I often find myself in the very nice city of Ghent (Belgium) when I travel for work. Ghent is quite a touristy sort of town and often it can be a bit tricky to find good food that is out of the tourist corridors and the accompanying price hikes!

However, this little Italian place is one that is quite close to where I normally stay, and it has become one of my fast favourites to eat at. Often, I will eat here at least once, perhaps more, during my stay in the city.

The Space

From the outside, it doesn't really look like anything special. It is also a touch outside of the centre of the town, so if you are here as a tourist, then you might need to have a short walk. That said, it is only about a 10 minute walk from the main tourist area...

As you can see from the featured photo (at the top), the place is roomy and you will find very littel interference and noise from the other diners. Also, it is quite possible to get a table that is along the wall (my preference!) instead of in the middle of the room!

The Menu

There is a full range of Italian meals on offer here. The pizza is quite good and if you are looking for a quick and inexpensive feed, then it is probably one of the better options. Pastas are also a good choice for a quick option and the homemade pastas and gnocchi are great! However, the other main courses are quite tasty, and generally the wait time for food is not very long.

Like all good Italian restaurants, there is also a decent wine list to choose from. Nothing too fancy, but good enough! Although, usually I prefer a Peroni beer to a wine... personal preference!

The dessert menu is also worth trying out, however, this time I was only in for a quite dinner and so I skipped the dessert course!

The Food

For this visit, I ordered the "Bistecca Mamma Mia", which is a beef steak with a slightly spicy sauce (you can see the it on the bottom of the second page of the menu).

It is served up with a pasta as well, although from this angle it is hard to see everything as it is all covered up by the sauce! Also included was the very nice bread, which was essential to mopping up the very delicious sauce!

I have to say, it wasn't one of the best choices on the menu (I'm working my way through all of them!), but it was still quite good. The sauce in particular was great, as it was a little bit chili without being overpowering.

I think next time, I will return back to the pizza selection as I am quite fond of the pizzas from this restaurant!

The Experience

It seems like this is a family owned and run restaurant. The service is friendly without being obtrusive, and the setting is nice and subdued. There is a blissful lack of background music which is a nice thing for a musician, and the food is quickly served up after ordering.

The atmosphere is very warm and comforting, and it is a place that I think most people will find quite nice to return to. It is just nice simple food in a cosy setting.

Opening Times

Monday Closed
Tuesday 12–2pm, 6:30–10:30pm
Wednesday 12–2pm, 6:30–10:30pm
Thursday 12–2pm, 6:30–10:30pm
Friday 12–2pm, 6:30–10:30pm
Saturday 12–2pm, 6:30–10:30pm
Sunday Closed

Contact Details

Address: Hoogstraat 3, 9000 Gent, Belgium
Phone: +32 9 233 76 02

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