The kids were entertained when my request for the fine (fjine) mustard was fulfilled by filling a…read morejar from the large vat with a wooden spoon. It's a powerful topping. Meanwhile, the stone ground (grove) mustard is simply the best mustard I've ever had. And I'm an aficionado!

Tierenteyn-Verlant is a little shop in Ghent's Groentemarkt Square that sells pickles, spices,…read moresauces, teas, and most notably, mustard. Tierenteyn is actually the name of the Ghent mustard producing company that's been around since its founding by Petrus Tierenteyn back in the early 1800s. Nowadays, it's one of the only ones left. When we were taken quickly around Ghent so we could be given as much free time as possible, our guide specifically pointed out this shop to us. Not only is the square and building itself historical, but it also allows you to peek in on their stores of traditionally made mustard. It's another product special to this region and something you can't get in the US, as it doesn't ship. Not only can you get the mustard bottled or packed for your directly from the barrel with a wooden spoon (as is traditional), but they also give out samples of their mustard, mayos, and sauces with the help of breadstick crackers. I found the shop to be positively charming. And so much fun even though I'm not even that much of a mustard fan, but this was definitely fun to try out. There's a distinctly horse-radish-y and is a distinct souvenir or gift. You'll have to transport it back through a checked-in bag, as it's definitely liquid, and much more fluid than the mustard we're used to. If you're especially worried about the glass jars breaking, they have plastic containers as well. We ended up getting a jar for ourselves because (while they really are great gifts) we didn't want to share. If you're a fan of their mustard, you can ask the staff about other local establishments that make use of Tierenteyn-Verlant's mustard. If you're feeling especially daring, their website mentions places that use their mustard to create cocktails. Overall, I think this is definitely a place worth stopping by while you're in Ghent. As a unique specialty and a shop where you can choose which jar you would like, it's worth going in to take a look, maybe sample a bit, and grab something for either yourself or a friend. My family uses it for a surprising amount of occasions, including as part of charcuterie boards we make for gatherings and apparently pretzels. For those in the Silicon Valley area, there is a German butcher/meat shop/sandwich location in Los Altos called Dittmer's Gourmet Meats & Wurst-Haus. They sell a variety of pretzels and I can now say that mustard from Tierenteyn-Verlant goes GREAT with them.

Excellent chocolate but they don't give any samples and don't even want to give you a paper bag but…read morethe chocolate is 5/5

I saw quite a lot of recommendations for this shop in Gent so I decided to pop in because I wanted…read moreto buy some chocolate to bring back home to the US. I was a little overwhelmed with the different options they had, so I spent a good amount of time there. I ended up picking up a few of their pre-packaged truffle assortments and also got a few individual truffles for me to eat. One of the clear case boxes unfortunately got severely squished in my suitcase, so I actually ended up eating them since they were not in a presentable state haha. Standouts of the ones I tried have to include passion fruit and macadamia. Yuzu is also high up there too. I think these were just more interesting flavors and more preferable to my own tastes. They're a solid choice for nice chocolate. Was my mind blown away? Not really, but the chocolates are high quality, handmade, crafted well, and certainly a LOT cheaper than what you can get in the US. My favorites were very delicious, and I would get them again or ask someone to bring them back if the opportunity ever presented itself.

Moor & Moor is such a cute little place to go for some lunch. We sat outside and ordered the Vegan…read moreAvocado sandwiches and some Fritz-Kola lemonade. The sandwiches were very good (watch out for the crunch though, don't break your teeth!!) and the street very nice and quiet. Would definitely come back next time I'm in Gent!

Yelp... It's finding places like this that I truly appreciate Yelp! On a little break to Belgium,…read morein the beautiful Gent and I came across the listing for this place... I was staying nearby and couldn't wait to try it out, so how did it go... AMAZING! I was 3 days in Gent, I had brunch here twice! Says a lot, man, if I was a local I'd be regularly found hanging out here. Lovely seating out front though even in side, they've made great use the space and got a quirky mezzanine space. As a cafe, it's also a store where you can purchase some of the yummiest organic produce plus what appeared to be locally sourced produce. The back of the store, has dispensers with nuts, grains so you can buy by the weight which is so convenient! First day, I had the avocado and goats cheese sandwich and it was so delicious, I savoured every bite. On my second visit, I had the fruit granola; wish I could have brought some home with me but still had travelling to do. If I'm ever back in town, will be the first place I go to!

This former butcher's hall is a great space, and very well matched with the fare they now serve…read more I went with the blood sausage, and it did not disappoint. It was piled high with slices of ham and cooked apples. Pork is one of the specialties here, and the whole dish was very good. The distinctive taste of the sausage filling should be savored. I also had the opportunity to taste the waterzooi, a stew with a cream sauce. It was tasty. I would highly recommend this restaurant, if you find yourself in Ghent.

