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Ghent (Belgium) is a town that I have visited quite often for work as one of the groups that I play for is based there. However, this time I was there with a different orchestra and was only here for a night (the concert) and in a different area of town to the place that I am more familiar with.

Thus, this was a chance to find a new place to eat. As usual, the time constraints between the rehearsal and the concert meant that it had to be something quite close by. In this case, it was just across the square from the main Cathederal!

The Space

On the outisde, there is a decent amount of seating under the covers. It is also (not shown) a nice view of the square, with the Sint-Baafskathedraal just behind the photographer in the photo above. I would say that the outside area is a touch too packed closely together for comfort, but at least there is a decent amount of seating.

The interior is more spacious, and reminds me a little bit of a Brasserie from old movies or something like that!

The Menu

There is a wide variety of dishes on offer, however I was quite atrracted to the Specialities. Mussels and chips is also quite a thing in the Low Lands as well. Pricing is a touch on the expensive side, but I guess you are paying a bit for the central location...

The Food

My colleague had the Stew from the Specialities, served up with a side of chips and salad. Which she said was just okay, nothing spectacular. Possibly not quite worth the price....

Meanwhile, I decided to get the Duck (my favourite!) in Pear and Redcurrent sauce served with a side of Gratin with vegetables. Again, I would have to say, it was nice, but not really worth the price! The sauce was a nice and interesting twist though, not something that I would have thought of, so some cooking inspiration for the future!

The Experience

Despite being on the early side of dinner, it was starting to get quite busy (at least on the outside, not so much on the inside). So, the wait staff were hurrying around a little bit. Despite that, the service was fast and friendly, and the waiting time for food was not so long either. However, the inside was quite empty, so I wonder how it would have held up under a full load of restaurant guests.

Menus were in English in addition to German, Dutch and French, so there should not be too much difficulty there! After all, Ghent is a pretty popular tourist spot, so the restaurants are usually quite well prepared for multiple languages.

In conclusion, I would have to say that this place wasn't really worth the price. The food was decent and the atmosphere inside was quite nice, but the prices were too expensive. There were many restaurants nearby, so I would suggest trying out a different one!