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Atlas · Passport of cuisines · Issued Ghent 2026
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Ten flags
over Ghent.

Beyond Franco-Belgian: a passport of the standout non-local kitchens you can walk to in Ghent in 2026 — omakase in a circus, ramen on Oudburg, a tandoor by the station, mezze on Steendam, tapas in the Patershol. One page per cuisine. Stamps where the canonical record awarded one.

Bearer10 cuisines
Pages10 + 1 missing
Issued2026-04-28
Valid throughThis dinner
Cleared for
dinnerGent · BE · 9000

Index of stamps

JP Omakasep.01 JP Ramenp.02 JP Ramen-barp.03 VN Rice rollsp.04 SE Pan-Asianp.05 TH Street foodp.06 KR Bibimbapp.07 PK Tandoorip.08 SY Mezzep.09 LB Mezze (Leie)p.10 MA Taginesp.11 ES Tapasp.12 TR Kebabp.13 ↺ Visas refusedp.14
JPNJapanese · Omakase
Sākas at the Wintercircus
PAGE01
Sākas omakase counter inside the Wintercircus, Ghent
Port of entry
Lammerstraat 13, 9000 Gent [1]
Course count
8 or 16 (omakase)
Chef
Yoshihito Mizuno (JP / BR / BE)
Status
Gault&Millau-listed Ghent [3]

The only true omakase counter in the city, set inside the restored Wintercircus. Belgian press graded the kitchen "impeccable" on quality, freshness and seasoning [2].

Splurge
★ pick2026 · Gent
JPNJapanese · Ramen
Noedelbar Ramen
PAGE02
Noedelbar Ramen on Oudburg, Ghent
Port of entry
Oudburg 51, 9000 Gent [4]
Capacity
16 seats
Operating since
December 2012
Order
Tantan-men €16 · Shio tori €17.50

Long-standing purist counter — broth, noodles, toppings, condiments all made on-site since 2012. Weekday lunches and Friday nights only [4].

Since
2012Oudburg
JPNJapanese · Ramen-bar hybrid
Golden Gai
PAGE03
Golden Gai ramen bar near Dampoort
Port of entry
Dampoortstraat 11, 9000 Gent [5]
Format
Ramen + cocktail bar
Sourcing
Locavore Belgian; in-house everything

The newer hybrid: Japanese ethos with regional Belgian sourcing — noodles to soda made in-house, ramen paired with a serious cocktail programme [5].

Hybrid
kitchenDampoort
VNMVietnamese · Fast-casual
Knees to Chin
PAGE04
Knees to Chin Vietnamese rice paper rolls
Port of entry
Voldersstraat 11, 9000 Gent [6]
Format
Rice paper rolls · banh mi · bowls
Price
~€5–6 per roll
Diet
Lactose-free · very low gluten

Five house-made sauces, rotating regional specials from chefs of different Vietnamese regions. The chain originated in Ghent [6].

Origin
cityGhent · BE
SEAPan-South-East Asian
Lucy Chang
PAGE05
Lucy Chang pan-Asian on Jakobijnenstraat, Ghent
Port of entry
Jakobijnenstraat 1, 9000 Gent [7]
Cuisines covered
TH · VN · MY · CN · JP · KR
Note
Chain's smallest, canalside room

A reliable group-friendly catch-all when the table can't agree which Asian flag to fly — pad thai, Peking duck, dim sum and Thai green curry under one roof [7].

THAThai · Street food
Kin Khao Thai Eatery
PAGE06
Kin Khao Thai street food, Donkersteeg, Ghent
Port of entry
Donkersteeg 21–23, 9000 Gent [9]
Award
Best Thai BE/LU · Gault&Millau 2020
Reviews
4.8/5 across 2,380 votes
Price
€10–€28 per head

Short sharing menu, Gault&Millau-anointed in 2020 [8]; corroborated by TripAdvisor's 2026 Thai shortlist for Ghent [19].

Best
ThaiBE/LU 2020
KORKorean · Bibimbap
Hey Joo
PAGE07
Hey Joo Korean restaurant on Oudburg with canalside garden
Port of entry
Oudburg 18, 9000 Gent [10]
Diet
Halal meat option · vegan bibimbap
Setting
Canalside outdoor garden
Operators
Family-run, Korean couple [11]

One clear pick. Worth the walk over the bridge from Patershol for a canalside garden seat — rare in central Ghent.

Halal
+ veganOudburg
PAKPakistani · Indian · Tandoori
Laila Tandoori
PAGE08
Laila Tandoori, Maria Hendrikaplein, Ghent
Port of entry
Maria Hendrikaplein 66, 9000 Gent [12]
Award
3× HORECA "best kitchen"
Order
Tandoori lamb / chicken / prawn · dum biryani
Logistics
Steps from Sint-Pieters station

The city's most decorated subcontinental kitchen — three HORECA awards [12], and consistent praise on TripAdvisor for tandoori and biryani [13]. Skews tandoor-heavy.