Groot Vleeshuis is a historic building which used to be the meat market long time ago. Now it's…read morebeen converted into a restaurant, and the cool part about this place (other than the history) is that they have real Flanders ham hanging and drying from the ceiling! You don't have to be eating there to walk through the restaurant to see the ham! After going on a free walking tour, I was starving, so I came to eat lunch here. There are tables in an inside area that's inside of the building (sounds confusing, but when you see it you'll know what i'm talking about), but sitting in the area where the hams are hanging is a lot more fun. You just grab any table and a server will come to you. It's a hopping place for brunch/lunch - they have salads and toast and omelettes, and of course lots of beer options. I wanted to try something local and so I ordered the waterzooi, which is this cream/egg based stew with chicken and potatoes and other veggies. The dish originated in Gent. And since I was at the old Butcher's Hall, I wanted to try some ham. They had a meat tasting dish that came with four different meats. The meat sampler came with Superano ham, Ganda ham, Breydelham, and Gentse kop. My favorites were the Superano and the Ganda - they tasted like prosciutto. The Breydelham tasted like regular ham. The kop was my least favorite - it's basically a pork product made of parts of the pig like the head. I guess it's kind of like spam, but not as tasty. The sampler came with some kind of mustard for dipping the meat in! The waterzooi was tasty and hearty and it was huge!!! It had generous chunks of chicken and yummy potatoes. I like the light creamy flavor. I couldn't finish it because it was too much food. The service was great except it was hard when I tried to pay and leave. My original server was very busy with this large party that was there and he was bringing out dishes two at a time by himself. I finally got the attention of the girl server who was clearing a different table and she came by but when I tried to pay with my credit card, she said I had to go inside to the bar area to pay. So I went and paid and the girl who took care of that for me said it was like some kind of special customer day and gave me this little bottle of a pickled dip for eating meat with! There is free wifi! And there's a restroom, but you need a code to get there!

Belgium is famous for its chocolate, but if you're East Flanders to visit Ghent, you might want to…read morelook into getting some of Ghent nose candies. Gentse neus, also known as Ghent noses or cuberdons, is (according to our tour guide) a popular local delicacy. The recipe was said to have been first made in the 19th century with arabic gum and sugar, and flavored by fruit and flowers. A member of our group recommended biting off the top of the cone's dry, harder, and gummy tip and sucking out the gooey, jelly center before eating the rest. It takes 5 to 7 days and lasts for about three weeks before the jelly in the center crystalizes. Because of that, you don't really see them sold outside of this part of Europe and is unique to this as an official regional product in this Flemish area. However and because of that, they can be flown back into the US and make great souvenirs and gifts. When we were in Ghent, we saw little bags and boxes of them sold in local souvenir shops in a variety of flavors including raspberry, apple, strawberry, mangoes, licorice, etc. However, we were told those "neuzekes" might not necessarily have the arabic gum. In Groentenmarkt Square, there is De Echte Gentse Neuzen, or The Real Ghent Noses, a cart marketing their "authentic" Ghent noses. It was originally run by Sonny Breine and one of the two carts that were a part of the Neuzekesoorlog, or "little nose war", feud where he and Carl Demeestere competed side by side. Both claimed to sell the real "authentic" recipe and the fight went on for YEARs. The conflict included poaching customers, pointedly getting similar carts, a physical fight, and the mayor and the Chamber of Commerce stepping in with a two-week cart ban and fine for anymore badmouthing respectively. It was hilarious and apparently made national news. XD Sonny isn't the one running the cart anymore, but you can still get the candy! I didn't see the other cart or stand. For a few euros, you can buy a small bag of your chosen flavors (whether you want all of them to be one flavor or a mix), or even get it in a small gift box. The day we went, they had apple, raspberry, and strawberry flavors, and we ended up getting a little of everything. On that day, we didn't see Demeestere's cart/stand? I don't know if it was just the day we went or if something changed, but De Echte Gentse Neuzen was the cart selling "authentic" Ghent Nose to our tour group. So yeah, if you're in the area and looking for a particularly unique experience, gift, or souvenir, I recommend visiting De Echte Gentse Neuzen to try some of this candy. The candy itself admittedly isn't to my personal taste, but I'm glad I tried out all the available flavors. It was fun and really easy to transport back home as it doesn't damage easily. XD

Our guide told us this was the place to go for chocolate and it did not disappoint. We tried about…read more10 pieces and they were al incredible. Rich and delicious.

Tasty chocolates from a wide selection! The lady behind the counter was helpful in suggesting which…read moreones I should try. I got about eight chocolates for only three euros!

A simply amazing place that came well recommended by both another merchant and our guide. Great…read moreservice, wonderful ambiance, and just what we were looking for. My wife was in heaven and came away with a serious collection of sweets we are still enjoying days later. Give it a try!

This was our first chocolaterie in Ghent and it was excellent. The chocolates lived up the Belgian…read morereputation and they had a wide selection of different marzipans, a family favorite that is scarce in the United States. The only thing better than the chocolate was the customer service. The young man working educated us on the Ghent Dragon, provided us with a few local restaurant recommendations and a brief lesson on Belgian fries and local spots. He also informed us that the chocolates are made by Sophie herself. Sophie is doing a great job in both the chocolate business and in hiring friendly, competent people. It was a pleasure shopping there.

I've been there twice; the first time was to buy chocolates to take home as gifts. I also randomly…read morechose a dark chocolate green tea praline to have for myself - big mistake. I returned a few days later and bought a large box of pralines to share and for gifts. This is by far the best chocolate I have ever tasted.

Conveniently located for a quick and tasty snack. It was pretty chilly today and their hot…read morechocolate, coffee and waffles were the perfect treat before heading back out. Delicious!