depth of flavor that belies their often simple ingredients. A small, ever-changing set menu invariably delivers. It's a bit of a walk from the city center, but that hasn't kept the crowds away. Booking is essential, and as you leave, a sign above the door reads "Bugger off quietly."

The only downside to Rebelle is that it's not exactly convenient. It lies a few miles outside the city center, in the small village of Marke, but it's more than worth the effort to get there. A minimalist makeover of the interior makes room for its inventive three-, six- and seven-course menus, which bring all the color. Save room for the pandan rice pudding. 

A seasoned performer. This classy restaurant, run by owners Marniek and Christine, has been dishing up imaginative takes on classic bistro dishes since 1999. A back-garden terrace makes for a quiet escape, while the understated interior sets a refined mood for some sophisticated cooking. 

The hot new restaurant in town comes fresh from the success of its former pop-up (Heems) and has now settled on Brusselsestraat. It's a small, intimate joint with a great secluded terrace at the rear. Its set menus can be matched with wines or beers, and the cooking is simply inspired, using local produce and unexpected combinations of simple ingredients to often dazzling effect. A future star. 

This distinguished restaurant is a local favorite for French and classic Belgian dishes, particularly seafood and seasonal specialties. Its tasting menus are on the steep side, but the service is uniformly excellent and the presentation borders on the inspired. Sip your aperitif on the terrace overlooking the garden, which also supplies the herbs used in the kitchen. After 23 years, it might have finally lost its Michelin star in 2019, but the menu has lost none of its vigor.

You enter Margaretha's through one of the oldest buildings still standing in Oudenaarde, a Romanesque patrician tower built in the 12th century. It has a rich past: this was once an almshouse, then a school, and it takes its name from Margarita de Palma, Charles V's illegitimate daughter who went on to rule the Netherlands and was said to have lived here at one point. So much history and yet it doesn't detract from a dining experience that rarely lets up, from a fine selection of game to a series of set menus that always surprises.   

The owners of this food-sharing joint on bustling Oudburg have managed to make its interior look like an enchanted forest—all green walls, fake branches, and pale-pink flowers lit with clever lighting. The theatrics don't end with the decor, either, as each dish on the four- or six-course tasting menu pit-stops in another culinary realm. From tacos to ceviche, to Spanish-style king prawns, each course barrels along with big flavors that don't always match up, but the quality is good and you can always go à la carte if you want to. But it's all about the experience at Ghent's most Instagrammable eatery.

Chef Matthias Speybrouck got his start working under mercurial Belgian chef Kobe Desramaults, and he learned well. His modern riverside restaurant has a rather industrial vibe, but it fits the "rough and refined" ethos of the menu, where he digs deep into local produce to create some surprising combinations.