3×
HORECABest kitchen
SYRSyrian-Lebanese · Mezze
Mazaya
PAGE09
Mazaya Syrian-Lebanese mezze on Steendam
Port of entry
Steendam 39, 9000 Gent [14]
Format
Mezze sharing
Made in-house
Labneh · warak enab · tabouleh · falafel

Shortlisted in TripAdvisor's 2026 Middle-Eastern picks for the city [20]. Designed for sharing; grilled mains and seasoned-rice platters follow the cold-mezze opener.

Sharing
platesSteendam
LBNLebanese · Middle Eastern
Zahra
PAGE10
Zahra Lebanese restaurant on Brabantdam, Ghent
Port of entry
Brabantdam 46, 9000 Gent [15]
Setting
Old Flemish house · Leie-side room
Diet
Veg-customisable

The alternative to Mazaya when you want a river-side dining room over a sharing-counter — also on TripAdvisor's 2026 ME shortlist [20].

MARMoroccan · Tagines
Mogador
PAGE11
Mogador Moroccan restaurant on Mageleinstraat, Ghent
Port of entry
Mageleinstraat 8, 9000 Gent [16]
Order
Tagines · couscous royal · pastilla
Caveat
Higher price tier · slow service at peak

The central Moroccan address. Reviews flag higher prices and dragging service on busy nights — book mid-week if you can [16].

⚠ Caution
Peak hoursMageleinstraat
ESPSpanish · Tapas · Paella
Casa de las Tapas
PAGE12
Casa de las Tapas in the Patershol, Ghent
Port of entry
Corduwaniersstraat 41, Patershol [17]
Capacity
Groups up to 23
Quarter
Cobbled medieval Patershol

Tapas plus a generous paella in one of Ghent's prettiest medieval lanes — sized for groups, which is rare in this register [17].

Group
up to 23Patershol
TURTurkish · Kebab
Hunkar Kebab
PAGE13
Freshness · #1 on TripAdvisor TR
Port of entry
Central Ghent [18]
Strength
Freshness · "unmatchable taste"
Caveat
Small room · expect a queue

Tops the city's Turkish list on freshness. The room is small — go early, or hold for a bench seat [18].

★ TR
top pickGhent · 2026

Visas refused — what's missing in Ghent (2026)

No visa

Ethiopian / Eritrean

No standout address with consistent national press. For injera the nearest reliable room is in Brussels.

No visa

Peruvian · Argentinian

Latin-American depth is thin in 2026 — no ceviche or asado venue rises above casual.

No visa

Mexican

Mexican exists but no venue rises above casual. Cross-check before booking.

Stamps issued by — sources

[1]sakaswintercircusbe.euofficial [2]Knack Weekend — Sākas reviewnews [3]Gault&Millau — Sākas Gentofficial [4]ramen.gent — Noedelbarofficial [5]goldengai.beofficial [6]kneestochin.com — Ghentofficial [7]lucychang.com — Ghentofficial [8]visit.gent.be — Kin Khaoofficial [9]Restaurant Guru — Kin Khaoforum [10]heyjoo.beofficial [11]Wanderlog — Hey Jooforum [12]lailarestaurant.beofficial [13]TripAdvisor — Lailaforum [14]mazaya.be — blogofficial [15]Tablebooker — Zahravendor [16]TripAdvisor — Mogadorforum [17]visit.gent.be — Casa de las Tapasofficial [18]TripAdvisor — Turkish in Ghentforum [19]TripAdvisor — Thai in Ghentforum [20]TripAdvisor — Middle Easternforum

Other dining-passport pages — siblings

survey

Michelin & Gault&Millau-rated tables

4 Michelin stars in city limits, a 2-star benchmark 30km away, and where Gault&Millau places everything else.

 survey

Chef-driven & destination tables

The chefs to book for in Ghent and the drive-out destinations within ~90 minutes.

 recon

Romantic & special-occasion settings

Six Ghent rooms worth a big night out — from a 24-seat star to candlelit canal-side warehouses.

 recon

Cocktail-led dining & bar-restaurants

Five Ghent venues where the drinks programme is at least as serious as the food.

 recon

Remarkable locations & rooms

15th-century butchers' hall, a converted Franciscan church, an 1880s warehouse, the city's two real rooftops.

 recon

Review & rating sources to mine

Which review platforms to scrape for a 'clear edge' Ghent guide, ranked by signal density.