This is fabulous place for a meal in Ghent. This city is one of my favorites in Europe, and I just keep finding one gem after another to make it all the more attractive. The credit for specifically finding this place, however, goes to my Benelux business partner. He lives in a village nearby, so he's basically a local. But I think this was his first time at this establishment, also.
I'll talk about the food in a moment, but the highlight of this occasion was unquestionably the ambiance. This restaurant is housed in an elegant older home in what I can only surmise to have been a posh neighborhood at the turn of the last century. There are remnants of a carriage house in the back, for example. To be sure, the neighborhood is still nice enough, but maybe not a refuge for the rich and famous anymore.
The house itself is beautifully decorated. While entering patrons know they are about to embark on a special dining experience, they could easily get the feeling for a brief moment while walking to their seats that they are being escorted into a swank dinner party. The vintage decor in this establishment could not be more ideal, replete with large chandeliers, a lovely fireplace, antique furniture and more. Victorian elegance is on display.
We went to this restaurant for our midday meal on a weekday. We were a little early in the lunch hour, as my colleague collected me from the train station a little past 11 AM for our business that day. So we entered the restaurant before noon. In fact, there was only ever one other party in the dining room during the time we were there, which made for a wonderfully quiet, relaxed lunch.
The service matched expectations for a place like this. My feeling was that our interface was mainly with the proprietors. I find that to be an extremely positive difference between US and European restaurants. In the latter case, it seems like I am more often dealing with people who are more invested in the success of the business.
Our lunch fare was basically a set offering, but that worked well for us. We started nicely with a small piece of smoked salmon with vegetables and a light vinegar-based sauce. We then moved to a tasty pea soup concoction that was outside of the norm. Our server mentioned to us what made it unusual, but unfortunately I don't remember what she said. I just recall it was very satisfying. Our main course was a white fish preparation that was served on a small bed of lightly grilled vegetables with a saffron sauce. The meal culminated with a lovely creme brulee. Add in the coffee and it was a perfect finish. It was a little heavy for lunch, but I'm not going to dwell on that.
My colleague picked up the tab, so I did not see the final cost. And since we really did not have a menu, I had no way to even make an estimate. But he did not complain. I can only say that, whatever he paid, from my evaluation it was almost certainly worth it. I'd love to go to this place again, perhaps next time for dinner. read more